I'm done with IE

crashed for the last time

[too much information]

Well, I've officially had it with IE. It is the only program I run that cosistantly crashes my machines (Mac and PC) It freezes up, it hogs memory, it's slow, and I'm sick of it.

I have spent long hours reworking pages just so they would look good on all versions of IE because it is popular. I think I am now going to work until my pages validate, then recommend that my visitors try Netscape, Opera, Safari or whatever else is out there.

The most irritating thing is I use my browser to look at my sites, check my logs, search for link exchanges, etc. and that's all. It's not like I'm trying to download the world or anything.

If I could get Safari to not do a text wrap to the window I would have switched long ago because of the text box limits in IE for the Mac.

Now if I can just convince Google to create a toolbar for the Mac, or even one for Netscape 7...

[asquithea]

Maybe you could give Mozilla Firebird [mozilla.org] a try? Since it wasn't on your list, and I'm very happy with it, I thought it was worth mentioning.

[Ivana]

Can't say I blame you. I ditched IE years ago and never looked back. Try Opera, it has all these great functions that you very soon won't be able to live without. Personally I prefer Mozilla, but I've never tried it in Windows or Mac.

[Robino]

There's a Google toolbar for Firebird. It doesn't have the PageRank meter though.

[jdMorgan]

There *is* a Google toolbar for Mozilla-based browsers. It does not, however, include the PageRank meter - a fact which some may find a benefit to their mental health. ;)

Jim

[too much information]

Actually I do have Firebird installed on this machine, but I just forgot to include it in the list.

I'm not too sure I like Opera, it seems a little strange, but maybe I need to experiment for a while. I feel like I just got off of a bad addiction! :o)

I've been running NS7 all day and not once has this machine slowed down, locked up or crapped out. (hehehe, that's kinda catchy, maybe Hollywood will include that wording in their next 'hacker' style movie)

Anyway, maybe I'll fun Firebird tomorrow. Then Opera the next day, and if I really feel creative I'll write a review for my site! What a way to build content!

[photon]

Try reading through TnTLuoma.com's "30 Days to Becoming an Opera7 Lover". That might help you to see the light. :)

[KathieFry]

<< I have spent long hours reworking pages just so they would look good on all versions of IE because it is popular. I think I am now going to work until my pages validate, then recommend that my visitors try Netscape, Opera, Safari or whatever else is out there >>

I think it looks a bit amateurish when a Web site has notes like "this web site is optimized for 800 x 600" or "This Web site looks best when viewed with Opera 6".

I always think "yeah, like I'm really going to change my screen resolution (or use a different browser) just to view your Web site..."

Opinions?

- Kathie Fry

[hartlandcat]

I ditched IE just over a year ago. First went to Opera 6, then to Netscape 7, then to Mozilla, then to Netscape 7 then Opera 7, then back to Netscape 7, then to Firebird, then to Netscape 7, then to iCab, then to Netscape 7... and finally, to Safari -- by far the best browser I've ever used.

[googlebar.sf.net...] --- should work in Netscaspe 7

[Krapulator]

Firebird is well worth a try!

It's the first non-microsoft browser that I have ever felt inclined to set as my default browser.

[encyclo]

I see you're using a Mac - are you using OSX? If so, as well as Firebird, try Camino: [mozilla.org...] which is built specifically for OSX and uses the standard Cocoa user interface. It may be just what you're looking for!

[superscript]

I've never had any problems with IE - what am I doing wrong? ;)

[kyr01]

Firebird gets my vote. I like the tabbed windows (Opera has them, too), and it just gives that 'fast' feeling when loading pages (not sure it is faster than any other browser, by the way). Having said this, you will always find (crappy?) sites were nothing works, unless you revisit them using IE...

[g1smd]

I moved over to Mozilla a couple of years ago, from Netscape 4.8 at that time.

I always avoided IE due to slow rendering, lots of security bugs and many other unwanted features. I just did not like the way it worked.

Mozilla has lots of advanced features, like the various managers for downloads, images, cookies, passwords, etc, and tabbed browsing. There are one or two minor bugs, but on the whole it is very stable. It has crashed or locked up only half a dozen times in the whole year (on several hours usage every day, on Windows 98SE).

[txbakers]

I've never had any problems with IE - what am I doing wrong? ;)

Neither have I. Or at least none that I haven't had with any browser I've tried.

I've had more crashes with Netscape than IE, and I'm tired of not having most sites work in Opera. I use Mozilla for my proof and post, but IE for my day to day browsing.

And it's the best FTP program I've every used as well.

So there.

