Browser choice

[CurlyWhirly]

My ISP won't let me use FF as my default browser so I have to connect using IE.

That's a bit cheeky, your ISP forcing you to use a certain browser :0

Also I think FF is safer than IE in regards to malware and spyware.

I was infected twice while using IE before I got FF and have not had any problems since FF.

Yes, Firefox is allegedly safer than IE but I suspect this will change when IE7 is finally released because of enhanced security.

CurlyWhirly, I have never heard of Maxthon or Flock untill I started looking up different types of browsers and they came up in the list along with the others in the poll. I checked them out and they seemed good so I wanted to see it people had ever used them.

Apparently no one has :P

[dadyassa]

Maxthon 62,234,065 downloads ;) ;) perhaps its what the chinese use ?

[CurlyWhirly]

Maxthon 62,234,065 downloads ;) ;) perhaps its what the chinese use ?

We don't live in China :P

(At least most of us don't!)

No wonder why I had never heard of it :lol:

[dadyassa]

Maxthon 62,234,065 downloads ;) ;) perhaps its what the chinese use ?

We don't live in China :P

(At least most of us don't!)

No wonder why I had never heard of it :lol:

I dont know if it is used there ;)

Its a lot of downloads though.

[Seshomaru Samma]

Maxthon 62,234,065 downloads ;) ;) perhaps its what the chinese use ?

Nobody uses Maxthon in China as far as I know

Most people use IE or Tencent (a Chinese browser - check out its English version here)

Some people use FF (I do...)

[dadyassa]

Maxthon 62,234,065 downloads ;) ;) perhaps its what the chinese use ?

Nobody uses Maxthon in China as far as I know

Most people use IE or Tencent (a Chinese browser - check out its English version here)

Some people use FF (I do...)

Thanks for the info, I wonder where the 62 million + who use it are ?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Download is not equal to using it...

[andsome]

Netscape was installed as the default browser by the NTL dial up C.D's many years ago.

[Besty]

Opera on my pc and my mac :) woo opera

[Panasonic]

I oftenly use Mozilla Firefox coz they have good plugins / extensions... Like SiteAdvisor... And they make my browsing more faster... :D

[Alan2273]

I use Galeon mainly and Opera sometimes.

So I voted for Opera.

[Lamb Chop]

IE6 for me

I have Firefox - dont like it for its text size I have to keep on changing it and that is a pain.

IE now stays just where it is supposed to be.

I think many use IE and dont like to say so as it is 'not trendy' as they follow the sheep. A lot of tech sites say IE not good etc and only newbies use it.

[CurlyWhirly]

I have Firefox - dont like it for its text size I have to keep on changing it and that is a pain.

I've been using Firefox for over a year and I never have to mess around changing the text size

[djohn]

IE is my first choice but I do like the tabbed facility of FF. I generally have both open at the same time for different reasons. The spell checker of FF is every bit as good as the IE one by the way. :)

[cozofdeath]

I have Firefox - dont like it for its text size I have to keep on changing it and that is a pain.

Never had that problem. Have you tried holding the control key and pressing the + or - key to change the text to where you want it. Then close FF and reopen it. FF does have some good features and to not use it because of a font problem is like me saying I resized the IE window, now it always opens smaller instead of full screen. I have had that problem and the font size problem with IE though.

I think many use IE and dont like to say so as it is 'not trendy' as they follow the sheep. A lot of tech sites say IE not good etc and only newbies use it.

True many tech and non tech sources have said it is better but they usually list why it is. I would never use something on my computer unless I liked it. I did switch to FF because I heard it was better from different sites but once I used it I knew why. But I'm one of those people that like to open window after window then close them down as I get done with each one. I've had less security probs and the search feature is awesome. The best thing I think is its from an open source community and many things can be freely developed for it. Every thing is wayyyy simple too, like to open a new tab just middle click on a link or to do a find as you type search just press /. Advance settings can also be changed easily. And the simple fact that MS tries to force you to use IE makes me want to try something different because I want to be able to change what I want and I don't want to support something like that. I've also heard that when standards were being developed for the web, IE developers went on and made extensions to them for their browser. So while everyone was trying to stick to something standard everyone could use they branched off and went a different (windows) route, leaving the gecko (mozilla, netscape, firefox, galeon, etc...) browsers out of the loop to only support what they want to be standard to rule because they were the majority.

I can however, see why people use IE. I do think it is a decent browser but just prefer Firefox. Every browser has its own niche which is sort of why I made this poll/post. I wanted to hear about what makes peoples browsers good or bad and why they choose to use it.

