So I just downloaded Mozilla Firefox.

[thekillingjoke]

All I can say is...wow. This is really nice. I'm never going back to plain internet explorer. That mess is for the birds.

Okay. I just had to get that off my mind.

[uniphasian]

Just wait until you're fully immersed in tabbed browsing and some of the great extensions for firefox. Much better than IE.

Welcome to the club.

[markinlondon]

It's a great shame IE can't be uninstalled, isn't it?

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by markinlondon

It's a great shame IE can't be uninstalled, isn't it?

No, but it can be ignored!



Cheers, Tim

[teerjerker]

Originally Posted by thekillingjoke

All I can say is...wow. This is really nice. I'm never going back to plain internet explorer. That mess is for the birds.

Okay. I just had to get that off my mind.

oof! IE is such a mess. I love Firefox. I'd like to recommend a "theme" that I like very much called Modern Pinball. A theme is basically a set of button icons that you can install - Modern Pinball is nice and small so you can have a lot of space left for viewing.

[casterway]

Tabbed browsing is awesome. I also use Thunderbird, Firefox's e-mail service. If you are using Outbreak Express, you can simply transfer all your current e-mails over to t-bird very easily. Firefox gets almost no popups, and less viruses and trojans that IE.

[JimiBryant]

StumbleUpon is the greatest thing I've found since.. e-mail!

Firefox is an awesome browser.. so is Camino for you Mac folkses.

[sultan59]

I had a weird problem with Firefox. Every time I clicked a link on the Desktop I would get an error message saying the site couldn't be found, then immediately after that the site would come up. Then when I closed out the tabs the stupid error message was still there. I finally just gave up after one uninstall and reinstall.

[Chuck 909]

Yeah, it's pretty cool. It was so nice using FireFox after using Exploder for so long is what I remember about it when I switched. It was just a refreshing change. When you're ready to dump the 'evil empire' completely check out Ubuntu 7.10 or PCLinuxOS.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://www.pclinuxos.com/

I have a HP Pavillon dv4000 and after about a year of messing around making excuses I'm finally doing a dual boot of Windoze XP and PCLinuxOS and I gotta tell ya Windoze XP is not long for this world on my laptop. Not having the DRM crap makes it worthwhile for me, that alone is worth it.

Linux is now at the point where the average Windows zombie, (like me) can switch to a real OS without all the MS baggage. It's doable for the average user now, that wasn't the case up until pretty recently.

[tazzboy]

Best internet browser out there. I you can install more Search engines and add-ons

[kovachian]

It is a cool browser indeed but not perfect. Every once in a while you run into one of those sites designed specifically for IE and so they won't show up properly in Firefox.

Anyone know of a way to import all of my IE favorites into Firefox?

[casterway]

Originally Posted by kovachian

Meh., I'm not sold sold on Firefox just yet. It's a nice browser and all I just don't see any huge glaring faults in IE. I still use both.

Firefox runs faster, as it has a lot less junk in it than IE does. Less language options, etc. The tabbed browsing is it's biggest appeal to me, besides its speed.

[teleman65]

I use Firefox on my Windows machines, Ubuntu box and Mac. Works fine on all of them.
Kovachian,
The first time I installed Firefox I imported my IE favourites at the time. Can't you just open Organize Bookmarks and the click on Import under File. There should be an option for IE.

[Telephx]

Originally Posted by kovachian

It is a cool browser indeed but not perfect. Every once in a while you run into one of those sites designed specifically for IE and so they won't show up properly in Firefox.

And those sites become ones i never visit again.....their loss, not mine

[casterway]

Originally Posted by Telephx

And those sites become ones i never visit again.....their loss, not mine

I used to have that frustration, as some images would not show up. That has been fixed in the most recent versions, and 99.9% of the time it isn't a problem anymore.

[modelo dos]

Originally Posted by kovachian

It is a cool browser indeed but not perfect. Every once in a while you run into one of those sites designed specifically for IE and so they won't show up properly in Firefox.

This is really no fault of Firefox. True, there are sites designed specifically for IE, but the biggest issue with viewing sites is that Firefox tends to adhere more strictly to proper page coding standards, while IE compensates for malformed and sloppy coding. Some might think this a good thing...I would not be one of them...

I use both Firefox and Thunderbird, have been for probably 3 years and I really dig both of them. Thunderbird may not have all the functionality of full blown Outlook yet, but I think it will get there in time. Then again, it isn't a totally bloated piece of crap like Outlook either...

[MulliganChebichev]

Originally Posted by modelo dos

This is really no fault of Firefox. True, there are sites designed specifically for IE, but the biggest issue with viewing sites is that Firefox tends to adhere more strictly to proper page coding standards, while IE compensates for malformed and sloppy coding. Some might think this a good thing...I would not be one of them...

Problem? What problem?



And, yes, thats IE 7 on my desktop...don't ask.

[teleclarkster]

I've been using Firefox for a few years now and like it. I tried Opera for a while and liked it also, but ended up settling on Firefox. Tabbed browsing is the way to go. The only time I ever open up IE is if I have to to view a website. But as time goes by, that seems to happen less and less.

[casterway]

Originally Posted by MulliganChebichev

Problem? What problem?



And, yes, thats IE 7 on my desktop...don't ask.

Check it out!!! I'm on the internets!!!!

[J-man]

I love Firefox too, but I just have to remind you guys that the latest IE has tabbed browsing, which I'm sure they pinched from Mozilla, but that's not the point.

[HappyTimeHarry]

I started using Firefox as soon as it was released. Great browser. Actually the best. The spell correct feature is awesome for stuff like this. But I've since gone mac, and you know what they say... So now I use Safari. Very similar to FF, but lacking just a few conveniences. I still have FF for mac, but I'm just used to Safari now.

