So who thinks Firefox sucks? Post opinions here.

[shobet]

Almost all companies assume the customer is an idiot (because it's generally true). Apple is much worse about it than MS though - try updating hardware on your Mac or changing the battery on your iPod or doing anything relatively complicated or "dangerous" on OS X.

Not entirely true there old boy, try sudo rm -rf / on your mac an see how well it is after that!

[Drake S.]

So far after a few months I love FireFox & I've had less problems with add ons/spyware & pop ups, & just problems in genral. I almost don't have to use my antivirus, & spy ware any more.

[shobet]

It does have it's bugs as do all software. It sometimes locks up on me if I open more than one tab and if the first tab is to a slooooooow server, then the whole lot lock up until that first tab loads. A bit of a show-stopper that one and enough to make me consider changing browser.

[Sunbane]

Firefox all the way.

I used to use Opera, but it was just too unstable back then, and I kept going back to IE. Opera may have gotten better since then, but currently I have no reason to switch from Firefox. Seamonkey reminds me too much of Netscape, which I used to loathe. Firefox is super stable, and runs fine on my system (which is five years old).

[UFORocks]

Eh, I have IE7 and FireFox running concurrently right now and both with the same exact 7 web pages open in tabs: IE is using 26MB more of my memory than FF, but I have 2GB of memory in my box, so does 26MB really matter....?

Personally I like both IE7 and FF-2, but until IE7 was released I used FF exclusively.

To Big D: MS does have a monopoly in the market with the combination of OS, Office software, and the integrated browser, and now the integrated search. MS products have been dominant in the market since the release of windows '95, and 13 years is a LONG time in terms of technology. MAC and Linux are both growing pretty rapidly in the market, and when viable alternatives to MS products become available I'll probably switch if for no other reason than trying something different.

For the heck of it: For the average consumer the difference of 30mb of memory usage, fractions of wattage, 60fps vs 62fps in their favorite game, etc. doesn't really matter. The average person wants a secure computer that's easy to operate that they can use to surf the web, watch videos, read email, and write documents.

The average user measures computer performance the same way they measure the performance of their car, the infamous "Butt Dyno", does it feel faster yes or no? And they measure quality based on how smooth it runs and many rattles and squeaks they hear when driving it, "does it sound like three bolts bouncing around a coffee can, and do I need to take it to the shop every week for repair"?

Using a Mac really makes the user feel like they're driving the Mercedes of computers compared to the Ford of computers. It purrs like a kitten, drives like silk, and they never have to pop the hood.

I'll probably own a MAC myself within the year.

Of course this is all my personal opinion.
-Steve

[hippietim]

From the web page above:


That's your problem right there. Many components of windows are designed to "sabotage" the use of any non-microsoft software, especially web browsers -and- any stuff that wasn't compiled and linked using their compilers (so-called "visual studio") Lots of internal system calls used by MS software aren't even documented and kept secret, giving MS an unfair advantage when it comes to "optimizing" software for.... well, the only platform they support. It's been this way since the win95 days, and hasn't changed very much afaik.

I don't often jump in to these threads but as someone that has some *actual* experience in this I can tell you that you couldn't possibly be more wrong.

Based on your words you also don't understand anything about compiler or OS technology because you don't make any sense.

As for the only platform that Microsoft supports, what are you talking about? Microsoft has for years made the #1 Mac software (before Windows in fact) - Office 2008 for the Mac is being released any day now (if it hasn't already) . Are you suggesting that Microsoft should write software for Sun platforms? BSD? Linux? Other?

[hippietim]

Safari on a MAC . Im done with Winblows crap. Never again. I wasted so much time and money fighting spyware and never could stop it.

Ok, I get why people hate anything Microsoft.

But Safari is really bad.

Safari is the least stable browser I've used in years (since like Netscape 3). It crashes all the time on my iPhone. My Mac friends complain about it all the time as well. I would way rather use Opera than Safari - it's really good on all platforms.

[Spaceace]

I am no computer guru but I can say I have never ever had a problem with Safari.In fact I prefer pretty much every aspect of the Mac.

[442w30]

I prefer firefox, though it's because I got used to tabbed browsing and weaterh/rss plugins before MS had them in IE7 and vista.

FF has the same look and feel on all OSes.

I use IE7 and FFwhen I share PCs with people - all the links, proxy settings, security settings, favorites, plugins in Firefox and they keep their stuff in IE7.
Could use different windows user profiles, but it's just easier not even switching users, just popping up another browser.

I am used to the firefox locations and shortcuts, but installing all the adobe flash, shockwave, and other must-have plugins is easier/more reliable in IE7, and I don't get bugs or quirks in viewing websites as oftern in IE7 as FF.

MS is a lot better about playing with others than in the past, be it by design or on purpose.
I don't work for them, but I'd guess that it's a lot easier to get to market and make your stuff work on your OS than it is to ensure that your competition is going to work ok. They've done a lot to listen to customers, work on security, and integrate things. This isn't like running IE3 or 4.01.

I'd say firefox far from sucks, I don't notice any memory problems or horrifying faults.

Are there any reasons not to use IE7 aside from real or imagined philisophical reasons?: Not that I can see.

I would want IE7 as a backup even if FF was my only browser, but not the other way around. That says something.

[åron]

I don't often jump in to these threads but as someone that has some *actual* experience in this I can tell you that you couldn't possibly be more wrong.

Based on your words you also don't understand anything about compiler or OS technology because you don't make any sense.

As for the only platform that Microsoft supports, what are you talking about? Microsoft has for years made the #1 Mac software (before Windows in fact) - Office 2008 for the Mac is being released any day now (if it hasn't already) . Are you suggesting that Microsoft should write software for Sun platforms? BSD? Linux? Other?

He's right about Microsoft historically protecting the details of much of their core OS technology, utilizing it in their own products and sharing with their favored developers.

I like Firefox for use with Tor and other plugins, but Safari has been fairly solid in my time with Macs. As for PC's.... I own them, I love them and I prefer too avoid the internet pitfalls at all costs so they continue to run my audio software as perfectly as possible. You just can't beat an optimized PC for bucks to bits. Maybe it's just years of being screwed by IE breaches and perhaps circumstances have changed, but I run Firefox.

[hippietim]

He's right about Microsoft historically protecting the details of much of their core OS technology, utilizing it in their own products and sharing with their favored developers.

That is simply not true. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[Bert]

That is simply not true. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Tim, there is a prevailing view in the software industry (outside MS) that this is (or was anyway) true. And it's not difficult to turn up some relevant info, for example:

http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/Supp_Rpt_Andrew_Schulman.pdf

[rjohnstone]

Some people here actually remember what Tim does for a living.

[Spivonious]

Some people here actually remember what Tim does for a living.

+1000

What's hidden here? http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa383750.aspx

[JacksonDean]

I didn't read all the posts, so forgive me if I'm repeating something that's been said already:

All browsers chew up RAM if you keep them open. I've watched all of them chew through system resources (especially the multitab browsers like Firefox, IE7, Opera). Solution? Close it when you're not using it.

The Firefox download is pretty small, under 6MB. It doesn't come with a bunch of plug-ins, so you have to spend a little more time configuring it. If that's something you don't want to spend the time doing, that's your call (I personally don't mind). The IE7 download is just under 15MB, and I've had the installation fail several times on my work PC. So, it's a toss up.

The only thing I dislike, and I'm sure there's a plug-in for it that I haven't yet found, is that when I want to download/install something (Adobe Acrobat for instance), Firefox doesn't have the .msi feature.

Otherwise, Firefox has typically given me much better performance than IE. I've almost always used some other browser than IE.