IE gains back ground from Firefox

[shelbyGT]

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/76074/firefox-growth-is-checked.html

The growth in popularity of Firefox appears to have been checked for the time being. For the first time since its November 2004 release, the Web browser's share of total Internet usage fell.

[BJ_M]

not by much and as pointed out - no one is really sure how much either browser is really used ..

[bazooka]

If anything, FF has probably leveled off.

[whitejremiah]

yea....give it a bit of time at the plateau that its at right now, im sure it will eventually start gaining ground again.....maybe once firefox hits ver. 2.0? Probably before then though

[shelbyGT]

with the upcoming IE7, though, who knows? I hope FF can sustain it's climb, but I am not holding my breath. MS has time and time again squashed uprisings.

[red lion]

IE 7 is out in beta and surprise it has tabled browsing, rss feeds and a search engine dropdown just as FF has..
it also has a phishing filter..
but i could not get it to work with 2 secure sites so im back on IE 6 and FF..

[Soopafresh]

I don't get it. FF is such a superior browser. I guess people like Gator and assorted Spyware - in that case, enjoy IE.

[DereX888]

IE7 is Windows XP+ dependant only.
FF you can install on any old Windows 98 and it runs indepedent.
In other words: one is just a plugin for some OS, the other one is real standalone program.
See the difference?


And BTW check this out: I found it few mths ago but totally forgot to share, and just stumbled upon those again when i was recently cleaning my favorites (ummm... bookmarks i meant )hehehe:

defy the reality lol

[yoda313]

I was suprised I could install ie6 on my p2 laptop that has win98. I thought version 6 was 2000 and higher. Anyway I loaded it up and it's FASTER than firefox! Yep it clicks away much faster than firefox does. Its an old pentium 2 laptop with 300mhz intel and 64mb ram.

I couldn't believe ie6 was faster than firefox on that machine Needless to say when I surf wirelessly on the laptop it will be with ie6 from now on (I had installed firefox thinking it was the newest browser that it could support but I was wrong )

[bazooka]

Needless to say when I surf wirelessly on the laptop it will be with ie6 from now on

The only flaw with that theory is that you are more susceptible to spyware and malicious programs.

To each....their own

[yoda313]

Needless to say when I surf wirelessly on the laptop it will be with ie6 from now on

The only flaw with that theory is that you are more susceptible to spyware and malicious programs.

To each....their own

I don't surf THAT long nor do I go to those kind of sites when I'm on the laptop (besides its still being beemed from my router ) and I finally got around to updating that win98 to the last official ms updates for what their worth.

I basically use the laptop for forum surfing while watching tv. For the "power surfing" I leave that to my desktop

[DereX888]

that old box with windows 95 i have (see the other thread on win95 10th anniversary) also had IE6, but it was very hard to install, i had to 'borrow' so much from win ME to make it happened that it was almost win me in the end (officially IE6 won't load on win95) so i cleaned it all up and it has the last version of IE5.5SP... (4 iirc).

As to browsing speed - yes, thats exactly what i have noticed on that old hog with IE5.5 too.
I wouldn't say it is faster than FF on a Win2K and fast machine, theyre both very fast. But IE on old win95 is certainly way! faster than FF on WinXP on my 2nd fastest (3ghz) machine. I'd say WinXP is wasting enormous amount of processing power just for itself, thats why everything on it is so sluggish (compared to i.e. Win2000 on exactly same machine). But wait for Longhorn to come out, the GUI will probably use most of the CPU if you won't have special graphics accelerator with sticker "Designed for Microsoft Products" *Then* you'll praise current XP

But lets not forget about FF:
It much depends on extensions you have there.
If you use adblock, flash/anigif/iframes/shockwave/other macromedia&crap&shit blocking - then FF can't be beaten in the terms of loading pages. At least not by IE, thats for sure.
Sadly not many people installs any extensions, and that is like buying the best racing horse - but with broken legs...

[bazooka]

But lets not forget about FF:
It much depends on extensions you have there.
If you use adblock, flash/anigif/iframes/shockwave/other macromedia&crap&shit blocking - then FF can't be beaten in the terms of loading pages. At least not by IE, thats for sure.
Sadly not many people installs any extensions, and that is like buying the best racing horse - but with broken legs...

