Which internet browser should I use?

[MMcCarthy]

All I know is I was already having scripting problems with IE6 and they got worse with IE7. I'm sure they were being created by my firewall but I wasn't going to decrease my firewall settings because I cannot afford any secutity breaches.

Mary

No problems along these lines with Firefox so far. Early days yet.

[NeoPa]

Not necessarily true. IE is easier to attack because it is part of the OS, thus making access to files and programs easier. No other browser has direct access, thus making attacks more difficult to come by.

While I wouldn't argue with this - I don't see it has any bearing on the point you were trying to disprove - about the user base.

Also, quoting various sources can sound impressive but :
1. How many professional scientists are prepared to say they have evidence to show that there has never been any links between smoking cigarettes and Cancer? (hard to believe I know but many do) You can always find respected experts with different opinions if you just look.
2. I've been burned before by articles claiming that such and such software is better than the MS variety, only to turn back later when various of the claims proved false. Usually compatibility issues with the rest of the world.
I'm not unsympathetic to your opinion, and I don't want to hold back the advance of alternative software, but I won't accept that it's the only valid opinion simply because you or anyone else thinks they can tell me so.

[MMcCarthy]

Back on your soapbox Adrian. <grin>

Mary

[NeoPa]

Back on your soapbox Adrian. <grin>

Mary

Troublemaker!
I only posted in here in the first place because you asked me to :(.

[MMcCarthy]

Troublemaker!
I only posted in here in the first place because you asked me to :(.

I must have been crazy. <grin>

Now Adrian, you know I respect your opinion even when you are on your soapbox. I heard the one about the experts and smoking before. In addition there is a lot more evidence to support the link between stress and cancer which doesn't get a lot of press.

Mary

[drhowarddrfine]

I won't accept that it's the only valid opinion simply because you or anyone else thinks they can tell me so.

Oh. You want statistics! Why didn't you say so?

Secunia Vulnerability Reports:

For IE6, 106 Vulnerabilities
For IE7, 3 Vulnerabilities just three weeks after introduction.
For Firefox 2.0, 1 vulnerability

IE7 actually has four because it has the same vulnerability FF has but it's slightly more difficult to get to. It was discovered just last week under strange circumstances. But I'll bet Mozilla fixes it shortly and IEs version will still be there years from now.

[Cyberdyne]

Firefox hands down.

Why?

Well lets just say your windows pc uses Explorer as its backbone, so anything that's wrong with your Explorer will immediately affect the rest of windows.

Firefox on the other hand is smaller and can always be reinstalled in just moments.

I have been using Firefox for about a 2 years now and even installed it and mandated it work, it makes my life easier and keeps my users safer.

https://www.getfirefox.com

[Banfa]

I won't be getting rid of IE

Just to comment on this and to the other people that have said that they have kept IE just in case.

You actually do not have a choice about it, IE is such an integral part of the Windows operating system that it would be impossible to remove it.

IE is what runs Windows Explorer, Windows Explorer is what runs the Task Bar, so no IE no Task Bar which would be rather inconvienient.


It is this integration and Microsofts approach in enabling various forms of scripting so that they could make things easier and automated for their users that makes IE such a large security risk.

I do believe that MS have put some effort in narrowing the gap on security issues and that Firefox (and other non MS browsers) have been shown not to be the completely impregnible fortresses they were orginally portraied to be but I think that MS IE is still lagging.

Coupled with poor standard support this makes it not the browser for me.


However that said if you are designing websites it is imperitive that it works in IE because 90% of the worlds browsing population still uses IE which is of course because IE comes bundled with Windows and the standard user is not really computer literate enough to understand why using IE is a bad idea or to have the confidence to download and install an alternate browser.


I can remember a few years back when IE was not a integral part of Windows but was just supplied with it. Netscape took IE to the US equivilent of the Monopolies Commission because bundling IE free with Windows was pricing them out of the market. MS were about to be found guilt of anti-competitive behaviour and forced to sell IE separately when suddenly, low and behold IE became and integral part of the OS. Handy huh.

And that is my final reason for using Firefox. IF MS had it's way everyone would be using IE, then it would have control of the web and web-standards. They are a big corperation and their first concern is their share-holders, it is natural for them to do everything possible to increase their market share. However I do not want a web ruled by MS or for that matter any part of the computer world if possible. Using other peoples software is my way of ensuring that, as long as enough people don't use MS software then we have a way of keeping them in check.

Do not get me wrong, Windows is an amazing OS. How many other OS's do you know that run on such a wide variety of hardware (OK Linux is one and some embedded RTOS). There are not many.

I am just exercising my right to impose what little control I have my choosing to use what I think is the most appropriate software for any given job rather than just doing the same as everyone else.

[AricC]

Not sure if they still have it but I downloaded Netscape about 6 months or so ago and it had this nifty feature where you could switch between IE and Firefox, it was a very handy to especially for web coders. I just can't get past the rendering issues with FF, I did however read on Slashdot that they were going to be working on the issue.

[Ganon11]

...if you are designing websites it is imperitive that it works in IE because 90% of the worlds browsing population still uses IE which is of course because IE comes bundled with Windows and the standard user is not really computer literate enough to understand why using IE is a bad idea

This doesn't scare so much as realizing that another 9% of the world's browsing population uses AOL...*shudder*

[drhowarddrfine]

Well, no, AOLs browser is based on IE, but someone could tell me I'm now wrong because AOL did make some changes and I don't recall how it may have affected their IE use.

IE is now down to 85%. In Germany it's 40%. Finland is about that. France is 30%. Tech heavy sites are around 50% and some report 80%. I always point out to non-tech users that IE is least used among people who know the most about how the web works and how browsers work.

IE does not run explorer. Explorer runs IE, that is, Windows always had Windows Explorer. MS attached to it to create Internet Explorer which is one reason they have similar names.

[Chrisjc]

I use IE7 because of the TABBED Browsing..

Plus I am big on the SIMPLE layout of it... I do not like other Browsers... especially FIREFOX.....

[drhowarddrfine]

But that doesn't make sense. Firefox and Opera have had tabbed browsing for years. And FFs interface isn't any more complicated than IE; plus you can customize it. So what do you mean?

[AricC]

But that doesn't make sense. Firefox and Opera have had tabbed browsing for years. And FFs interface isn't any more complicated than IE; plus you can customize it. So what do you mean?

Haha he means he doesn't like FF Doc!

[bartonc]

snip...

IE does not run explorer. Explorer runs IE, that is, Windows always had Windows Explorer. MS attached to it to create Internet Explorer which is one reason they have similar names.

I have to agree with the doc here. And Banfa, in a way. I have (sort of) come to believe that if an MS program like Help and Support or Outlook need internet access, they use the IE engine in one of their own windows. So IE is integral in this way. The legal issue (like the title of this thread) are about browsing. MS said "sure use any browser" and the courts were happy. I'm sure MS can't be forced to use (although registry settings may permit the use of) an alternate internet connection engine.