Firefox Web Browser?
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Anyone using it? I was thinking of downloading it. What are some of the pros and cons some of you have noticed. Does it interfer with any Windows programs, ie: Media player or any of the windows updates? Not sure if I should download it or just stick with Explorer.
You thoughts,
You thoughts,
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From: Ashland, KY
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very rarely do i find a page that won't work with firefox in such a case i just switch back to ie, but we are talking like 1 time a month.
the advantages are better security, faster, tabbed browsing.
i'd say go for it. fing02.gif
the advantages are better security, faster, tabbed browsing.
i'd say go for it. fing02.gif
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Michigan
I live and swear by FireFox, and will use no other browser (except Safari on occasion).
As a web developer/designer, I spend a lot of time working with sites and inter-browser compatibility (that's my main purpose working for michigan.gov), and can assure you the FireFox is the best there is.
FireFox displays html and especially modern CSS the way it is meant to, defined by the W3C. Internet Explorer on the other hand does not, and here is why.
Internet Explorer supports only very basic 1st gen. CSS, which is very old. Instead of adapting to the new versions of CSS and the W3C standards, the developers of IE spent their time developing custom IE-specif 'work-arounds' of getting things to appear as they would in a standards-compliant browser.
This causes HUGE problems for web designers because the standard CSS/HTML that works in compliant browsers often does not work in IE because IE does not adapt to the standards but tries to invent its own. In the past, site designers would make a site to work in compliant browsers, and then add special IE-specific hacks to make it look close to normal in Internet Explorer.
But because the developers of Internet Explorer does not care about internet standards and the W3C, the internet and the W3C stopped caring about Internet Explorer, and many developers no longer include IE specifc hacks. No one has time to create non-standard code for 1 browser that doesn't want to support the standards.
So in comes FireFox. 100% standards compliant, displays sites as they are meant to be displayed, and most of all, it's open source AND platform-independent. So if you are a programming guru, you can create your own flavor of firefox tailored to your liking, and that also means its FREE (in cost and philosophy). It's not operating-system specifc like IE (ok, there's IE for Mac, but it's ancient and no one uses it), so you can use FireFox on Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, any other flavor of Unix - a whole myriad of operating systems.
FireFox is also A LOT more secure than IE. IE allows sites to install software and run nasty scripts that install background aps and spyware/adware/viruses. FireFox does not allow sites to do this, and blocks every bit of pop-ups, so you NEVER have to worry about garbage with firefox.
On top of that, since FireFox is open source and developed by a large community, new developments are made very frequently, and new upgrades and versions come out as soon as theyre needed. FireFox just reminded me a new version was out today, and I upgraded easy as pie.
I can't remember the last time there was a new version of IE. It's old, unstable, insecure, and doesn't support web standards. There is absolutely NO reason to use IE. Even if it's all you've got, it's only suitable purpose is to download FireFox, and never use IE again.
Plus FF has way more cool features, such as tabs (which I LOVE) no need to have tons of windows to browse tons of sites...a SWEET search feature, and tons and tons of user-created modules that you can install. For example, you can install a firefox module that inserts bbcode for posting on forums right from your browser! Pretty sweet. You can also download and make themes for FireFox to make it look and act however you want.
FireFox rules my man - get it, and you'll never go back fing02.gif
(edit: I can also show you guys a mod you can do to make FireFox like SUPER fast, by increasing the max number of connections it makes, thus increasing the amount it's able to D/L at once - SWEET if you have broadband)
As a web developer/designer, I spend a lot of time working with sites and inter-browser compatibility (that's my main purpose working for michigan.gov), and can assure you the FireFox is the best there is.
FireFox displays html and especially modern CSS the way it is meant to, defined by the W3C. Internet Explorer on the other hand does not, and here is why.
Internet Explorer supports only very basic 1st gen. CSS, which is very old. Instead of adapting to the new versions of CSS and the W3C standards, the developers of IE spent their time developing custom IE-specif 'work-arounds' of getting things to appear as they would in a standards-compliant browser.
This causes HUGE problems for web designers because the standard CSS/HTML that works in compliant browsers often does not work in IE because IE does not adapt to the standards but tries to invent its own. In the past, site designers would make a site to work in compliant browsers, and then add special IE-specific hacks to make it look close to normal in Internet Explorer.