I agree

I don't surf THAT long nor do I go to those kind of sites when I'm on the laptop biggrin.gif (besides its still being beemed from my router smile.gif) and I finally got around to updating that win98 to the last official ms updates for what their worth.

I can't tell you how many people use those excuses and I end up fixing their computers.

Yoda, read your p.m.

[rallynavvie]

Web browser

So at home I use the latest FF, along with Thunderbird and Sunbird (it uses the iCal standard like the rest of the world should be) for email and calendar services respectively. I also am forced to use the latest IE for some certain company intranet sites (like my expense reporting for instance) and some other sites that don't seem to like FF on first glance. Then at work we are still using Netscape 4.7 for an email client (don't ask), IE for most anything that requires a browser from this millenium, Netscape 8 on the non-production workstations, and Safari on all the OSX workstations. We're also forced to use Outlook on the non-production workstations for email since Netscape no longer has an integrated email client.

OK so from all I've seen of all those web browsers Netscape 8 has suddenly become the most efficient. Why? Netscape 8 offers a method in which you can use the IE browser engine to view pages from within Netscape, thus not needing to switch between browsers ever. I haven't found a single site on which this interoperability didn't work. IMO this gives NS8 an edge over the current crop of Mozilla-based browsers. I switched to FF from Netscape 7 as it was based on the same engine but allowed extensions to tune your browser which I very much liked. Hopefully FF comes out with a version update which includes this feature or an extension which does it. Being able to use one browser for everything is a great thing indeed.

As for email clients I've come to like Thunderbird. Once they get Sunbird more refined and integrated with the rest of the suite it's going to easily put down the MS suite (IE and Outlook).

[BJ_M]

firefox does have an extension to use IE engine if needed

https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=35

though it could use a few more features

[rallynavvie]

I have the latest version of that extension but it isn't the same as what NS8 is doing. The FF extension simply points the link at IE and loads it up in IE whenever anything from, say, the entire domain of something is encountered. It's handy, but I already know which sites I access don't work with Mozilla and have them bookmarked in IE already. And then it doesn't have all my fantastic Adblock settings in IE so we're pretty much back to having to use two browsers all the time. NS8 actually utilizes the IE browser engine from within NS8 so that you can use all your settings and such from NS8 when viewing a non-Mozilla-friendly site.

I'm counting the days before FF is released with this feature. Both Netscape and Firefox are based on Mozilla so someone must be working on it. Should be a simple thing to port from NS8, shouldn't it?

[DereX888]

I don't surf THAT long nor do I go to those kind of sites when I'm on the laptop biggrin.gif (besides its still being beemed from my router smile.gif) and I finally got around to updating that win98 to the last official ms updates for what their worth.

I can't tell you how many people use those excuses and I end up fixing their computers.

I set up my friend's machine just 12 days ago (almost perfectly - including FF as default browser).
Yesterday she call me for help. Her omputer won't boot.
Well, it boots OK, but it freezes on logging any user.
To cut it short: there were 44 various malwares and 31 viruses. All kind of 'toolbars', any possible add-on for IE and fake 'helpers' loading various advertisements etc. Real malware jungle
I just gave up.
3 days ago she allowed IE6 to become her default browser, and she also set everyone with administrator's priviledges - and no passwords! - because its "easier" and everyone in the house were complaining about that "stupid logging" and inability to install anything without logging as admin (they used to have Win98SE on this machine until now).
I was speechless.
But here is the funniest part:
She ask me about installing linux on her computer, because she heard its more secure and stable!
I don't know can I be even more speechless

[shelbyGT]

I don't know, using IE6 with sp2 and not being a stupid internet surfer (meaning you don't install everything that asks permission, know what sites you're visiting, etc).... if you do all that (basically common sense), you'll be alright. I use ie about 70% of the time (work requires it) and dont' have anything other than the usual "tracking cookies" when I run my scans.

[DereX888]

I don't know, using IE6 with sp2 and not being a stupid internet surfer (meaning you don't install everything that asks permission, know what sites you're visiting, etc).... if you do all that (basically common sense), you'll be alright. I use ie about 70% of the time (work requires it) and dont' have anything other than the usual "tracking cookies" when I run my scans.