[andsome]

IE is my first choice but I do like the tabbed facility of FF. I generally have both open at the same time for different reasons. The spell checker of FF is every bit as good as the IE one by the way. :)

Trying to find the correct download for a spell checker for FF was one of the things that turned me off it. I cannot understand why people complain about IE being incorporated into Windows. Had it not been, then those same people would probably have complained about having to look for a browser, and just HOW could they have looked for a browser to install had they not had IE to search with in the first instance. These people also complain that WMP is included into Windows. Personally I think that it is a program that has steadily improved over the years, and it does everything that I require of it. I firmly believe that MANY, (not all of course), install a different browser just as a talking point, it is the same to me as buying so called designer clothes, spectacles etc. Long may MS include IE, OE and WMP in Windows. :) :) :)

[-pops-]

Don't you think that there's too much being made about browser choice, not here particularly, but on any discussion/argument on which may or may not be best.

I need a browser to take me to the web sites that I need to see in the most convenient way for me. Whether that is by IE, Firefox or Bob the Builder. It's the content when you've got there, not the mode of transport, that's most important.

I feel much the same way about these continual discussions about desktop themes and whether this, that or the Vista theme is best. This may be anachronistic to some but, I don't care about my desktop theme. It happens to be Blue Ice or something like that - put there on each of my machines by my granddaughters as they didn't like the plain dark green that XP installed as default (which I was quite happy with). It's quite rare for the desktop to be on view for more than a few seconds so I'm really not concerned what it looks like.

I know I'm turning (have turned) into an old grump and most likely grossly unfashionable but I still use my computers in a productive way and not for their own sake to look nice with a pretty glowing screen and pride of place wherever they may be positioned.

On a slightly different note, do you remember the EU in their wisdom forced Microsoft to issue a version of XP without an integrated WMP to prevent them having a monopoly on media players?

I think about two copies of this version have been sold.

[Lamb Chop]

I wear glasses so need to adjust my computer to vision and IE font and text size and on IE once done stays that way.

I have tried everything suggested on FF but it is just not as good as IE.

By the way it is my choice. If we all followed like sheep and only used what was trendy or in favour - no choice would be the outcome.

I dont use a spell checker either as I was taught to spell at school in England. Long before the PC left wing mob started to destroy the education system

[cozofdeath]

Oh come on guys, quit fighting and come to the dark side. :lol: Especially you andsome, you know deep down firefox is the one. :lol: Anyways, you guys are also right. I never knew that EU had tried to do that. I heard about them getting in trouble with the hole monopoly thing, but I don't remember what ever came about afterwords. If they didn't include it we would have to pay for it anyway right? Or were they going to include free/not free software? And what is the pc left wing mob?

[CurlyWhirly]

I firmly believe that MANY, (not all of course), install a different browser just as a talking point

This wasn't the case for me as I had trouble using Internet Explorer as I had trouble downloading some things and running active content on some websites as I used to keep getting a "Your security settings are too high" message despite fiddling with the IE settings.

I also had a Active X problem and as Firefox doesn't use Active X, this is why I chose it.

These people also complain that WMP is included into Windows. Personally I think that it is a program that has steadily improved over the years, and it does everything that I require of it. Long may MS include IE, OE and WMP in Windows.

I agree about WMP as I actually enjoy using it also Outlook Express which I now use since ditching AOL a few months ago.

I prefer Firefox to Internet Explorer though for the reason mentioned above.

[dadyassa]

IE is my first choice but I do like the tabbed facility of FF. I generally have both open at the same time for different reasons. The spell checker of FF is every bit as good as the IE one by the way. :)

Trying to find the correct download for a spell checker for FF was one of the things that turned me off it. I cannot understand why people complain about IE being incorporated into Windows. Had it not been, then those same people would probably have complained about having to look for a browser, and just HOW could they have looked for a browser to install had they not had IE to search with in the first instance. These people also complain that WMP is included into Windows. Personally I think that it is a program that has steadily improved over the years, and it does everything that I require of it. I firmly believe that MANY, (not all of course), install a different browser just as a talking point, it is the same to me as buying so called designer clothes, spectacles etc. Long may MS include IE, OE and WMP in Windows. :) :) :)

The only reason IE has improved is the addition of bits nicked from other browsers

The next IE version is Opera in disguise ;)

[cozofdeath]

Has anyone tried a 3d browser?? If so what was it worth using?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

... those same people would probably have complained about having to look for a browser, and just HOW could they have looked for a browser to install had they not had IE to search with in the first instance.

I was looking for my first browser a long time before Microsoft even knew what a web browser was. I installed Netscape 1.1 long before Microsoft offered the Spyglass Mosaic browser as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

The clever thing was that they offered it for free; most other browsers were commercially available. I believe I paid USD 25 for Netscape at the time.