But because the developers of Internet Explorer does not care about internet standards and the W3C, the internet and the W3C stopped caring about Internet Explorer, and many developers no longer include IE specifc hacks. No one has time to create non-standard code for 1 browser that doesn't want to support the standards.
So in comes FireFox. 100% standards compliant, displays sites as they are meant to be displayed, and most of all, it's open source AND platform-independent. So if you are a programming guru, you can create your own flavor of firefox tailored to your liking, and that also means its FREE (in cost and philosophy). It's not operating-system specifc like IE (ok, there's IE for Mac, but it's ancient and no one uses it), so you can use FireFox on Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, any other flavor of Unix - a whole myriad of operating systems.
FireFox is also A LOT more secure than IE. IE allows sites to install software and run nasty scripts that install background aps and spyware/adware/viruses. FireFox does not allow sites to do this, and blocks every bit of pop-ups, so you NEVER have to worry about garbage with firefox.
On top of that, since FireFox is open source and developed by a large community, new developments are made very frequently, and new upgrades and versions come out as soon as theyre needed. FireFox just reminded me a new version was out today, and I upgraded easy as pie.
I can't remember the last time there was a new version of IE. It's old, unstable, insecure, and doesn't support web standards. There is absolutely NO reason to use IE. Even if it's all you've got, it's only suitable purpose is to download FireFox, and never use IE again.
Plus FF has way more cool features, such as tabs (which I LOVE) no need to have tons of windows to browse tons of sites...a SWEET search feature, and tons and tons of user-created modules that you can install. For example, you can install a firefox module that inserts bbcode for posting on forums right from your browser! Pretty sweet. You can also download and make themes for FireFox to make it look and act however you want.
FireFox rules my man - get it, and you'll never go back fing02.gif
(edit: I can also show you guys a mod you can do to make FireFox like SUPER fast, by increasing the max number of connections it makes, thus increasing the amount it's able to D/L at once - SWEET if you have broadband)
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Seattle, WA
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ive been using firefox forever. i started with mozilla, then went to firefox.
love the tabbing man...so easy to use.
you'll start to hate ie.
the only bad thing i can say about firefox is that i cant go through multiple windows as fast as i.e.
for intsance, say i have 14 tabs (windows)
with ie, i would just hit alt+tab to see which window i needed to go to and its a quicker way than going to your mouse. anyway, because i use multiple windows ie made it much easier to use, but firefox is a great webrowser.
love the tabbing man...so easy to use.
you'll start to hate ie.
the only bad thing i can say about firefox is that i cant go through multiple windows as fast as i.e.
for intsance, say i have 14 tabs (windows)
with ie, i would just hit alt+tab to see which window i needed to go to and its a quicker way than going to your mouse. anyway, because i use multiple windows ie made it much easier to use, but firefox is a great webrowser.
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Vehicle: 1992 Honda Accord EX
QUOTE (Joshuwa @ Sep 1 2005, 08:51 PM)
(edit: I can also show you guys a mod you can do to make FireFox like SUPER fast, by increasing the max number of connections it makes, thus increasing the amount it's able to D/L at once - SWEET if you have broadband)
Do tell.
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 818
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From: Michigan
QUOTE (iQfOreVa @ Sep 1 2005, 07:52 PM)
ive been using firefox forever. i started with mozilla, then went to firefox.
love the tabbing man...so easy to use.
you'll start to hate ie.
the only bad thing i can say about firefox is that i cant go through multiple windows as fast as i.e.
for intsance, say i have 14 tabs (windows)
with ie, i would just hit alt+tab to see which window i needed to go to and its a quicker way than going to your mouse. anyway, because i use multiple windows ie made it much easier to use, but firefox is a great webrowser.
love the tabbing man...so easy to use.
you'll start to hate ie.
the only bad thing i can say about firefox is that i cant go through multiple windows as fast as i.e.
for intsance, say i have 14 tabs (windows)
with ie, i would just hit alt+tab to see which window i needed to go to and its a quicker way than going to your mouse. anyway, because i use multiple windows ie made it much easier to use, but firefox is a great webrowser.
To quickly switch thru tabs in FF, just use CTRL+Tab instead of ALT+Tab.
You can also press CTRL+N to open a new window, and fill that with as many tabs as you want as well. Then ALT+Tab will switch between those windows as usual.