I didn't have any antivirus (until my work required their AV to be installed on anything that come in and out of the office) and I have used IE on my laptop for long time as well. Never caught any bug or virus. But I know (as well as you do) what i.e. is activex or java script and how to prevent most of the crap from getting in.
However probably 9 out of 10 people don't have this luxury and they rely on IE's defaults - which we all know what they are.

I never said IE is bad.
It is just wide open invitation for trouble for any average person.

[bazooka]

But I know (as well as you do) what i.e. is activex or java script and how to prevent most of the crap from getting in.

8)

What is really sad is that Microsoft is trying to make people that running active-x controls is safe.

However probably 9 out of 10 people don't have this luxury and they rely on IE's defaults - which we all know what they are.

The average computer user believes a computer is a toaster. You plug it in and you do not need to do anything else to it. It is truely sad.

I never said IE is bad.
It is just wide open invitation for trouble for any average person.

See above response about toaster....

I set up my friend's machine just 12 days ago (almost perfectly - including FF as default browser).
Yesterday she call me for help. Her omputer won't boot.
Well, it boots OK, but it freezes on logging any user.
To cut it short: there were 44 various malwares and 31 viruses. All kind of 'toolbars', any possible add-on for IE and fake 'helpers' loading various advertisements etc. Real malware jungle wink.gif
I just gave up.
3 days ago she allowed IE6 to become her default browser, and she also set everyone with administrator's priviledges - and no passwords! - because its "easier" and everyone in the house were complaining about that "stupid logging" and inability to install anything without logging as admin (they used to have Win98SE on this machine until now).
I was speechless.

I never understood the "easier" excuse. Firefox can do almost everything Internet Exploder can and does it better.

But here is the funniest part:
She ask me about installing linux on her computer, because she heard its more secure and stable! biggrin.gif
I don't know can I be even more speechless wink.gif

Your work is done.....You have educated the average computer user.

[shelbyGT]

The only problem is the sheer # of websites that don't work properly in anything but IE. I hate it... my work operates that way and it drives me insane.

[rallynavvie]

The only problem is the sheer # of websites that don't work properly in anything but IE. I hate it... my work operates that way and it drives me insane.

Try Netscape 8 then, as I posted above:

NS8 actually utilizes the IE browser engine from within NS8 so that you can use all your settings and such from NS8 when viewing a non-Mozilla-friendly site.

[shelbyGT]

Oh, I don't have a problem using IE with those sites. I just don't like how they are not created correctly to work with all browsers, only IE.

[jackal70058]

I actually use to use Firefox. But now I have new computer, use the Microsoft Internet Explorer. It easy, and it include with the operating system it made to go with it.

[bazooka]

I actually use to use Firefox. But now I have new computer, use the Microsoft Internet Explorer. It easy, and it include with the operating system it made to go with it.

What is not easy about FireFox?

I would really like to know.

I install FireFox on every computer that I either build or repair.

It is better in almost every aspect of browsing.

[BJ_M]

only problem i ever had was with one or two websites and some playback of drm 'd wmv media in FF

very rare a problem .. i other words ...


though i'm just one user and there is a lot of sites out there ..

[DereX888]

Just to resurrect an old discussion...

Has anyone tried newest K-Meleon browser?
I have played with it in past years and I thought its dead since v.0.8, but I found out that there has been new version out - 0.9 is available for some half a year already. AND IT ROCKS! No kidding, I like it almost better than FireFox!

It is not only lean (as early FF used to be) but it is basically full thoroughbred web browser. Perfect replacement for IE for any inexperience users (seriously!), or those who dont know/dont want to do any proper setup of options and extensions in FF (FF without it sux), or those who simply are confused: there is nothing to set or to download extra in K-Meleon.
It is ready 'out of the box'.
All I changed was to disable them dread 'Bookmarks' support after installation (I always hated this name - 'bookmarks'? perhaps 'webmarks'...).
No more playing with text config files either. Even a child could set it up!
K-Meleon is highly recommended to 90% of web population

Screencap:

this example is running on an old Acer notebook with Win2K / 233MHz /80MB RAM only, KM use incredibly low amount of resources (~1 MB of RAM!)


EDIT:
I installed it on WinXP machine of my colleague, applied "IE skin" to roughly mask it as IE set as default browser and waited... and waited... and guess what: took long time until my buddy clicked on few buttons and realised that there is somethin different :P (and then he actually run to tell me his machine "is probably under a DoS attack!" hahahahaha )