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I have been reading about this browser and would like opinions on it. I use WINDOWS XP Home SP1.
Can I download and use a second browser. Will it affect IE6. Can I use either IE6 or Firefox.
I am seeing that some people think it is a problem and others say it is great.
My biggest fear is that it will cause havic on my system.
Thanks
I use Firefox all the time and like it a lot.
It have never heard of it causing problems or conflict with IE6.
I have installed it on every machine I can get my hands on. Work, friends, acquaintances, you name it (probably 40 or 50 PC's.) I have yet to have the first problem.
You could also consider Opera. There is a free version of it available too.
Don't forget that Firefox or Opera both need Java to work as advertised. The latest version of Java is 1.4.2_07
I started with Firefox about half a year ago and have never looked back. You can use it along with IE6, it will not cause any problems or conflicts. Try it out and see if you like it.
Excellent browser Firefox... you should have no problem with installing multiple browsers. As a web design type I have quite a few different browsers installed and no issues.
Thanks for the replies. I am going to give it a try.
Well, I have a differen opinion.
Scale of 1-5 with one being poor, 2 fair, 3 ok, 4 Good, 5 excellent.
It gets a TOTAL F for user friendliness. NOTHING is easy to find or configure or control. I rate user friendliness as -0
Simple controls for adjusting web pages are non existant. For example you have to hunt to China and the moon to find a freaking simple list of ...allow animations in webpages, allow music in web pages to play, allow pictures in webpages to show, ...simple ordinary user controls...NOT THERE or can't be found. This feature alone gives the entire browser along with the first complaint...a 2.
Language/syntax=2 Terminology is different, making the shift from IE to firefox is difficult due to the terminology, but it gets the 2 because there is somewhat of a thing that shows some of the differences in terminology.
Privacy=1
your help file is next to useless without being on line, therefore if you use the browser, and you need to look something up, it calls home on you.
You have to jump thru hoops to clear cookies, history and caches. The interface is NOT user friendly, and its incomplete.
Explainations of what things are and what they do..consequences of choices...rates a 1. IF you can find any of them.
Security, questionable.
If you can't find the controls to shut things off/turn them on, you can't adjust for security.
If you can't understand the syntax because explainations are lacking or are incomplete, then you can't make educated adjustments.
Default is to allow all cookies from anywhere...bad move. But, there is a restricted sites zone...if you can find it. But, it's there. That's a plus.
You can't control active x scripting...no controls, or controls are hidden. Back to user friendliness which is already a -0
But, under the guise of blind faith, you are to believe that activex is not allowed..however, if you need it, you can't turn it on which is under the realm of user friendliness...
Because it's gaining in popularity, it's becoming a target.
I'm sure I'll find more as I go..but my over all rating of it is a 2 for fair. You can download it and go...that's a plus, but you have NO clue as to what's going on. Some folks like running in the blind, it makes me freak when I don't know what's going on. Ignorance is not bliss to me.
You can change your download location, a plus..you aren't stuck with dumping everything onto you desktop to make a top heavy, slowloading OS at boot. You can change your download location but you need to make the folder exist first, then tell ff to use that location. Hoewever, you can't create the folder from ff.
My overall rating of it is a 2. I can't give it more than that because some extremely important features...ease of finding, ease of configuring, ease of syntax lacks, and those important features are a foundation to the rest.
So how do I shut off animations in this god forsaken, second class substitute browser???
All opinions are strictly my own personal opinions of course. I only downloaded this browser for 1 particular feature...the downloader... so I can download a particular file. Otherwise, I personally have no use for it. IE is superior for functionality. And with third party software properly configured, with the browser properly configured, I can't possibly see how ff could be "better". It's not...from a user perspective.
I can't even get to mozilla forums. Won't bring up the pages. :(
I wouldn't call it better...just...fairly adequate.
l2l2
Tell us how you really feel l2l2 ... ;-) Don't hold back now!
o.k., enough of that! Some love it, some hate it... Those that really like it often times do so because of their bad experiences with IE.
I use Mozilla myself but work with them all from a web design standpoint.
