Firefox is gaining strength

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by ToyotaNSaturn:
h
Now that there's REAL competition, there will be an IE version 7. Amazing how the marketplace works.

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The concept is bit strange though since MS and Mozilla both give away their browsers.

The whole MS business model is looking a bit iffy.

How many people with Office 97 really saw an improvement in day to day use when the switched to Office 2000. How many people with Office 2000 are even interested in "upgrading" to later versions?

The Windows XP replacement is late to market and Linux is slowly gaining "market" share as it improves. There's always Apple too.

I think MS has just about saturated it's available market. It doesn't seem like any of their newer products in the last 3 or 4 years are enough to cause a stampede of people buying them. MS either needs some block buster products that will cause people to want to buy their products, or they need to take more of their old products off the market through lack of support, which will cause even more people to be ****** off at MS.

My plan is to wean myself off of MS by the time Windoze XP and Office 2000 no longer meet my needs.

 

[labman]

I wonder how soon some CEO's are going to explain to their IT departments that they want to sell to everybody, not just those using Windows/IE. Either start building friendlier web sites or your replacements will.

 

[Mystic]

I think many people are finally catching on that Microsoft software may not be the best designed software in the world. Many consider Internet Explorer the least secure web browser. Firefox is much more secure and there is a fast and capable version of Netscape Communicator available today. There are other web browsers such as Opera.

It has been estimated that there are something like 100,000 computer viruses that can affect Windows Computers. In comparison, there are zero known computer viruses for Mac OS 10. There is also much more in the way of spyware that can affect Windows computers.

If I was using a computer with a Windows operating system I would not use Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. I would probably use Firefox or Netscape Communicator. I would not use the Microsoft firewall. I would get my own. And I would get anti-spyware programs, an anti-virus program, and some sort of program to defend against Spam.

Microsoft is way behind on its 'Longhorn' operating system. That new operating system has been pushed back to 2006 at least. In comparison, Mac OS 10 is now a few years old, having been around since 2001. Do not be surprised if Apple Computer comes out with a new operaing system after they release Tiger. After all, Mac OS 10 is actually an old operating system in computer terms. Microsoft in comparison has not even released their new operating system.

It is amazing to me that some people have such blind loyalty to a software company and the Windows operating systems. Afterall, I nearly left Apple computers several years ago when Apple nearly went under. If you are not getting what you want from an operating system then it is time to look elsewhere. There are alternatives to Microsoft-Apple and Linux.

 

[FL-400S]

Me and about 3 friends just switched to firefox. And Im taking the family with too.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

This link has been posted before, but I wanted to give it's own space this time around...

Interesting to see that Firefox now clearly owns 20% of all browser requests. Mozilla-based browsers make up 1/4 of all browsers. I'll bet one quart of GC that Firefox will be at 30% by year's end and Netscape 8.0 will help the total Mozilla numbers climb easily to over 1/3 of all web browser requests by Dec 05.

The days of Microsoft being the 800 pound browser gorilla are long over.

It will be interesting to see what Microsoft does with IE version 7. There wasn't supposed to be and IE version 7 as their policy was to upgrade the browser with the O.S., thus forcing people to upgrade their O.S. just to get new IE browsing functionality. But that is flawed from a non-money making perspective---MS is banking on little to no competition. Without competition, there will just be more tie-in to the Win32 function calls rather than true innovation and progress.

Now that there's REAL competition, there will be an IE version 7. Amazing how the marketplace works.

And since MS's browser is forever tied to the O.S., spy-ware writers will continue to flourish with IE-only system. I guess their market for invading people's PC's is being reduced too.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Microsoft is feeling the heat, but still has no real plan to stop the 3rd party browser frenzy:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1764441,00.asp

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I don't understand the discrepancy in numbers between the original like I sited:
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

and this recent story:
http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=159902316

21.5% vs 6.1% ??? So MANY people I know have added Firefox to thier system(s). 6.1% seems VERY low. If Firefox has Microsoft worried at all, it wouldn't be over 6% of the market. I tend to believe the first web site's numbers over the second article.

Perhaps they're looking at corporate systems where computers (Intel based) have ONLY IE on them since the end-user isn't able to install software due to company policies. And if they tested web sites that primarly saw corporate IE-only clients, their numbers are skewed artificially lower.

 

[Tree Hugger]

I listened to all the hype, and installed FireFox and tried it out...
Turns out you can allow all cookies with exceptions blocked, or you can prohibit all cookies.

You can not prohibit all cookies with exceptions allowed!

Somebody doesn't know the first principles of security.

I've pitched that trash...

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

TreeHugger, it's version 1.0, not 6.0sp1. Provide the project with an enhancement request and something like that will be considered for addition at a later date.

And besides, cookies & the related security just don't matter as much in Mozilla/Firefox/Netscape as they do in IE. This is simply due to the fact you can't access the local file system thru the web browser in Mozilla as you can in IE. Simply can't be done. Keeps all that spyware away from the computer.

