[Archived] Goodbye Internet Explorer

[samtheozzy]

Thats right, #### off IE! No more spyware, no more trojans, no more browser highjacks, no more security holes in urgent need of patching, no more Coolweb Searches, no more herbal viagra popups, no more 7 sessions of IE cluttering up my startbar, no more 50meg updates to show off the new go-faster stripes.

Hello Mozilla Firefox. What a beautiful product. Free, technologically advanced, compact, completely free of unnecessary features, compatible with just about every site i have been to so far. And its only a 4.79meg download!!!

It is no wonder that this version (which is only up to 0.9 but is already as stable 8-legged dog) has won so many awards. If even one of the previous items in my rant about IE pisses you off then give firefox a go. Firefox is Mozilla's next generation browser makes IE look like Model T Ford next to your new Falcon.

And tabbed browsing is the greatest enhancemant to web browsing i have come across since i uninstalled flash!

[Parasyte]

IE is the king of browsers. Its just that, like all monarchies, its nothing without its aides. Google toolbar is both convenient, and stops ALL pop-ups, and there are simple programs to plug IE's security features. I'm sure there is something packed into the hundreds-of-megabytes package from MS that puts it ahead of Mozilla - not even MS could fill millions of lines of code needlessly.

And before anyone jumps on my back, I know MS are a two-bit company with all the product quality of a third world sewage system, but when you take the time to actually take time and fix it yourself, some of their products are actually worthwhile having. IE is one.

Edited June 26, 2004 by Parasyte

[samtheozzy]

*cough* inbuilt google toolbar in firefox *cough*. BTW Firefox also loads pages ~50% faster than IE.

I'm sure there is something packed into the hundreds-of-megabytes package from MS that puts it ahead of Mozilla - not even MS could fill millions of lines of code needlessly.

that is the single most hopeful comment i've heard since listening to Grabbi's supporters. I cannot believe that any experienced computer user would ever make such a comment. THe internet is full of bloated products (real player, ICQ anyone?) and Microsoft is a key offender (ahhh finally you can use Messenger from Outlook, now if only Outlook could download emails without crashing

Oh and please note that i took it easy on you Parasyte. THat quote of yours is unbelievable. If you want i'll believe you if you say you were joking....how could you be serious?!??!?

[Guest Kamy100]

Just downloaded this programme and it looks pretty good. Page seems to load much faster and I am not getting any popup!

[Derbyshire Blue]

Sam…interested, will I still be able to use messenger? If so how? Can I still use my Hotmail account? And will it get rid of the pop-up that high jacks my screen every time I connect to the internet, meaning every time I’ve to switch off and re-boot….bloody annoying

[Exiled_Rover]

What's the web address? I'm willing to give it a go

[Guest Kamy100]

www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

[Cocker]

I am very dubious but willing to give it a go even though I DONT LIKE CHANGE.

To be safe I will wait a couple of days and wait for the complaints that have been added to the thread before I try

[Parasyte]

My other points are still valid. IE is safe, so long as people don't qualify themselfs as complete incompetants by not following the most basic of downloads.

And 50% faster page downloads? What utter tosh. I downloaded Firefox just to see, and there is little or no difference. I despise Microsoft with a passion, but I'm not sitting at the opposite end of the Fanboy scale so much as to not realise a perfectly good product when they release it.

The only other browser I would even consider, would be Opera, however, thats based on an opinion of when I used it a few years back.

[PABBY]

For all IE browser users, I suggest you give Avant Browser a try. I've been with this nifty piece of software since the early days of its development and it really is the dog's dangly bits.

Its features are too numerous to list here, but include:-

* flash animation & pop-up stoppers

* tabbed windows (only one entry on your Windows task bar)

* auto-page refresh

* built-in Googleand Yahoo search engines

* multi-page auto-load when you start the software

* user-definable url shortcuts

* full IE configuration compatibility

Give it a try - you won't be disappointed.

[LeChuck]

IE is the king of browsers. Its just that, like all monarchies, its nothing without its aides. Google toolbar is both convenient, and stops ALL pop-ups, and there are simple programs to plug IE's security features. I'm sure there is something packed into the hundreds-of-megabytes package from MS that puts it ahead of Mozilla - not even MS could fill millions of lines of code needlessly.