I use IE 5.01 and Firefox 1.0.1, and I definitely have to agree with L2L2 about how much trouble one has to go thru to get Firefox going, .......but the other side of the coin, is that Firefox is a little faster and easier to use because of the Tab feature........have had no conflicts with both running at the same time.
poppy
You can add the ieview extension to FireFox to open the webpage your viewing with FireFox in Internet Explorer. Handy tool to use on those rare ocassions when a webpage doesn't look right in FF.
http://ieview.mozdev.org/
I use the Mozilla Suite, which has the Browser (Firefox) AND Mail (Thunderbird), AND Chat, all in one package. I have been using versions for years, (I guess 3 or 4). It is the best of any I used. I used Netscape and Opera. I hate IE and OE.
Yes you can use all together with no problems.
Go to http://www.mozilla.org and download the "Mozilla Suite", I think it is still v 1.7.5 now.
L2L2 said it is hard to find the settings. WRONG! Go to edit, then Preferences, and those settings are in there.
The defaults are usually set where you dont have to do any changes.
What you will really like, is not seeing any pop-ups, already set perfect (default settings)
It will also copy your bookmarks and address book, and email settings automatically. Comparing Mozilla to IE, is like comparing a nice Steak Dinner, to a cold, plain, 3 day old, hamburger, is about the best way I would compare them.
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Opera is also a good browser. It is billed as the world's fastest browser. I agree. I like it when in bidding competition, like at ebay in a heated bid war.
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Netscape, I used to use for years, (1998-2001), till they started shoving news on the email, which delayed my mail, till it finished shoving that crap on the screen. That is when I found Mozilla and Opera. Mozilla is now set as my default browser.
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I have installed Mozilla and Opera on all my friends computers and have never had a complaint.
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Now if I could just keep windows from crashing! But of course, that is a no cost option with micro&soft
Just a little clarification there Rick... Mozilla & Firefox are two different animals. Firefox is based on Mozilla, yes... but it's a stripped down version built for speed. The two guys that built Firefox came out of the Mozilla project but broke away as they had their own ideas about how it should be.... thusly Firefox was born.
Ok, that is noted.
So the Mozilla has more in it than Firefox? What are the things left out?
What about Thunderbird?
Most of it had to do with streamlining the code, so nothing really left out in that regard... I'm not privy to the particulars, just remember a story I read....
Not sure about Thunderbird, although the Mozilla mail client and T-bird do seem a bit different. Think that both are very close cousins...
Can't remember where I read that Firefox article, now it's going to drive me...!!!
I love firefox, and right now I'm using it to make this response. It's great with all the plugins you can install on it. I can get the 7 day weather forecast as soon as FF pops up. I dont even have to go to weather.com to do so. But, I have noticed it takes a considerably longer time for FF to start up. Does anyone have this problem? If so, what is the solution to it?
Stolen from some other site I googled ... this is for broadband only so hope you can go there. Speeds things up quite a bit, not necessarily the initial startup but the browsing will be quicker. This also works in Mozilla as I implemented it with mine and quite a bit quicker......
1.Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit return. Scroll down and look for the following entries:
network.http.pipelining network.http.proxy.pipelining network.http.pipelining.maxrequests
Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.
2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"
Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"
Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.
3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0". This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it recieves.
No software is for everyone. :) And I absolutely agree that FF is not perfect....
But at this point in time, FF is a reasonably safe way to surf. It works at most sites, renders pages fairly fast and IMO, I have found it to be fairly easy to figure out. (Granted at this point, I have been running it for quite a while.) (I freely admit that I'm not a particularly adventuresome surfer. Basic google searches, around a dozen bulletin boards, weather checkups, a few purchases and such.)
As for ActiveX, with all due respect, it's not a faith thing. It's not there. The lack of ActiveX was a fundamental building block of FF. The easiest, safest test is to take FF to Windows Update. Win Update requires ActiveX and FF just flat out won't work there! In daily use of FF for several months, I have verified time and time again that any site that requires ActiveX is useless in FF.
FWIW, IMO, ActiveX is so exploited that I feel it should be abandoned by websites. In the last year or so, it has been the key delivery vehicle for adware/spyware. Of course it's not all bad but for most IE users, they don't know what is trustworthy or not. And the risk for infection is just too great! Will Java end up being as bad as ActiveX? Maybe...probably... but for the moment, it's not. :)
And speaking of the Mozilla browser, the Mozilla organisation will no longer be updating the browser. Instead, they will concentrate only on Firefox. You can read the article here.