Try a whole bunch of sites with Firefox, then with IE. After your done using IE, with the cookie flexibility you're looking for, you'll have spyware. I see it all the time. My solution isn't to tell the person to not use their computer, but to switch browsers.

IMO, the Mozilla project offeres better security by better design.

 

[Pablo]

TreeHugger....the real difference are the MANY ways you can handle cookies via extensions. I use cookie culler and cookie buttons.........way too easy, I guess. MS IE missed the boat on customization, too.

 

[Propflux01]

I just cannot understand it. The firefox is, from what I have used, a seemeingly good browser, which functions very similarly to IE. It works with windows, etc, etc....Now waht I do not understand, if IE is so bad, and has been for so many years now, Why hasn't other browsers caught on faster? I mean the firefox works with several windows operating systems, it has actually been around for awhile. I don't buy all the 'evil Bill gates kept everything away' talk, especially since firefox is open-coded. And what about MAC OS? if it is so good, why are people not buying up every disc in sight and installing it after buying thier brand new 'puter??

Seems to me that, while opinions vary on which OS or browser is the best, they seemingly all work similarly in the end. Microshaft is a big company, therefore, it will get blasted the hardest. I am willing to bet that if Firefox surpasses IE as the browser of the future, it too, will be cracked, hacked, and looked upon as teh 'evil browser'. And as for MAC.....There is a whole 'nother reason for it's failure in life.

 

[T-Keith]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tree Hugger:
I listened to all the hype, and installed FireFox and tried it out...
Turns out you can allow all cookies with exceptions blocked, or you can prohibit all cookies.

You can not prohibit all cookies with exceptions allowed!

Somebody doesn't know the first principles of security.

I've pitched that trash...

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Seems to like you can. Try exeptions, allow.

-T

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim H.: if IE is so bad, and has been for so many years now, Why hasn't other browsers caught on faster? ...

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Microsoft is the 800 pound gorilla.

quote:

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I don't buy all the 'evil Bill gates kept everything away' talk, especially since firefox is open-coded.

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Microsoft owns the market and dictates what direction it goes. This is the first time, since Netscape created the browser frenzy, that the public truly has a choice outside of Redmond. Given that choice architectually is safer for the end user's computer (if it's Windows that is)...

 

[Tree Hugger]

OK,
I've downloaded some extensions, and made some changes.
I'll try it again for a while

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim H.:
I just cannot understand it. The firefox is, from what I have used, a seemeingly good browser, which functions very similarly to IE. It works with windows, etc, etc....Now waht I do not understand, if IE is so bad, and has been for so many years now, Why hasn't other browsers caught on faster?

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For the same reason Fram is the biggest selling oil filter in the US. The average consumer isn't very interested in what they consume, so as long as it sort of works and the other 'droids buy it in large quantities, it must be the best product.

 

[47HO]

Excellent analogy, XS650. It's the herd mentality.

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

Yep and for same reason people in this state have allowed doubling of the tolls if you don't micro-chip your car. Mindless drone herd mentality. Oops that might be political?
I prefer Firefox as well. Haven't really had any security probs with IE "that I know of"...but Firefox seems to run more stable and faster.
Almost forgot: Only one problem, Specialty Formulations website doesn't work with FireFox. When you go to Product list you can only get more info on classic form, no other work. You hear that MK??! You could be losing out on 30% of people on Internet!

[ March 22, 2005, 11:32 AM: Message edited by: Jason Troxell ]

 

[kreigle]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tim H.:
And what about MAC OS? if it is so good, why are people not buying up every disc in sight and installing it after buying thier brand new 'puter??

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Because to run MAC OS, you need a MAC! PCs are dirt cheap compared to Macs because Apple has kept the architecture closed and proprietary, so they can charge whatever they want.

My brother has a Mac and will never go back. My parents were looking at new Macs since my dad is increasingly frustrated with Windows, but even a refurbished Mac is 3 times what they would pay for a brand new PC.

 

[moribundman]

If many more people switch to Firefox, it will become evil like IE. First for PC guys, then for Mac guys like me. We're all ruining Firefox by using it!

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

quote:

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Originally posted by moribundman:
If many more people switch to Firefox, it will become evil like IE. First for PC guys, then for Mac guys like me. We're all ruining Firefox by using it!

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I heard that same argument volleyed back & forth on Slashdot. I just don't buy it. MS has a vested and legal interest in IE, that MUST be coupled to the O.S. No one couples thier OS to their own web browser like MS has done. Even Safari is a separate application for the Mac, thus you can't exploit the C: drive ( or "/" partition) with malware.

Symantec has recently said that the Mac OS is quite vulernable to Malware. Of course, they have software to ward off malware on your Mac. LOL Classic case of "create problem, scare the consumer, provide solution to problem to line your pockets". Just reminds me of the clear scotch tape frenzy about 25 years ago. "Yellow" tape wasn't beautiful, but worked just fine...