Anyone using Firefox browser?
- Thread starter c20916
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Sorry, but I am not on any bandwagon opposite. I work as a computer technician and trust me IE is a bad product and why? Well how many users have spyware that use IE and how many that use Firefox? Yes IE again.
Also - your right IE is a big share because it is Microsoft, but I will tell you this, all the users I put on Firefox have not used IE again and will not.
Firefox has great features including tab browsing, pop up blocker, fast page loading.
IE - Shuts down all the time, cant tab browse, uses up a lot of resources.
I think Firefox should be the new direction, again this is my IMO, if you like IE then thats great.
Also - your right IE is a big share because it is Microsoft, but I will tell you this, all the users I put on Firefox have not used IE again and will not.
Firefox has great features including tab browsing, pop up blocker, fast page loading.
IE - Shuts down all the time, cant tab browse, uses up a lot of resources.
I think Firefox should be the new direction, again this is my IMO, if you like IE then thats great.
Ok, I really need to get it to download missing plugins. What am I missing? I have a lot of pages that won't display properly. Fiddled with everything I can think of (there are a lot fewer adjustments that can be made in Firefox compared to IE). I like the look of this and want to use it, but if I am just going to get that "puzzle piece" saying I have to install things and it won't...well...not much chance I keep using it. Help!
GM I just downloaded it at work, and there was a page that needed plugins and I just clicked on the plugin and it worked. Does it say what plugins you need? I needed macromedia, and depending on what you need you can just go directly to that site and download it from there, instead of trying to do it from the puzzle piece.
Doesn't say what plugin specifically I need. I can either click on the puzzle piece, or on the "Download Plugins" button...either way, it just hangs there. But I'll try going directly to the Macromedia page and see if that eliminates some of it. I'm sure I've already installed Macromedia for IE...but maybe it needs it installed to this too? :shrug:
Don't know about that Gobber, maybe unistall it and reinstall it?
GM, I had macromedia and Java installed for IE and I had to reinstall them for Firefox. Java was the other one I just had to install, but it did it right in the browser. So try and install that one on it's own as well.
GM, I had macromedia and Java installed for IE and I had to reinstall them for Firefox. Java was the other one I just had to install, but it did it right in the browser. So try and install that one on it's own as well.
- Feb 12, 2000
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GM--that happened to me when I clicked on the Skydiving game here. I didn't know what it was, so I just left it.
Also, has anyone else had problems when they open an Adobe Acrobat document then try to close it? I thought this was quirky. Maybe some of you with more experience can explain what is going on with that.
The reason I keep testing Firefox is that I have to make sure our applications work on this browser seamlessly. I think that Firefox will continue to steal market share, and our clients tend to blame us when it doesn't work well. I was really happy when people stopped using Netscape. That browser was for shit. Firefox seems to be working very well with our applications which that's all that matters to me.
I always thought it was odd (or not the right path) for Microsoft to control the browser market. Open source for browsers is the proper step. But I wouldn't be too quick to judge Firefox's success just yet. Wait until it has at least half the nubmer of clients which will bring the people around with mal-intent for it. That is when the problems start coming.
I, personally, don't have many problems with IE. Especially if you compare the number of problems to the number of things that a good browser has helped me (and everyone else) accomplish during the course of a normal workday.
Also, has anyone else had problems when they open an Adobe Acrobat document then try to close it? I thought this was quirky. Maybe some of you with more experience can explain what is going on with that.
The reason I keep testing Firefox is that I have to make sure our applications work on this browser seamlessly. I think that Firefox will continue to steal market share, and our clients tend to blame us when it doesn't work well. I was really happy when people stopped using Netscape. That browser was for shit. Firefox seems to be working very well with our applications which that's all that matters to me.
I always thought it was odd (or not the right path) for Microsoft to control the browser market. Open source for browsers is the proper step. But I wouldn't be too quick to judge Firefox's success just yet. Wait until it has at least half the nubmer of clients which will bring the people around with mal-intent for it. That is when the problems start coming.
I, personally, don't have many problems with IE. Especially if you compare the number of problems to the number of things that a good browser has helped me (and everyone else) accomplish during the course of a normal workday.
Ok, went directly to the Macromedia page and installed both products. It's definitely improved (readable now, ads appear at the top of the screen when they didn't before, no errors now), but still the text is not aligned properly on CRIS's site. Also no "Continue" button on the right side of the screen anymore when you go to place a bet...though there is a "Continue" button at the bottom, so this can be worked around.
Went to java.com and installed java there too. Thus far I haven't noticed it having any effect on anything.
Thanks for the help in getting it in better shape though!
Went to java.com and installed java there too. Thus far I haven't noticed it having any effect on anything.