[anallawalla]

I've never had any problems with IE - what am I doing wrong?
;)

No problems here either. You probably have a well-maintained (patched) OS, have a conservative policy when it comes to clicking on unknown objects and opening suspicious emails and use firewalls and AV software.

Sure, MS products are buggy, but if one wants to use other software and hardware devices, it is a lot simpler to stick to MS because it is a common denominator. Many web site admins at large institutions just don't want to know if you use something other than IE. They may lose some customers, but it isn't worth their while to be compatible with all browsers.

[Mohamed_E]

I think it looks a bit amateurish when a Web site has notes like "this web site is optimized for 800 x 600" or "This Web site looks best when viewed with Opera 6".

I always think "yeah, like I'm really going to change my screen resolution (or use a different browser) just to view your Web site..."

Opinions?

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, Kathie!

I completely agree with you.

To return to the main topic of this thread, I ditched IE because of the security holes, and found that NN gave me tabs, a popup blocker and cookie control as a bonus!

[caine]

I use them all. Opera 7.23, Mozilla 1.5, IE 6 SP1

regarding mail clients -> only opera seems to fufil my needs.

[WeirdoPL]

After reading this topic I decided to check out Opera.
I AM STILL IN A SERIOUS STATE OF SHOCK.

Never again will I use IE crap for something more serious than browsing my disk. When I was turning it off it made a goodbye crash and asked me if I want to send the error info to MS... My message to MS is: YOU ARE MAKING CRAP.

Nothing more to say.

[pat_s]

Opera 7.x versions are a whole different ballgame, aren't they? I never liked Opera, even though many people whose opinions I respected did like it a lot. Then they came out with this version and I've used nothing else for browsing since I downloaded it. You have to remember to check your pages in IE, too, though. Sometimes Opera is actually more forgiving than IE, and of course, in some areas IE is still a little broken and most people do use it, so you need to make sure.

[g1smd]

>> My message to MS is: YOU ARE MAKING CRAP. <<

We know that. They now that.

They don't care. We know they don't care.

They don't care that we know that too.

The message is: "You have to buy the next version, it will be much better"

... but it never is (and they have been getting away with it for 20 years).

[Sunshyn]

The Opera 7.x versions are a great deal better. I was using Opera before that. It was only after version 7 that I was able to convince my partner, who is less involved with computers and more resistant to changes, to make the switch. At this point, he'd miss the little features which make just browing less of a hassle.

[ogletree]

You guys must be using it wrong. I surf all day long all over the place and have no problems. MS has had problems in the past but things are working quite well now. If you have a proper security set up there will be no problems. You should do that with any browser.

[hartlandcat]

^ The main reason why most of us here don't like IE is because we've found other browsers to be better.

[choster]

Even if Microsoft made perfect bug-free software, they cannot guarantee that all the other developers in the world will develop perfect bug-free applications, extensions, or device drivers. The fact that IE is integrated into Windows, an incredibly complex set of software, only compounds the problem, and it's not too difficult to find cases where video or sound drivers need to be patched, or mouse drivers need to be replaced, or other upgrades need to be made in order to get IE to work where standalone browsers, independent of the OS, do not have problems.

[Fruit and Veg]

I've used Firebird for the last month and like it. IE never played silly buggers with me, but I thought I'd check it out. Not really noticed any major differences, except that the Google Toolbar is better on Firebird.

I was on the Apple/Safari site earlier today - is it possible to download it for a PC?

[drbrain]

ogletree said:

If you have a proper security set up there will be no problems. You should do that with any browser.

No. You should never have to change anything to become secure.

Running insecurely is something you should have to work at.

[percentages]

>and they have been getting away with it for 20 years

28 posts in a 2 week old "I hate Microsoft" thread ain't too bad....they must be improving ;)

M$ along with IBM have for 20+ years brought a degree of stability to the PC market that very few other suppliers would have been capable of providing.....hate them for their success all you want, but remember that if it wasn't for these two companies most of us wouldn't be discussing the subject. ;)

[txbakers]

remember that if it wasn't for these two companies most of us wouldn't be discussing the subject. ;)

Hear hear! Thank you! Well put.

For all the people who whine about Microsoft, I'd like to see them develop something better and survive for 20+ years in this industry.

[Farix]

remember that if it wasn't for these two companies most of us wouldn't be discussing the subject. ;)

If it wasn't for IBM/Microsoft/Intel, we would be using a different platform (perhaps Apple?). IBM was a latecomer to the PC market -- and back then they mainly sold to businesses and not home users. The primary reason they were successful was because of their pre-existing branding.