Savvy Web Surfers Catch New Wave of Browsers

Reuters News Service ^ | Sun Sep 26, 2004 | Adam Pasick

[NewMediaFan]

LONDON (Reuters) - Since Microsoft won the browser wars in the late 1990s, its Internet Explorer software has been the way most people surf the Web. But with some slick new challengers on the scene, that may be about to change.

While Internet Explorer has remained largely unchanged for years, alternative Web browsers like Opera, Apple Computer's Safari and especially Firefox are wowing users with innovative features and the promise of increased protection from hackers.

Firefox rose from the ashes of Netscape, the first popular Web browser, which kick-started the dot-com boom before being vanquished by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Netscape was then purchased by America Online, which donated the software's code to the non-profit Mozilla Foundation.

After nearly three years of fits and starts, Mozilla has turned out a sleek, fast-running browser. While numbers are hard to come by, more than five million copies of the software have been downloaded in the last two months, and more than a million in the 10 days since its 1.0 "preview" version was released Sept. 15.

Most estimates put Internet Explorer's overall market share at about 95 percent. But a shift can also been seen among the early adopter crowd, which picks up on technology trends months or years before the mainstream...

[Grut]

Intermittently, will scroll up a few lines when I click a link or a dropdown box instead of the expected action. Will not return to the same point in a long page when I return to it with the browser's back arrow.

I have the same problems, but I'm running version 1.5.20031.717, which is not the most current one. It may be time to update.

[humblegunner]

Do you get any IE pop-up ads, when IE is not running?

Nope, not a single one, ever.
I also have the Google toolbar running which also filters that sort of thing.

The Googlebar will even track how many popups it blocks, if you want it to.
I got bored with it after 500.

[boris]

I was a dedicated Netscape user until one day it began bringing my PC down. Not just Windows--the whole PC. I went to extremes to stop the problem: wiped the HD, reinstalled Windows, downloaded a fresh copy of Netscape. Same problem. Try getting tech support from Netscape. Like a conversation with the Sphynx. So I switched to IE, which has been rock-solid. Yeah, I download all the security updates.

I also gotta firewall, anti-virus, and all the anti-spyware goodies. So why switch?

[zeebee]

What sort of bugs do you experience with Firefox?

There's a delay in loading pages. It's much better than IE, but Safari is the best.

Of course, if you're Mac-challenged, Firefox is the way to go. Keep IE only for Windows Updates.

[Shortwave]

Yup! When CERT advised users to discontinue using IE, I immediately downloaded Firefox. Love it and won't go back!

[RepublicanArmy]

This extension for firefox is what your looking for.

http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/index.php?showtopic=474

[CanadianLibertarian]

This post being written on Firefox. Right now. Get it, use it.

[Americanchild]

Does Firefox conflict with IE like Netscape does? I used to have Netscape with IE on my pc and the netscape was always locking up or refuses to open. I use Opera sometimes but it seems to have trouble processing information on secure websites.

[NYS_Eric]

Will not return to the same point in a long page when I return to it with the browser's back arrow.

This has been fixed with 1.7.3 (Version 1.0 Preview Release). That was a sore spot with me too, but now it's almost a perfect browser. You just can't beat tabbed browsing, especially on a site like Free Republic.

[IoCaster]

Are you using WinXP? If so, make sure you have messenger disabled.

[kylaka]

Yes, Windows Messenger is disabled. These are definately IE pop-ups because they are in an IE window, even when IE is not running.

[sd-joe]

Does Firefox conflict with IE like Netscape does?

Not that I can see. It seems to "play well with others". Can have both running at the same time, no problem.

[NeonKnight]

Even Firefox 1.0 has a bug or 2. When you reload on a message board, after new messages have been added to the thread, you do not end up in the same place you were before you reloaded.

[Timeout]

I'm not very tech-savvy, but I'm interested. I went to the "Get Firefox" page and I don't see a DOWNLOAD NOW button. Would changing affect my Norton and other firewall programs?

[reboot]

What sort of bugs do you experience with Firefox?

Lately Firefox will randomly close all windows. Don't know what brought this on. Must be an extension I added or something. I reinstalled Firefox, and java. Shame it was such a good browser till this.

[Terpfen]

Firefox's superiority to Mozilla depends on what you want.

Mozilla is an application suite. It's a web browser, an email program, an HTML editor, and a few other things rolled up into one package. It's great as an all-in-one, but of course, all-in-one programs are very bloated and take forever to load.

Firefox is a bare-bones, stand-alone browser where you get to decide what you want to add via downloadable extensions. It's small, light, and quick, with zero bloat.

I personally recommend Firefox. Mozilla is slowly being phased out in favor of the stand-alone browser Firefox and the stand-alone e-mail reader Thunderbird.

[lelio]

The Mozilla browsers, to me, all feel "clunky".

Dittos on the "Mozilla" (with a capital M) browser, but give Firefox a shot. Much better -- for example opening a link in a new tab is done in the background, not in the foreground like Mozilla does.

Plus there's nifty extensions -- the mouse gesture one (I believe Opera has that) is handy, along with the one that posts a URL to TinyUrl and then puts the result in the clipboard.

[IoCaster]

Are you using Spybot or any other type of spyware detection utility? Sounds like some kind of malware might have hijacked your browser.

[patj]

bump

[dennisw]

Google search is much better integrated into I.E. and that's the only reason I prefer it. But Firefox is very nice and allows you to log on to two yahoo e-mail (or groups) accounts at the same time. One in each browser.