Thanks for the help in getting it in better shape though!
I really like firefox and don't use IE anymore. I actually found a site where you can make firefox even faster:
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum21/8007.htm
I noticed a nice increase in the speed that pages load after changing these configuration settings. Not a huge difference but it was noticeable. Mileage will vary but worth a try.
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum21/8007.htm
I noticed a nice increase in the speed that pages load after changing these configuration settings. Not a huge difference but it was noticeable. Mileage will vary but worth a try.
Firefox Browser Alternative to Microsoft
Nov 10, 9:16 PM (ET)
By ANICK JESDANUN
NEW YORK (AP) - Web surfing has belonged almost exclusively to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Internet Explorer ever since it buried Netscape's pioneering browser. That doesn't seem to have bothered the developers of the Mozilla Firefox, a feisty new kid on the block that's worth a serious look.
Officially released this week, Firefox packs security protections and other welcome features that emphasize just how little Microsoft has innovated its aging Microsoft browser in recent years.
True, Microsoft made significant security improvements to IE when it released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP computers in August. But the improvements aren't available for older Windows systems. Nor does the updated IE offer a versatile search box, a pop-up blocker, feeds of frequently visited Web pages or the ability to open windows within windows. More on that later.
The biggest reason to consider Firefox is security.
To its credit, Microsoft is trying hard to address that. But as long as IE commands more than 90 percent of the world's computers, malicious hackers will continue to target it. The very IE features that Web developers love are also exploited by virus and spyware writers.
That's not to say you can't get spyware or other malicious code using Firefox, but risks are greatly reduced.
Firefox also offers protections against phishing - those e-mail scams that pretend to be legitimate notices from banks and service providers. A few scams did slip through during my test, but I was warned about others.
Still not sold? Then check out Firefox's non-security features, which are available on IE only by downloading third-party toolbars or plug-ins, some of which carry a fee:
_Search. From a toolbar up top, you have instant access to several search engines and can easily switch among them. You can also customize the browser so that typing "book" followed by a title automatically performs a search at amazon.com.
_Pop-up blocker. It does the job, while letting you open pop-ups you want.
_News feeds. Firefox supports Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, a technology for pulling headlines from news sites and Web journals so you won't have to keep checking them.
_Tabbed browsing. Instead of constantly opening new windows to browse, cluttering your Windows taskbar, Firefox lets you open new pages as tabs within a single window. Click on the appropriate tab to switch among the pages.
The latest version of Netscape, which shares much of Firefox's core technology, also has many of these features, and Norwegian browser Opera offers all four - and more.
But both bundle e-mail and other tools that can get in the way. When viewing a Web page on Opera, for instance, clicking on an e-mail link calls up Opera's own e-mail software - not Microsoft Outlook, which my company requires me to use.
And did I mention that Firefox is free? Opera costs $39 for an ad-free version.
Despite being a "1.0" release, Firefox is mature. And the breeding is good. It's the product of more than a thousand full-time engineers and volunteers and is based on the open-source Mozilla suite, which in turn has its roots in Netscape.
Plus, Firefox is available for Linux and Mac computers as well. I tried the Mac version and found all the major features available right away.
The browser was also available in more than a dozen languages on its first day - a commendable feat.
Of course, no good product comes without a catch. I ran into trouble with a few Web sites designed specifically for IE, mainly those requiring ActiveX controls or the portion of JavaScript in which Microsoft departs from published standards.
So you can forget about watching movies on CinemaNow or Movielink. You also won't be able to update your Windows operating system relying on Firefox alone (Good thing Microsoft bundles IE with its operating systems).
Plug-ins designed for Netscape or Opera should work with Firefox, but you won't be able to use any of the IE toolbars, including Yahoo's spyware scanner and e-mail checker, or fully take advantage of Google's new desktop search software.
Nevertheless, some companies, including Amazon.com, are starting to adapt their tools for Firefox.
Some Web pages won't display correctly - among the ones I encountered were spam stats from Postini Inc., stock indices for the Bombay Stock Exchange and one AP internal site.
And Firefox mysteriously froze the first time I checked America Online mail. Closing the browser and restarting it fixed it on two different computers.
As for the RSS feeds, though I was impressed with how easy it was to add feeds for sites that let machines automatically detect them, manually adding feeds was overly complicated. I also found the tools for reading feeds quite clunky and inflexible. Opera has much better RSS tools.
In fact, I see little reason to switch from Opera, unless you'd prefer to drop the e-mail integration. The features are comparable.
As an alternative to IE, Firefox is a strong contender. And for the few sites that don't work with Firefox, you can always launch IE.