[jhundt]

I have used Firefox and Thunderbird for several years on a Dell w/ WP. I never had one problem with either of the programs, and all updates, upgrades, and extensions have worked flawlessly.

I keep IE on there because apparently it's not removable. Also sometimes you need it for those very few pages that don't work w/ Firefox.

A few years ago none of my bank or tax pages worked with Firefox. Now they all do.

There is a fine forum for Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and other products:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/index....0710dcd344f699

[mark norwine]

Welcome to the club. It's a fine, fine place to be!

[Steveinthesticks]

I have Adblock with the filterset-G updater running as add ons to Firefox on my work and home machines. Adblock prevents banner adds from loading and really speeds up page loading. I was really stunned when I saw how garbage I am 'missing out on' when I used exploder on my cousin's machine over the holidays.

[Bob Marlec]

I use Firefox 3 beta 2 (it uses less memory and although a beta version, it's very stable) and of course my operating system is LInux Ubuntu 7.10.

[markinlondon]

For moving bookmarks, in IE you will find a option to export favorites (sic) to an html file. You can then import to anywhere else (yes, even to a Mac). IE stores its bookmarks as a folder full of URL pointers, very messy, all other browsers use a simple .html file. I've only stumbled on one site (part from MS sites) recently that absolutely insisted on Internet Explorer, I've emailed them to complain, web sites should be written to web standards.

[eryque]

I tend to use whatever's faster on a particular machine. On this laptop I'm using it's Firefox. On my desktop it's IE as Firefox is noticeably slower.

Although I use tabbed browsing, I don't really see why it's better than non-tabbed browsing. Heck, I don't see how it's even much different, besides the fact that I have to ctrl+tab to switch tabs, which is an awkward keystroke.

[thekillingjoke]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone.

I just can't get over how nice this is. It's so buttery smooth compared to IE, and it never freezes like IE did. Man, I should've downloaded this thing sooner.

[jhundt]

+1 on adblock. I never have to see all those crazy banners and flashing lights, animations etc.

[the velvet catfish]

I dont get it.. I have tabbed browsing.. in IE 7..
whatever works...

[byrdbrain]

There are some great FF add-ons.
I really like DownThemAll, a download manager/accelerator.
I mostly use the mac only Camino browser, which is leaner
and seems to be a little faster.

[601210]

Firefox has less bloat, and the added bonus of not downloading viruses into your computer.

IE is a funny little thing. Barely adheres to the W3C guidelines for coding... What's odd is that since many people use IE, developers make their web pages for IE, adopting the code-sloppyness. In effect, the interwebs sucks for the other browsers that do follow the rules.

Opera is also great. Too slow for me, though...

[bobthecanadian]

I started using Firefox a couple of years ago and don't use IE unless I have to. I think my next computer will use a non-windows OS.

Bob

[eryque]

Originally Posted by 601210

Firefox has less bloat, and the added bonus of not downloading viruses into your computer.

Firefox is just as capable of downloading a virus for you as IE or anything else. In fact, IE seems to have pop up blockers that are just as effective as well.

[Tony474]

Originally Posted by HappyTimeHarry

...I've since gone mac, and you know what they say... So now I use Safari. Very similar to FF, but lacking just a few conveniences. I still have FF for mac, but I'm just used to Safari now.

Funny, that - I used to use Netscape all the time when I was on Mac OS9; when I upgraded to OS X (Tiger) I started using Safari, but found it really slow to load or refresh pages. So I downloaded FireFox and that's much faster on my machine.

Mind you, unlike some here I'm not a particular fan of tabbed browsing and prefer opening in a new window. Now with a single-button Mac mouse, in Netscape a continuous press of the button acted like a right-click with a PC mouse, i.e. a menu popped up in which you could select the "new window" option. FireFox 1.5 did this as well, but version 2 doesn't, which is irritating. If you option-click in Safari it opens a page in a new window, but in FireFox 2 the same action opens a new tab. Not the end of the world but I might go back to FireFox 1.5.12 if I get too fed up with it.

[601210]

Originally Posted by eryque

Firefox is just as capable of downloading a virus for you as IE or anything else. In fact, IE seems to have pop up blockers that are just as effective as well.

I beg to disagree. The way IE works, you can get viruses by updating your Windows manually.

[benbo]

I like and use Firefox. I got the tip from our Admin here Paul. I was having crazy problems with IE, started using firefox and smooth sailing.....

[Jorge]

Im a macuser and I just can't get mozilla to work properly, I always have to have safari running as a backup, on the otherside there is alot of things that safari can't do that firefox can, its a though case.

I can't open my hotmail with safari.. what the hell?

[Rhubarb Red]

I used FF and TB since its first release to the public, and I never looked back.

I keep IE because FF cannot do uploads, unless one uses FileZilla or something.

The other reason for keeping IE is that I can see how the pages show up in either FF or IE. I do some VERY basic webdesign, using MS FrontPage (ouch!)....

On my wife's rig we have the newest IE and it sports tabbed browsing too, but IMHO FF is way better, faster and much safer than IE.

The only reason I still have Windows (XP, I don't trust Vista) as an OS is that I'm doing some flightsimulations from time to time.. Next rig (in 1 or 2 years) will have Linux..

Cheers!

[Tony474]

Originally Posted by Jorge

Im a macuser and I just can't get mozilla to work properly, I always have to have safari running as a backup, on the otherside there is alot of things that safari can't do that firefox can, its a though case.

I can't open my hotmail with safari.. what the hell?

Early versions of FireFox 2 caused some problems on the Mac, but the current update (2.0.0.11) seems OK. You may also be able to find and download the legacy version 1.5.0.12, which also worked fine and which in some ways I preferred.