And before anyone jumps on my back, I know MS are a two-bit company with all the product quality of a third world sewage system, but when you take the time to actually take time and fix it yourself, some of their products are actually worthwhile having. IE is one.

That's just utter nonsense. Microsoft do indeed make some good programs, but Internet Explorer is comfortably one of the worst. It has no features (tabbed browsing, pop-up blockers, safety features, download manager, skins....need I go on?), crashes more than any other browser, loads pages slower and is the most vulnerable to hacking.

Saying it is a good program because other companies have made programs to plug the leaks is daft.

[tchocky]

I still find Firefox to render a lot of pages incorrectly, due to most of them being coded with IE in mind. However, with the OPERA browser this isnt a problem, pages usually display correctly even if they are coded for IE specifically.

It is also fast, and has the same or more features than Firefox. Highly recommended!

http://www.opera.no

The Fastest Browser on Earth with

Pop-up blocker

Opera Mail with SPAM killer

IRC-compatible chat

Newsreader

RSS newsfeeds

Integrated Google search

Small-Screen Rendering (SSR)

...and much, much more...

[samtheozzy]

Sam…interested, will I still be able to use messenger? If so how? Can I still use my Hotmail account? And will it get rid of the pop-up that high jacks my screen every time I connect to the internet, meaning every time I’ve to switch off and re-boot….bloody annoying 

Derby....you sure will. in fact it was that very problem, which happens to the latest variant of the Coolweb search, that forced my hand in the matter. I have yet to see a working solution to it in support forums.

The address to download is here.

And don't foget ctrl-t opens up a new tab.

Bottom line is you will not be able to uninstall IE (windows still needs it) but if you make firefox your default browser it will work well. Unfortunately Messenger will still launch IE even if its not the default browser (is anyone suprised) but at least you can still use messenger.

Tchocky....yeah opera is very cool as well. As long as people realise they don't have to put up with the annoyances of IE than this thread has been worthwhile.

[samtheozzy]

My other points are still valid. IE is safe, so long as people don't qualify themselfs as complete incompetants by not following the most basic of downloads.

And 50% faster page downloads? What utter tosh. I downloaded Firefox just to see, and there is little or no difference. I despise Microsoft with a passion, but I'm not sitting at the opposite end of the Fanboy scale so much as to not realise a perfectly good product when they release it.

The only other browser I would even consider, would be Opera, however, thats based on an opinion of when I used it a few years back.

well maybe not 50% faster (just trying to motivate you guys) but definately tangibly faster than IE. And IE is NOT safe, it's not even close to being safe. You don't have to be looking for porn or warez to pick up the latest infuriating Coolweb variant or any other security flaws that IE has been released with over the years.

Go to this page to check out the history of microsoft browser security flaws

[Tarka]

I downloaded it a few hours ago from download.com and I am pretty pleased with it. It really does seem to load pages faster ...

Thanks Sam ...

[LeChuck]

Once you've used it for a few days you'll wonder how you ever lived without tabbed-browsing...

[Parasyte]

IE as a standalone program is bullcrap, but if your dumb enough to trust any browser as a standalone, then you deserve all the scriptkiddies trojans and the likes. Aside from the taskbar mess it causes, IE has no problems at all. I have no pop-ups (Google bar), no leaks (well sorted Firewall), even Hotmail doesnt cause any problems (anti-virus). Then there is the contant security patches.

If people can give me 10 reasons why IE is worse than any other, then I'll shut my face, but so far, apart from the nonsense loading times, and the one genuine point about tabbed on the taskbar, it has nothing wrong with it.

[samtheozzy]

Jesus Christ Parasyte! i've tried to be diplomatic about this, i really have. I gave you opportunity to pass off your moronic comments (IE is safe, IE is larger and therefore must be better) as jokes. I even responded to your defences of IE and offered you evidence as to IE's significant and numerous shortcomings. You have heard other people on this board confirm that it is indeed faster to load pages and now you want a list of ten reasons why IE is worse than other browsers in order for you to shut your face (as you put it).

Well i gave you a heap of reasons in my initial posting but i shall you give you one more good reason to shut your face:

Reason 1.TO STOP EMBARASSING YOURSELF!!!