---
On the Net: http://getfirefox.com
Nov 10, 9:16 PM (ET)
By ANICK JESDANUN
NEW YORK (AP) - Web surfing has belonged almost exclusively to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Internet Explorer ever since it buried Netscape's pioneering browser. That doesn't seem to have bothered the developers of the Mozilla Firefox, a feisty new kid on the block that's worth a serious look.
Officially released this week, Firefox packs security protections and other welcome features that emphasize just how little Microsoft has innovated its aging Microsoft browser in recent years.
True, Microsoft made significant security improvements to IE when it released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP computers in August. But the improvements aren't available for older Windows systems. Nor does the updated IE offer a versatile search box, a pop-up blocker, feeds of frequently visited Web pages or the ability to open windows within windows. More on that later.
The biggest reason to consider Firefox is security.
To its credit, Microsoft is trying hard to address that. But as long as IE commands more than 90 percent of the world's computers, malicious hackers will continue to target it. The very IE features that Web developers love are also exploited by virus and spyware writers.
That's not to say you can't get spyware or other malicious code using Firefox, but risks are greatly reduced.
Firefox also offers protections against phishing - those e-mail scams that pretend to be legitimate notices from banks and service providers. A few scams did slip through during my test, but I was warned about others.
Still not sold? Then check out Firefox's non-security features, which are available on IE only by downloading third-party toolbars or plug-ins, some of which carry a fee:
_Search. From a toolbar up top, you have instant access to several search engines and can easily switch among them. You can also customize the browser so that typing "book" followed by a title automatically performs a search at amazon.com.
_Pop-up blocker. It does the job, while letting you open pop-ups you want.
_News feeds. Firefox supports Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, a technology for pulling headlines from news sites and Web journals so you won't have to keep checking them.
_Tabbed browsing. Instead of constantly opening new windows to browse, cluttering your Windows taskbar, Firefox lets you open new pages as tabs within a single window. Click on the appropriate tab to switch among the pages.
The latest version of Netscape, which shares much of Firefox's core technology, also has many of these features, and Norwegian browser Opera offers all four - and more.
But both bundle e-mail and other tools that can get in the way. When viewing a Web page on Opera, for instance, clicking on an e-mail link calls up Opera's own e-mail software - not Microsoft Outlook, which my company requires me to use.
And did I mention that Firefox is free? Opera costs $39 for an ad-free version.
Despite being a "1.0" release, Firefox is mature. And the breeding is good. It's the product of more than a thousand full-time engineers and volunteers and is based on the open-source Mozilla suite, which in turn has its roots in Netscape.
Plus, Firefox is available for Linux and Mac computers as well. I tried the Mac version and found all the major features available right away.
The browser was also available in more than a dozen languages on its first day - a commendable feat.
Of course, no good product comes without a catch. I ran into trouble with a few Web sites designed specifically for IE, mainly those requiring ActiveX controls or the portion of JavaScript in which Microsoft departs from published standards.
So you can forget about watching movies on CinemaNow or Movielink. You also won't be able to update your Windows operating system relying on Firefox alone (Good thing Microsoft bundles IE with its operating systems).
Plug-ins designed for Netscape or Opera should work with Firefox, but you won't be able to use any of the IE toolbars, including Yahoo's spyware scanner and e-mail checker, or fully take advantage of Google's new desktop search software.
Nevertheless, some companies, including Amazon.com, are starting to adapt their tools for Firefox.
Some Web pages won't display correctly - among the ones I encountered were spam stats from Postini Inc., stock indices for the Bombay Stock Exchange and one AP internal site.
And Firefox mysteriously froze the first time I checked America Online mail. Closing the browser and restarting it fixed it on two different computers.
As for the RSS feeds, though I was impressed with how easy it was to add feeds for sites that let machines automatically detect them, manually adding feeds was overly complicated. I also found the tools for reading feeds quite clunky and inflexible. Opera has much better RSS tools.
In fact, I see little reason to switch from Opera, unless you'd prefer to drop the e-mail integration. The features are comparable.
As an alternative to IE, Firefox is a strong contender. And for the few sites that don't work with Firefox, you can always launch IE.
---
On the Net: http://getfirefox.com
I've been using FF for about the last year or so and have been involved as a beta tester in some of the pre-release versions - so I'm biased. Of course all products have some flaws, but I find FFs problems to be minimal compared to IE.
Yes, some of the plugins will not work on FF. It was a huge pain in the ass to get used to at first, but I am getting used to it. The question is, why wont some of them work and the answer is really the one reason FF is a much *safer* browser than IE, and thats the lack of active x support. Notice that you have never heard of a computer virus that strikes Netscape (or maybe you have, but its <1% of the time). The reason for this is IE is so closely integrated into the Windows operating system that its an easy target and especially with Active X. So first thing is, I think FF is a safer browser. The spyware and popups drive me nuts to. The built in popup blocker on FF is great, and theres an extension called Adblock you can install that is real easy to use.
