Web browser

[charlie]

What does everybody use for cruising around on the web these days. Is IE any safer than it used to be???

[lostcreekreefer]

Flock & FireFox...just cuz

[zhenya]

I use both Firefox and IE. IE for business things cause Firefox does not support all of the applications for client type software, so I'm on IE then.
Firefox is my main browser for Internet browsing on "my time". ;)

[Ninong]

I use IE only because I have always used IE.

[Cas]

IE. My wife's Company uses a portal from Sun Microsystem and when I switched to FireFox she could not log in at work. She was told FireFox did not support their portal and she worked with her Company's IT Department to switch back to IE. I lost all my favorites, but at least my wife does not have to stay at work all night trying to get here work done. She gets paid for four days work and works from home on the fifth day now to keep up.

[charlie]

Thanx for all the replies folks, I still don't know what I am going to decide here. Firefox has been crashing on me lately, that is why I ask. Just got this new computer, so I think I might just stick with IE for a while until I get myself arranged.

[Lucid]

Firefox is better if you visit... questionable sites. Really eliminates adware/spyware/harmware from being auto installed like it used to be with IE.

[schrocat]

IE...with almost all alerts on

[charlie]

I just went back to Firefox. I like both IE and Firefox, but I do believe Firefox is more secure.

[schrocat]

I freakin' loved Firefox.
However I would actually use plugins, get an upgrade, and subsequently almst every plugin would break.
The kid who wrote the plugin was (usually) not supporting it anymore.

It really hosed me with a calendar applet back in the day.

But as a stripped down browser...it's faster than anything. (Never tried safari though...Apples offering)

[dkh0331]

Google Chrome.

[Ninong]

When I downloaded Google Earth last week, I ended up with Google Chrome, too. So far I haven't tried Google Chrome. How do you like it?

This is a brand new computer that is only a couple of months old, so it's really very fast on just about everything. And having a 5 meg cable connection helps, too.

My old computer, the one that crased on me a couple of months ago, was more than six years old. It crashed a couple of years before that and I had to pay some dude in Toronto (Dell's Help Desk) $99 to walk me through a complete uninstall and reinstall of Windows. We had to uninstall Norton anti-virus first and that took almost two hours by itself. It was Norton that caused my computer to crash. I was on the phone with Dell's help desk for almost five hours, so I guess you could say I got my money's worth.

Anyway, my point is that the guy in Toronto downloaded Opera for me and told me it was a better browser than IE. I never did try it out because I'm chicken to try out anything on a computer.

IE seems to be working fine on my new Dell computer, so I haven't bothered to download Opera. I ended up downloading Google Chrome sort of by accident but I haven't tried it yet. I'm still trying to get used to Windows Vista. My new computer came with two years of McAfee security, so maybe that's helping, too. I had problems with Norton and they kept increasing the annual renewal fee. I think it was only $19.95 the first year and then it went to $29.95 and then $39.95.

The only thing that bugs me right now is that my OS is Microsoft's 64-bit platform and that's not supported by Adobe yet. So I can't use the default 64-bit IE browser, I have to use the old 32-bit IE browser. Adobe is supposed to be working on an upgrade to their Adobe Reader. I think Adobe Reader 10 will support the 64-bit IE browser. Or maybe it's Adobe 11?

[charlie]

You can have both browsers installed, it just depends what you want to use for your default browser. Give it a shot, just keep IE as your default, it won't hurt anything.

[Ninong]

"Are you talkin' to me?," he said in his best Robert DeNiro voice.

Right now I have two versions of IE, the 32-bit and the 64-bit, which is default. I use the 32-bit. I also have Google Chrome installed but I haven't tried it yet. I have lots and lots of space on this computer.

I may download Firefox and Opera just to try them out. I'm really chicken and besides, I don't want to have to get used to anything new. I'm too old for all that crap.

:eek3:

[charlie]

Yeah, I can understand where you are at. I myself just got a new computer with Vista Ultimate on it, and both versions of IE. I just don't like IE!!! Firefox seems to me to be more user friendly as far as bookmark and that goes.

OH, and yeah I'm talkin to you.

[dkh0331]

When I downloaded Google Earth last week, I ended up with Google Chrome, too. So far I haven't tried Google Chrome. How do you like it?

I was a Firefox user for many years prior to Chrome. Two items I really like -
I can type a term directly in the address bar and search the term, or it will list possible ebsites, even tho I have never visitied the site. And when I open a new tab, it automatically lists my nine most visited web sites without having to make them my favorite.

Its as fast as IE or FF.

[SPasse]

Charlie,

Because I work with the Web browser compatibility of our Web apps at my company, I get to test IE (6,7,8) Chrome, Safari, Firefox & Opera.

You could spend a lot of time arguing about the relative security issues.

I am rather of the opinion that if you keep abreast of the security patches for the various browsers and keep your other antivirus & spyware applications updated, that you should not pick your favorite browser based on perceived differences in security vulnerabilities.

From a compatibility standpoint, the lion’s share of the installed browsers out there are some flavor Internet Explorer. (See attached thumbnail)

So Web app creators are most compelled to make their product IE compatible; to the other browsers, less so.

I have been using an iPod Touch since they 1st became available. I also recently broke down and bought an iPhone 3G. For the various smart phone devices, I def. prefer Safari.

Regards,

Scott

[charlie]

Hey, thanx for the insight Scott.

From a compatibility standpoint, the lion’s share of the installed browsers out there are some flavor Internet Explorer. (See attached thumbnail)

Are you saying that everybody in some way is copying (?) IE with that statement? I notice that when I download Firefox, for example, that it will accommodate IE's favorites and such, and they will transfer them easily into Firefox.

[Parrothead]

Charlie,

IE 8 is pretty cool and also very secure, Use adware by lavasoft for your adware and spyware issues, it's free and does an awesome job, also look at advanced system care 3.0 another very good program for spy and ad ware issues. All browsers are pretty much the same, I use ie8 goes like ninong i always have and it can be customized to be a one stop shop for local, national, and world news and weather. Check em' out and let me know.

Robert

[charlie]

We tried a beta version of IE8 at work, and everything came to a crashing halt, so I think I will take a pass on that one. May work different on a home computer, but that one bad experience sure left a bad taste in my mouth.