Posted on 02/16/2005 10:38:24 AM PST by decimon
The party's over.
In the past year, the little browser that could, Firefox, became the people's hero, an underdog warrior that took a huge swipe at its enemy, Internet Explorer. IE dipped below 90 percent market share for the first time in years, while Firefox lured users like the Pied Piper, blowing past its own fundraising goals and reigniting the browser wars.
Meanwhile, the bad news continued to mount for Microsoft. An IE exploit put even Windows XP SP2 users at risk from phishing schemes, even as Microsoft touted SP2 as the most secure version of Windows yet. Worse, major security companies and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team began to recommend that computer users dump IE for something more secure (read: Firefox).
By early this year, Netscape was emboldened to reenter the fray, announcing in January that it would release a new version of the Netscape browser, designed specifically to resist phishing schemes--something even Firefox lacks. Then, Opera said it would offer free licenses to universities, in order to make sure it would still be relevant in the new world browser order. And through it all, what was the response from Microsoft? Silence.
TalkBack Are you afraid of a standalone Internet Explorer, or will you keep betting on the Firefox pony?
For a moment there, it looked like the tyrant IE could actually be overthrown. Those were heady days, weren't they? Well, they're over now. Papa Bill just dropped the hammer. Bill Gates announced this week, at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco (of all places), that Microsoft will ship Internet Explorer 7, without waiting for the next version of Windows. Gates says the standalone browser is designed to address the perception that IE itself is a massive security risk. What he didn't say, but you know he was thinking it, is that IE 7 will easily put a stop to this upstart browser rebellion.
Don't believe me? You should. Firefox is great, I use it. But it's a chore sometimes, what with most sites using that pesky nonstandard IE code. Not everything renders properly, and some sites just plain don't work--I have to load up IE to use them. Plus, let's be honest--Firefox has its flaws. Why is there no way to check for updates from within the browser, for one thing? Why does it take so doggone long to launch? Why, why must it crash every single time I open a PDF? I mean, every single time. Opera, fine, whatever, I'm not paying for a browser, and for some reason, although I've tried it several times, it's just never captured me. It's too clunky, and I was raised on IE. I don't want to learn something completely new. IE, on the other hand, is like the sweeping tide--it's just easier not to fight it.
If a standalone IE 7 is even 50 percent more secure than current versions, the Firefox rebellion is finished. If IE 7 has tabs, Firefox will be destroyed as surely as the Hungarian uprising of 1956 was crushed by Russia. I use the analogy deliberately, too--no one expected Microsoft to issue a standalone version of IE, but those months of silence (and, no doubt, frantic development) look awfully ominous now. This is a company that's absorbed Justice Department lawsuits, threats of daily fines from the European Union, and lawsuits from nearly every state in the union, and that has steadfastly refused to break up its republic of Windows-IE-Windows Media. But this Firefox thing must have it fearing the domino effect, big time.
It was bad when Microsoft seemed to ignore Firefox, treating it like a harmless upstart not worthy of comment or attack. But now that the sleeping giant has awakened, I think the buzzing gnat of the browser wars is about to be squashed flat. What do you think?
As for a link from Yahoo, let's see if this will work:
|
The Network Computer, or a little different take on it. Hasn't flown yet, but things change.
ping
Because you didn't install it correctly. I have never had this problem.
Really, most writers endeavor to conceal rather than advertise their ineptitude in their field of alleged expertise.
If it's not "embedded", perhaps you can explain its uninstall procedure to the class....
Yeah -- it's as if you installed one of those combination-lock keypads on your front door, and then added all sorts of doo-dads that let you use the same keypad to make phone calls through the intercom, control the house lighting and appliances, etc... and then were all surprised when jokers figured out how to use the system to fiddle with your lights and making calls to Borneo on your dime.
i have both foxfire and ie.
i prefer foxfire because there are less problems, log-ins and passwords work better, etc.
one problem that occurs with both, more often with ie, is that when you click on something, a grew balloon appears and says it isn't available. but click again, and usually it connects.
it's not spy or ad ware. i have spy bot, and ad-ware and use them routinely and often.
;-)
I love the tabs too. I got stuck on them with MYIE, but it ran over IE and I still had all of the spyware problems. Switched to FireFox and now I have my tabs and no spyware.
"A decade ago there was no Internet."
um...a decade is 10 years. And yes, there was internet 10 years ago. In fact, I made my first web site a decade ago.
um...a decade is 10 years. And yes, there was internet 10 years ago. In fact, I made my first web site a decade ago.
What about ARAPNET? You forgot about ARAPNET.
As long as we're being anal about things.
I don't think I know what you mean. What were we being anal about?
Ten years, twenty years, what's the difference.
The point is, technology changes all the time.
I agree...I've tried Avant and its nice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.