Firefox...

[stefanhendriks]

This oh-so-dandy browser is actually not super satisfying me at all. But, perhaps i am just nagging. Here i will brag up some stuff for you:

Dislike/Odd/Nag:
- when windows starts, and i run Firefox the 1st time, it takes a LONG time to load. (logical, since IE is integrated into windows it will be loaded partially into memory already (if not entirely already))
- not all websites show up great, though i did not have very big problems with it yet
- i have to install a total new (big) pack for java applets, what the heck. And it annoys me any time for new updates (and launches at computer startup).
- even when started up , the 2nd time i launch Firefox it is not noticable faster then IE or even faster at all. I wonder why people do say Firefox is so much better
- the pop-up blocking is as good as IE, and therefor i don't see a PRO in it (my experience that is, i don't visit Warez or whatver kind of odd sites.)
- I now have 2 browsers installed. Some programs just launch IE anyways (like MSN). Hotmail also is not always working on Firefox, which is odd. Ofcourse you would say Microsoft should do something about that. But on the other hand, as i am 'a normal user' i just want to visit the darn page and dont give a darn about technical sides
- download manager is weird! Sometimes shows up, sometimes not.
- It crashed on me when i accidently double-clicked on a skin-changing-link-from-firefox-website.


good:
- tabs are great
- google search is handy
- skins is cool
- its open source
- runs therefor on multiple OS's

latest news i heard:
- firefox is not better then IE security wised (has been proven by several hackers, etc). Because its getting more popular, its getting more targetted, and therefor more security holes are detected as well. Since IE is sort of integrated into Windows, this makes it a bit more dangerous i guess, but nevertheless Firefox does not add more security.

So:
Why is it that many people use firefox? Is it simply because of a no-microsoft way? I am just curious. I hope firefox remains a good 'threat' to IE. This way microsoft is also forced to produce better products of their own.

My experience of surfing for a week now is not that great. I am thinking about deinstaling all those extra tools and such and get back to IE. It still sits there, though i removed the icons so i could not just blindly click on them...

So, how about you?

[biohazerd87]

yeah i am also not a big fan of firefox... as i said before it has problems with some html code, and the it isn't as great as the hype says it is. Also if you are playing WMA files that have a copyright thing on them and you have to vaildate them, it can't use firefox so it just opens like 32 firefox windows. You can only use internet explorer i think.

[von Ryan]

I use Firefox mainly because of the tabs and extensions. Ever tried ForecastFox or FoxyTunes? They always come up pretty handy for me... And IE doesn't have a plug-in selection as wide (or good) as the firefox extensions...
And I think that Firefox's pop-up blocker is better than IE's, afaik.

I also use Thunderbird, although they should release a new version, this one is getting old... I started to use it to avoid Outlook Express' exploits. Now, with SP2, OE got MUCH better, but I'm sticking to Thunderbird... Old habits, you know

[HangFire]

I like Firefox, but I'm still a bigger fan of Mozilla. I just like how Mozzy has more configuration options.

I've never experienced most of those glitches you've had with Firefox, but then I haven't used Firefox for much longer than an hour or two.

[sPlOrYgOn]

actually I think Firefox has more configuration options.. about:config

[Denny]

The only thing i don't like is how you got to download the whole thing each time an update is released, and it leaves a uninstall option for each update in your Add/Remove programs applet. The site errors are a little annoying but not that bad.

I've also noticed i don't get as much spyware using Firefox over IE, in fact i barely get any. Use to get alot of Data Miner's using IE.

[biohazerd87]

i would have leaned twords FF before SP2 came out because of security reasons and pop up stuff. But I think SP2 popup blocker and AX blocker are really nice. The only thing IMO that FF has over IE is tabbed browsing

[sPlOrYgOn]

well MS seemed to be doing catch-up work with SP2 because when I got SP2 I thought they were copying firefox because the way the security things and popup blocker worked in IE seemed almost the same as it did in FF because it showed a little bar under the toolbars to tell you that it blocked a popup or something and whether or not to allow it..

[von Ryan]

And that spyware thingie is true... I barely get any too...

[stefanhendriks]

i think spyware/etc is relative to your browsing behaviour If you know how to search the web, and know where to go and where not to go (even with google, you see parts of the url, you can read there mostly if its safe or not..) you an safe yourself a lot of trouble.