Swimmer Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 The party's over. In the past year, the little browser that could, Firefox, became the people's hero, an underdog warrior that took a huge swipe at its enemy, Internet Explorer. IE dipped below 90 percent market share for the first time in years, while Firefox lured users like the Pied Piper, blowing past its own fundraising goals and reigniting the browser wars. Meanwhile, the bad news continued to mount for Microsoft. An IE exploit put even Windows XP SP2 users at risk from phishing schemes, even as Microsoft touted SP2 as the most secure version of Windows yet. Worse, major security companies and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team began to recommend that computer users dump IE for something more secure (read: Firefox). By early this year, Netscape was emboldened to reenter the fray, announcing in January that it would release a new version of the Netscape browser, designed specifically to resist phishing schemes--something even Firefox lacks. Then, Opera said it would offer free licenses to universities, in order to make sure it would still be relevant in the new world browser order. And through it all, what was the response from Microsoft? Silence. For a moment there, it looked like the tyrant IE could actually be overthrown. Those were heady days, weren't they? Well, they're over now. Papa Bill just dropped the hammer. Bill Gates announced this week, at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco (of all places), that Microsoft will release an updated version of IE, Internet Explorer 7, without waiting for the next version of Windows. Gates says the unexpected release is designed to address the perception that IE itself is a massive security risk. What he didn't say, but you know he was thinking it, is that IE 7 will easily put a stop to this upstart browser rebellion. Don't believe me? You should. Firefox is great, I use it. But it's a chore sometimes, what with most sites using that pesky nonstandard IE code. Not everything renders properly, and some sites just plain don't work--I have to load up IE to use them. Plus, let's be honest--Firefox has its flaws. Why is there no way to check for updates from within the browser, for one thing? Why does it take so doggone long to launch? Why, why must it crash every single time I open a PDF? I mean, every single time. Opera, fine, whatever, I'm not paying for a browser, and for some reason, although I've tried it several times, it's just never captured me. It's too clunky, and I was raised on IE. I don't want to learn something completely new. IE, on the other hand, is like the sweeping tide--it's just easier not to fight it. If IE 7 is even 50 percent more secure than current versions, the Firefox rebellion is finished. If IE 7 has tabs, Firefox will be destroyed as surely as the Hungarian uprising of 1956 was crushed by the Soviets. I use the analogy deliberately, too--no one expected Microsoft to issue a major update to IE before Longhorn came out, but those months of silence (and, no doubt, frantic development) look awfully ominous now. It was bad when Microsoft seemed to ignore Firefox, treating it like a harmless upstart not worthy of comment or attack. But now that the sleeping giant has awakened, I think the buzzing gnat of the browser wars is about to be squashed flat. What do you think? Source: http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5666404-1.html?tag=cnetfd.sd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just- Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 yeah IE with tabs will be a very very big advantage but i still dont know i like ff security in ff u dont get anywhere near as many popus and stuff installed on ur machine i know i can disable every thing in ie, but its just not practical if they want to win me and i think many more people they need to make it more easy to activate and disable java and other things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakop92 Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 I heard that microsoft will be able to delete files off your hardrive with longhorn. For that reason im sticking away from anything "new" from microsoft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xs1 Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 Once IE-7 comes out i say bye bye to firefox ( thats if its as good at stopping poppups as mozilla, that is. As well as wont be hijacked like damn IE is.. MY current IE is hijacked ...well was ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmer Posted February 18, 2005 Author CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 I am not sure what I am going to.. I like the tabs of FF but if IE has them then maybe a change will be needed.. We will just need to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamafamily Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 What about the Open source wildcard that FF has?? I use about 6 of those nice little cool extensions in my daily routines and I dont know what I would do w/o them... Sometimes I like sticking up for the little guy just because he harasses Gates and keeps him in check.. In this case, I just like the better product.... Bama ps..I dont get those PDF crashes like you mentioned Swimmer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xs1 Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 Im not completely sure, so dont quote me on this but IE has never been OS, and i doubt they'll start now if thats the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest helloimtim Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 Even though I am Not a fan of firefox I dont think tabs in ie 7 will kill ff. I believe there are to many features in ff and other open source for people to stop using it. Maxthon which I use "No its not a skin for ie" has some really cool features I will keep using. I think this will push the open source to make it even better. Any thing associated with microsoft will cost money. WIth open source most of what people want such as skins and such are always gonna be free. Just my 2 cents......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingzero2309 Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 ahhhhhhh we are forgetting one of firefox's best features--SKINS!!!! And also, the huge library of 'extensions' even if IE7 is better, im still gonna keep a copy of moz installed (to use for those...eh...sites where u get those numbers from if you eh....'forgot'....your own...u know wat i mean...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGMAN Posted February 18, 2005 CID Share Posted February 18, 2005 I stay away from new browswers. I find my virus scan doesnt work as well with others. ( I have mcafee). and havent had any troubles with ie. So ill wait and see what i.e7 has to offer. Oh and by da way you know where Bill Gates got ie from? It was bundled with about 50 other programs on a floppy disk, you know little programs that they couldn't sell. ie was there just nobody knew what to do with it but Gates did. And as they say the rest is history. Once he bought the rights to ie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmer Posted February 19, 2005 Author CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 You have a source on that?? that would be great if you did. .go figure something that wouldnt sell so he buys the code and copyright.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGMAN Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 READ IT IN A MAGAZINE ( NOT THE CHECKOUT RAGS). THINK IT WAS PEOPLE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICROWAVE Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 Im not completely sure, so dont quote me on this but IE has never been OS, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGMAN Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 and the rest as they say is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICROWAVE Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGMAN Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 NOBODY SAW GATES COMING AND YES THERES 2 SIDES TO EVERY STORY AND WELL NEVER FULLY KNOW THE TRUTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indestructable Posted February 19, 2005 CID Share Posted February 19, 2005 hahaha...anyone else notice that whenever FF and IE are mentioned in the same topic, there is always a fight over it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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