Firefox, just showing off!

89% of users don't know there is anything other than Microsoft available.

Let's face it, in the eyes of Joe public, Microsoft has a very strong brand image and people don't know better software exists in most cases.

 

I have found Firefox to be pretty nifty, it certainly loads quick as a flash.

But it did take some installing. After I first installed it it wouldn't open, I got no error messages, just wouldn't open.
So had to un-install, and clear Registry, what a pain.

Anyhow as things go I had to do a Complete re-install so tried Fireffox again, with success.

But I must admit if I really had to choose between IE and Firefox - Bye Bye Firefox.

IE may be that bit slower, but it is far more stable. I have never had any bother with IE on my PC @ home.

So Firefox is good - but no cigar.

It's another vote for Microsoft.

 

I tried Firefox and must say that I quite like it. I have found one disadvantage. I have a trial subscription to the electronic version of "Stereophile" (they were doing it very cheaply), and when I tried to download the June issue, Zinio Magazines didn't recognise the browser, so I had to resort to IE.

 

I also have a Zinio electronic Stereophile subscription and I had to downgrade to using IE for that. It's not a Firefox problem, it's one of those cases where the site has deemed that anything other than IE won't work so we're not gonna let you try. 99 times out of 100 in cases where the old Netscape wouldn't work, Firefox does.

Paul - I simply can't accept you calling Firefox "flakey". I run it constantly and have never had a crash. This forum is not the only place I visit on the web . It also doesn't "need" constant updates, it's a work in progress. At least FireFox updates are proper new releases with new features. IE6 seems to need an update every other week to fix yet another security flaw

Despite the fact that the tiny minority of pages that don't work being the result of incompetent web designers, the Firefox team do try and "fix" those issues because they realise, like you do, that in order to take on IE with the masses, they'll have to do everything that IE does, only better. I have noticed though, that companies and web designers are responding well to Firefox "incompatability" issues. They are usually keen to fix the issue and many are actually glad to find out about Firefox and some even switch to using it as their main browser. It's now got a critical mass behind it to the extent it can't be ignored anymore like Opera and the others.

I don't use Firefox because it's not Microsoft, I use it because it's miles better than IE. I tried many IE competitors in the past and none stood a chance. Firefox is the first one that's made the grade.

Michael.

 

Right, ok, I havent tried this latest version, but I will try it again (mind you, I hope it doesnt screw my file associations again, like it did the last time).

You can be sure that if and when it crashes, I will be here reporting it

 

Paul,

Wait till 0.9 is out, the version I posted is a release candidate

 

Well I did download the release candidate, and already I have run into problems. I cannot seem to install any extensions. When I click install it does nothing.

Sweet!

Not only that but when in the dialogue boxes within the menus I experience very high CPU utilization.

Edit: The new buttons are absolutely hideous. So amateurish. Also if I try and update extensions through the dialogue box is asks for a username and password.

This seems like an awful lot of hassle with very few advantages to me.

 

Some extensions work others don't YET, they have changed the way extensions work and there is now an extension manager, you can now delete extensions

It's a a pre release to be fair, I did say wait.

I've been using it for a few days at work and home, the only issue I've come across is some extensions not working, i.e chatzilla

It will be interesting to see what happens with IE when XP SP2 comes out, it's not far away.

 

The tabbed browsing does not work very well IMHO, when I press Ctrl + N I expect a new tab, not a new window. And you cant download the extension to change its behavior.

I am having to concede that Avant Browser which uses the IE engine has lots more features straight out of the box, and is a smaller download.

 

I don't use any of the extensions, haven't really found the need for any yet. Even without them FF is far more fully featured than IE6. Any bets that MS will introduce tabbed browsing to IE pretty soon?

Have the FF buttons changed since 0.8? I'll wait until 0.9 is properly released before installing it.

Paul - the extensions are written by third parties so you can't really judge the quality of the product by the quality of a few hacks that some spotty 16yr olds have written.

Michael.

 

Isn't it an extension for IE :JOEL:

 

You are having a laugh now . Tabbed browsing is the single most brilliant feature of FF and it works superbly. When I'm at the office in London where we only have IE I've lost count the number of times I've done Ctrl-T (new tab) only to realise this great feature doesn't exist in IE.

Ctrl-N has always been "new window" in IE so why should FF change it to mean new tab?

Michael.

 

http://texturizer.net/firefox/keyboard.html

You need to use <CTRL> T

Did you RTFM

 

Wait for XP SP2, I have heard that they are going for tab based browsing.

 

No I'm not having a laugh. Avant Browsers tab features are much, much, much better than Firefox's, so much better it just isnt funny to be honest. Ctrl + N opens a new tab in Avant (with tabbed browsing, why would one wish to open a new window?), but also so does double clicking on the tab bar. Tabs can be closed by double clicking and it has a whole bunch of different buttons and options for working with tabs.

So, no, I am not having a laugh

 

Yes it is.

I know it is Ctrl + T, but why does it have to be different to every single other browser out there?

If SP2 brings tabbed browsing to IE, then my search for an alternate browser will be over once and for all.

Face facts, Avant + IE6 is definitely a superior product (still).

 

Not really fact mate, its opinion

Some of your comments about firefox certainly aren't backed up by my experience, which is fair enough, but suggesting we need to face facts when the facts appear to be the opposite of what you suggest, comes across as a little daft.

 

Hmm, my opinion is based on the fact that IE6 works ALL of the time, whereas the others are not. Thats a fairly measurable benchmark for success, AFAIC. All the features IE lacks can be added. Even Avant, while I like its features, is buggy compared to using IE6 on its own.

Firefox, just from using it in the last hour again, proves it has a lot of catching up to do, IMHO. I am not just saying this to be akward, but it clearly is not as stable / reliable as IE6.

 

Fair comment, but the 'facts'only hold true to your experience where as for me, firefox is far ahead of IE6 in terms of stability. You may say 'must be your computer then' and you'd be justified to say as such, but if IE is the only thing to ever crash (which it pretty much is on my system) then that points to that software being at fault rather than a wider problem.

 

I've had IE crash on me before. Not often, but happened.

Not crashed on FF but have had some problems with it. Sites not working, not getting plugins to work as easily as I'd like.

FF is my default, but I use IE sometimes too.