From their FAQ:
Is Firefox more secure than Internet Explorer?
Yes, Firefox and all other Mozilla-based products are more secure. Why? Here is a list of the most important reasons:
* It is not integrated with Windows, which helps prevent viruses and hackers from causing damage if they somehow manage to compromise Firefox.
* There is no support for VBScript and ActiveX, two technologies which are the reasons for many IE security holes.
* No spyware/adware software can automatically install in Firefox just by visiting a web site.
* Firefox doesn't use Microsoft's Java VM, which has a history of more flaws than other Java VMs.
* You have complete control over cookies.
As far as some pages not working properly in FF, thats true, and for that you all have IE installed anyway. Now I just installed FF Release Version 1, so I havent found the new extension yet, but there used to be an extension that helps you with this. Basically if you are in a FF page that wont display right (because of lazy HTML programmers) you can right click in the page and select "Display Page in IE" - so up pops IE with your page. Not perfect but it works.
The great thing about open source software is there are thousands of programmers out there developing there own thing. Check out under tools -> extensions and click on get more extensions. This is a great page and there are a ton of great possibilities.
Anyway, I love FF, its a great product that gets better by the release. IE is already "down" to 92% market share, I truly think this browser will make a difference.
Yes, some of the plugins will not work on FF. It was a huge pain in the ass to get used to at first, but I am getting used to it. The question is, why wont some of them work and the answer is really the one reason FF is a much *safer* browser than IE, and thats the lack of active x support. Notice that you have never heard of a computer virus that strikes Netscape (or maybe you have, but its <1% of the time). The reason for this is IE is so closely integrated into the Windows operating system that its an easy target and especially with Active X. So first thing is, I think FF is a safer browser. The spyware and popups drive me nuts to. The built in popup blocker on FF is great, and theres an extension called Adblock you can install that is real easy to use.
From their FAQ:
Is Firefox more secure than Internet Explorer?
Yes, Firefox and all other Mozilla-based products are more secure. Why? Here is a list of the most important reasons:
* It is not integrated with Windows, which helps prevent viruses and hackers from causing damage if they somehow manage to compromise Firefox.
* There is no support for VBScript and ActiveX, two technologies which are the reasons for many IE security holes.
* No spyware/adware software can automatically install in Firefox just by visiting a web site.
* Firefox doesn't use Microsoft's Java VM, which has a history of more flaws than other Java VMs.
* You have complete control over cookies.
As far as some pages not working properly in FF, thats true, and for that you all have IE installed anyway. Now I just installed FF Release Version 1, so I havent found the new extension yet, but there used to be an extension that helps you with this. Basically if you are in a FF page that wont display right (because of lazy HTML programmers) you can right click in the page and select "Display Page in IE" - so up pops IE with your page. Not perfect but it works.
The great thing about open source software is there are thousands of programmers out there developing there own thing. Check out under tools -> extensions and click on get more extensions. This is a great page and there are a ton of great possibilities.
Anyway, I love FF, its a great product that gets better by the release. IE is already "down" to 92% market share, I truly think this browser will make a difference.
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- Feb 12, 2000
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Ace--Many of our clients ask us if our applications will work with their databae on their servers using ActiveX controls to update their database in our application. We are currently developing that piece. Will this not be posible if they are using the FF browser? That seems like it will be critical information down the road.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Dawgball, what kind of applications/servers are you talking about? Are they apps using Active X that need to interact with a browser - or are these standalone backend apps?
- Feb 12, 2000
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Our applications are based in ASP. I could talk to my partner about this, but it's not really important to the business today so I thought I would ask here.
Our apps have their own databases, but we have started discussing using ActiveX controls to interact with our clients databases on their servers. This is due to some of our clients bringing it up because their licensing is based on how many logins they have. Their administrators are not always as good at deleting ex-employees out of the database as they are adding the new ones.
These are front-end applications.
Our apps have their own databases, but we have started discussing using ActiveX controls to interact with our clients databases on their servers. This is due to some of our clients bringing it up because their licensing is based on how many logins they have. Their administrators are not always as good at deleting ex-employees out of the database as they are adding the new ones.
These are front-end applications.
How does the browser come into this picture and interact with the apps? Do the browsers hit your app that then call the db as the backend? My feeling is Active X is bad for security and bad for business. Its unstable and security wise is a night mare, thats why I hate IE and why it constantly gets hacked. But its not always a choice, I know so many people use IE, it doesnt mean I have to agree with their choice.