I'm not some Firefox salesman working on commission. My sole purpose in starting this thread was to point out that there were better options when browsing than IE. Some people have tried Firefox as a result and liked it so i like to think that my post has helped. But for some reason you're acting like i just ###### on your favourite childhood teddy bear! I cannot fathom why you responded in the first place (unless it was to make us laugh) but for gods sake just stop. Even i'm beginning to feel sorry for you.

/my final post in this thread

[Parasyte]

Jesus Christ Parasyte! i've tried to be diplomatic about this, i really have. I gave you opportunity to pass off your moronic comments (IE is safe, IE is larger and therefore must be better) as jokes. I even responded to your defences of IE and offered you evidence as to IE's significant and numerous shortcomings. You have heard other people on this board confirm that it is indeed faster to load pages and now you want a list of ten reasons why IE is worse than other browsers in order for you to shut your face (as you put it).

Well i gave you a heap of reasons in my initial posting but i shall you give you one more good reason to shut your face:

Reason 1.TO STOP EMBARASSING YOURSELF!!!

I'm not some Firefox salesman working on commission. My sole purpose in starting this thread was to point out that there were better options when browsing than IE. Some people have tried Firefox as a result and liked it so i like to think that my post has helped. But for some reason you're acting like i just ###### on your favourite childhood teddy bear! I cannot fathom why you responded in the first place (unless it was to make us laugh) but for gods sake just stop. Even i'm beginning to feel sorry for you.

/my final post in this thread

Tbne only reason I even keep responding is because you seem completely arrogant to the fact that the p[oints I'm making are valid. Okay, the size=better one was at very best a long shot.

I gave you opportunity to pass off your moronic comments (IE is safe...)

Okay - safe. On its own? of course not, I've said that already, but then again, its extremely easy to shut the door on the safety front.

I even responded to your defences of IE and offered you evidence as to IE's significant and numerous shortcomings

And I responded aswell - you just ignore perfectly valid points.

You have heard other people on this board confirm that it is indeed faster to load pages

I have Firefox - it is not faster. I even stopped using broadband as a measure, and used my 56k modem - still no difference. I even loaded two pages, side by side, in both FF and IE - and no, it wasnt a page I'd been before that was cached for IE. Loading times? identical.

I cannot fathom why you responded in the first place

On a discussion forum - god forbid.

Put it this way. I've had IE for years. Before that I had netscape, and inbetween I had Opera. And since this post, I even gave FF a trial - I'm willing to try anything, as you said, the topic was to say it was better, so I tried. The point of my replying was to state that not only talking out of your ring, but the points you made were, in fact wrong.

/my final post in this thread

Boo-fcuking-hoo.

[American]

Microsoft sucks, explorer sucks, windows sucks.

Buy a mac and use Safari.

[Parasyte]

Microsoft sucks, explorer sucks, windows sucks.

Buy a mac and use Safari.

I need Windows (sadly) for my college course, but thMacs at college run Safari I think - v.good...

[adopted scouser]

Microsoft sucks, explorer sucks, windows sucks.

Buy a mac and use Safari.

Beg to differ. I've just started using Office 2003 and it's fantastic.

2003's version of Outlook is amazing and looks pretty gorgeous too.

[American]

Ah Outlook, I remember that well...

When I was working doing design stuff, a company wanted a custom fax cover sheet done for Outlook. It worked great until they upgraded to office 2000 and Microsoft got rid of the feature that allowed you to make custom cover sheets. Makes perfect sense, getting rid of a perfectly good feature when doing an upgrade.

Oh and in the couple years my mac has been on OS X (or greater), I have had a full system crash maybe once.

Edited June 27, 2004 by American

[adopted scouser]

I'm happy with it. Why would anyone want to use a product financed by Forrest Gump ?

[Legion]

That's just utter nonsense. Microsoft do indeed make some good programs

Micro$oft don't make any progammes at all. They steal, mimic, takeover and purloin, but have not, do not and never will actually invent anything worthwhile themselves. When will people realise that Micro$oft are not the solution, they are the problem.

As to Firefox, I have been using it on MS and Debian for ages and it is far superior to IE, both in security and speed.

It you want secure system and fast browsing, go Linux and get rid of MS crap completely.