I more than support everyone voicing their opinions, but there are times when I think I have to respond to some things. Luv2Learn2's post has a few things in it that I must respond to.
1) It's difficult to set the options and delete the cache and a few other customizatons within FF.
I just don't see that. In IE, you click on TOOLS|OPTIONS.
It's the same in FF.
2) Can't search without going thru hoops.
In IE, you press Ctrl-F. It's the same in FF. I prefer FF's method, actually, because the FIND window doesn't obscure the page I'm looking at. Quite often when searching in IE, I have to tell users to move the FIND window so they can see what's highlighted.
3) No ActiveX support.
Well, that's correct. As many have noted in trade magazines, online forums and even MS themselves, ActiveX controls are a major security hole. FF doesn't support them natively, but you can get extensions that will let you browse with them. As mentioned above, there are plenty of extensions that will allow you to take any page or link and view it within IE. So if you have a page that uses an ActiveX control, you can get to it with one click (or even a mouse gesture if you want).
4) You have to have a folder already created to select it for a download location.
Not true: Tools | OPTIONS | DOWNLOADS. Click on the folder dropdown and choose Other, in the dialog that comes up, you have a button for "Make New Folder".
I like that L2L2 has found a browser he/she likes, but I think it's only fair to get these things out in the open for anyone still looking at FF for the first time.
Now, personally, I downloaded FF and installed it and used it for about 3 weeks before consulting anything within the help files. And, oh, yes, choosing Help does NOT "phone home". I can't remember back to my original install, but I seem to recall that installing the help files was an option (which I obviously checkmarked). My help files work whether I'm online or off.
In closing, it's a Coke/Pepsi issue. They are both browsers. They are both good at what they do. I like FF, L2L2 likes IE. You (the prospective web surfer) spend a few minutes with both and decide for yourself.
Excellent post dlymor... well said.
I love firefox but i find it slow to open ,after that everything is ok.
Is it slow for you ?
Licorne
Yes, the initial program opening is slow. Less of an issue on newer machines. IMO, a very fair trade-off because it's only a few extra seconds...
hope i am not being redundant, as well as definitely off subject, but i caught the "sp1" notation in the first post of this thread and thought that i should inject that i recently perused a news article stating that by april 12th you had danged well better be upgraded to "sp2", or, well, i think it stated that minimally the consequences were that you would no longer be able to do M$ updates, thereby leaving your pc (and especially l2l2s activex/ie browser) even more exposed to nefarious doings... sorry if this is covered elsewhere - if not, maybe an admin ought to post a "sticky" to inform other "l2-er's" :D
ps - ff rox !
pss - if u r gonna use ie, you might as well go with maxthon or a similar jewel that at least gives you some ff features such as tabbed browsing, etc...
:eek: Okay, I was having so many problems with IE that I was advised on installing FF. For me, a big mistake. I could not go anywhere, any website, any favorite. You name it, I got nowhere. I don't know if it was something that I had done or something wrong with FF. I have heard many praises about it, I thought why not. :confused: If anyone has any suggestions about what the problem might be, please get back with me. I would really like to give it a try.
I had to go back to IE just to get here.:(
Right now I am running 98SE, Pentium 2.
Thanks for any advice.:)
Susan, it would probably be best if you started your own thread so that more people will see it and then answer your question :)
Susan, there has to be a reason why you can't get FF to operate correctly on your computer. You could have a load of adware,spyware, etc. Do you run cleaners(ie;Ad-aware, SpyBot S&D or similar programs) on a regular basis? If not, I would advise you to go to the HighjackThis forum and follow the advice in the stickys there. If/when your computer is clean you can install any one of a number of good browsers. My favorites are: FireFox, Opera and Mozilla. I use IE only for updates.
