Still on IE?
posted at 11:15 am on December 17, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
For those still on Microsoft Internet Explorer, perhaps now would be a good time to consider other options. Hackers have found a hole in IE’s security that stretches through versions 5 through 8 beta, and experts have a fix — find another browser:
Users of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer are being urged by experts to switch to a rival until a serious security flaw has been fixed.
The flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer could allow criminals to take control of people’s computers and steal their passwords, internet experts say. …
Microsoft says it has detected attacks against IE 7.0 but said the “underlying vulnerability” was present in all versions of the browser.
Other browsers, such as Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Safari, are not vulnerable to the flaw Microsoft has identified.
Microsoft says it will have an emergency patch ready quickly to end the exploit of its system. They disagreed with recommendations to stop using the browser, saying — I’m not making this up — “I cannot recommend people switch due to this one flaw,” said John Curran, head of Microsoft UK’s Windows group. One flaw? That’s a might big singularity, and the fact that it doesn’t occur on other browsers and that it does on several versions of IE reflects poorly on Microsoft’s programmers and researchers.
I stopped using IE a few months ago. It’s easier for me to use two different browsers, one for web surfing and the other for blog management tools. I prefer Firefox for the latter, but used to use IE for surfing until I became so frustrated with its bugs and hangs that I just couldn’t stand using it. I flirted with Safari, which also was a bit buggy but not bad. Later, I settled on Opera and have had no problems at all with its operation. It’s now my default browser.
After this, I suspect that more people will find their way to alternate browsers. They’ll be pleasantly surprised, and Microsoft may not get them back.
Update: On the other hand, Bit9 has named Firefox the most vulnerable Windows application. IE doesn’t even get a mention.
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If you use Firefox, just make sure you have plenty of RAM. I suggest two gigs or more, as Firefox’s memory leak can easily cause it to suck up to a gigabyte of memory on its own.
MadisonConservative on December 17, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Firefox 3. Soooo much better.
John on December 17, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Safari here.
Ian on December 17, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Throw something at Bill Gates (where’s my shoe…).
ricer1 on December 17, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Firefox, baby!
Jim-Rose on December 17, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I’ve been using Chrome for about a month now, and love it. Those godless commies at Google might be taking over the Interwebs, but at least they’re doing it by providing high quality products for free.
Spc Steve on December 17, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Chrome works nicely for me.
Kid from Brooklyn on December 17, 2008 at 11:23 AM
I didn’t know Microsoft was still in the browser business. Firefox all da way!
Charles Martel on December 17, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Google Chrome rules.
Firebird on December 17, 2008 at 11:24 AM
In memory of the company Bill Gates & Co. killed off with their bundling of IE with Windows 95-Second Edition, here’s the download archive for Netscape Navigator — AOL eventually bought it out, screwed it up and shut down any further releases in March of this year, but the final release version (based on Firefox) is still safer than Internet Explorer right now.
jon1979 on December 17, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Firefox– for years.
Anyone know how to get god&^%$! Vista to copy and paste onto a blank word processing doc???? I’m not alone with that “little” problem, but I’ve given up.
JiangxiDad on December 17, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Been using Firefox since version 0.87. Haven’t looked back since.
The very FIRST thing I do with a new Windows machine is load up Firefox and all my favorite extensions. Adblock Plus being the first of those. You have NO IDEA how nice the Internet can be until you surf it ad-free!
Yes, I realize that this takes revenue away from some sites. I don’t care. I don’t want ads in my face, and if I can block them , I will. Sites need to be more creative with revenue generation than stuffing annoying and intrusive ads all over the place. I, for one, won’t be seeing the ads.
Thank you Firefox! :)
wearyman on December 17, 2008 at 11:24 AM
as a novice, explain to me how to load. Do I need to
remove I.E in some way? What happens to my e-mail with comcast.net? Will comcast run on firefox?
gary on December 17, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Help the technologically challenged!! Will work for a link to a place where I can change! Thank you
Ann on December 17, 2008 at 11:27 AM
For some reason the IE I have doesn’t work well. It freezes up, etc. I concur with the above posters that Firefox should be people’s default browser. I found Chrome to be too simple and I just don’t like its feel. Also, I don’t know if anyone else uses Opera, but I really like that Browser. It works well; saves previous pages like Firefox; and I had no technical difficulties so far.
IR-MN on December 17, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Link to Firefox.
download it. Install it. It will walk you through importing your favorites, etc from IE. Comcast, or any other web site will work fine.
BacaDog on December 17, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I’ve never liked IE so I used Netscape from the get go.