Susan, as jmjet says..."there has to be a reason".....and as usil pointed out you should start a new thread.......as this community can help you.:)
i say this because I use both IE and FF...with my W98SE....Intel Celeron.....had a few problems, but not insurmountable, and FF is worth the effort......
and I like IE as well....I'm not bashing it, it has it's place in the scheme of things.......BUT.......there are going to be some quirkie things as with any these systems/programs/apps, etc.....oh well...i'm rambling.....need zzzzz time....:D
good luck.
poppy
Taking this opportunity to coin an acronym, I'd say its all MSSM (Microsoft Smoke and Mirrors). In a "pure" test (which, admittedly would probably be impossibe to create), I think we'd find that FF doesn't load any slower than IE. IE appears to load faster only because Windows pre-loads a significant portion of IE's code before you ever actually launch the program. FF, not being genetically grafted on to the base operating system, must load all of its code on-demand. MS uses the same trick to make Office "load faster". The default installation adds an icon in your startup folder to preload common parts of the Office suite. The bottom line is, you have to wait for the stuff to load either way...while the OS and desktop load or when you double-click the icon.Quote:
Originally posted by HAN
Yes, the initial program opening is slow. Less of an issue on newer machines. IMO, a very fair trade-off because it's only a few extra seconds...
:) I will open a new thread and see what happens. Thanks for getting back with me.
Meaning no disrespect to L2L2, but we should be careful no to confuse different with bad. Most of L2L2's issues were more a matter of personal preference and/or familiarity than actual problems with FF. I remember back in the day, I used to work for a consulting company, and we used WordPerfect 5.1 (yes, the DOS version) as our in-house word processor. I loved it, great program. Then I was put on a project for a major client who was moving to this new-fangled Windows 3.11 thing, and they insisted that all documentation be done in MS Word. I was forced to use Word for 6 months, and I *hated* it. Nothing was where I expected it to be, all the menus were different, I couldn't figure out how to get even the simplest things done. But after a few weeks, I got more familiar with it, found some stuff I actually liked about it, and eventually got proficient. When the project was over, I was back in the office, looking forward to using my old friend, WordPerfect, and guess what? I hated it! Nothing was where I expected it to be, all the menus were different, I couldn't remember how to get even the simplest things done.Quote:
Originally posted by Luv2Learn2
Well, I have a differen opinion.
....
I wouldn't call it better...just...fairly adequate.
l2l2
My point is, we all need to find what we're comfortable using. Given the wide and rapid acceptance of FF, I think its safe to say it's a very good browser, but anyone considering using it should be prepared for some big differences, a kind of culture shock. FF is *not* just a replacement for IE, it is at its core a different way of browsing. Some differences (lack of native ActiveX support, for example) are design choices. Other differences are simply a matter of menu placement or name choices. If you're just looking for more bells and whistles in your browser, but want to keep all the functionality (and risk) of IE, maybe you should look at Maxthin (formerly MyIE2). But if you want to break free of IE, FF is one of the best choices out there. Just be prepared for some culture shock, and give yourself time to make adjustments. Like millions, I think you'll find it's worth it.
:) Thanks dougj. I think I will give it another chance. I just might need some more help in using it though.:eek:
L2L2,
Perhaps you just didn't take the time to look for information which would help you learn more about the browser. I see very often, that IE users have a preconceived idea about Firefox (often negative) and therefore not open to change. The Help file even has a list of differences in terminology for the IE user.
If you will take a look at the first link on the below list, there are not only screen shots, but explanations of the Firefox Options. I found all these doing Google searches, and at the MozillaZine, Mozilla Firefox Support Forum.
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There are numerous Firefox Help sites available, for the new user. Just to name a few:
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/options
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/menu
http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtm...zilla_Firefox/
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/
http://members.xoom.virgilio.it/mozd...ird/tips.html/
http://home.att.net/~cherokee67/firefoxtips.html
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/...efoxtips1.htm/
Also a few which point out the differences in Mozilla and Firefox, other than the obvious:
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/faq#q1.3
http://ilias.ca/MozillavsFirefox.html
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Mozilla_Suite_:_FAQs
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I think, other than Tabbed browsing, one of the Firefox feature highlights is the Bayesian Spam filter. Spam is a thing of the past on my PC, now that the training period is in the past. It's awesome!
I've been using Firefox since Version .08, and will never go back to Netscape, or Mozilla. I have nothing but praise for the browser, and it's companion Mail Client, Thunderbird.
My 2ยข worth...
Ramona
Well Put Dougj I know I love my Mozilla and hate IE and all its virus, it seems to attract. and its activeX and alexa. Another thng nice is to be able to turn off the icons in the tool bars and select "text only", to reduce the tool bar size, thus freeing up more realestate