When it died, I switched to FireFox and could not be happier.
Kini on December 17, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Comcast is just an ISP. an Internet Service Provider. A connection. There isn’t anything to “run on”. Think of it this way: Your ISP is like a road. An On-Ramp to the “Information Superhighway”. A browser is like a car. You can use the “IE-Mobile” or you can use the “Firefox Coupe” or the “Safari SUV” or the “Opera Cycle” or whatever. It doesn’t matter which browser you use, just as it doesn’t matter what kind of motor-vehicle you own. Either way, you can use the “road”.
So Yes, Firefox will work over a Comcast connection as well as it will over anything else.
wearyman on December 17, 2008 at 11:31 AM
I’ll stick with NCSA’s Mosaic, thank-you.
stonemeister on December 17, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Go to http://www.apple.com and download the PC version of Safari. Better yet, buy a MAC. I guarantee you will love it.
Tommy_G on December 17, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Microsoft would fix the problem permanently by unbundled IE from their OS. It’s embedded which makes it vulnerable.
Kini on December 17, 2008 at 11:33 AM
GET A MAC
Kini on December 17, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Madison, FWIW I’ve been using Firefox on a donated flaptop with 512M of RAM for several months, all day every day, with no problems so far.
warbaby on December 17, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Where’s the “Obligatory Dump on Micros~1″ warning or the “Sky is Falling” imagery?
Gee, do you think Firefox or Opera or whatever browsers might have security bugs unique to them? Anyone who doesn’t, and frankly, anyone who attempts to lead others to that conclusion are kidding themselves, at best.
What’s my default browser? Firefox (Fx) but that doesn’t mean that I get white knuckles every time I decide to spin up IE. I prefer Fx because of its adherence to standards and advanced function. If IE surpasses them on that, I’d switch over without hesitation.
btw, in all the years I’ve been on Windows, I’ve never once been infected with a virus. I practive safe computing.
Sailfish on December 17, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Oh, and here’s a few links for those that need them.
FIREFOX
OPERA
SAFARI
wearyman on December 17, 2008 at 11:35 AM
I read where Netscape is being phased out. Too bad, it had some nice diagnostic tools for javascript. While earlier releases are available, they stopped supporting it this year. It’s been replaced by a browser very similar to Firefox called “Flock.”
Never liked IE anyway. It’s not “standards compliant,” and you have to create a different css file to make your site look the same as with other browsers. My browser of choice (both Mac and PC) is Firefox.
manwithblackhat on December 17, 2008 at 11:36 AM
lessee, hundreds of millions of users use ie, and flaws crop up from time to time.
tens of hundreds of user use the other browsers and flaws don’t crop up.
Obviously the other browsers are much safer.
How stupid can you get.
notagool on December 17, 2008 at 11:36 AM
No. Just stop using it…after going here and downloading Firefox.
When asked if you want to use Firefox as your DEFAULT BROWSER, check that box. Never look back.
Incidentally, for gamers and other uber-geeks, there are versions of Windows that come with IE, Outlook Express, etc stripped away.
The Race Card on December 17, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Firefox is definitely the way to go. Because of work I have to keep IE on my system but I would blast it off if I could.
saltydogg14 on December 17, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Firefox 3.
************************************
Drunk Report on December 17, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Opera is great but can only run an old version of Flash.
Valiant on December 17, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Firefox had an issue very similar to this months ago and was quickly fixed, just as quick as Microsoft is responding to this newly-exploited flaw in IE.
I have a love-hate deal with Firefox, especially 3.x. Depending on what add-ons you have installed, it sometimes doesn’t terminate its own process when you quit the browser. There have been times where I peek in Task Manager and find firefox.exe sucking all my CPU and around 200mb of RAM.
cfsirl on December 17, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Well, I can’t say we haven’t been warned. Repeatedly. For the past decade or so.
Count to 10 on December 17, 2008 at 11:42 AM
You folks act like little children.
Why the hate for Microsoft?
BTW, I use several browsers, but I am agnostic. I could care less.
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 11:42 AM
How arrogant can you get. Most people don’t use IE out of stupidity. They do so because they are unaware of the problems or of their options. Ignorance is a human condition.
Either you’re not human and are omniscient or you’re just a dick.
The Race Card on December 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
There are many reasons for a browser’s vulnerabilities. With IE, there has been a long-running problem with its basic codebase, kinda like its DNA, the fundamental code that makes IE, IE. Firefox was developed by the folks (or folks who learned from the folks) who developed the original browser at NCSA, Mosaic (hence my ‘joke’ in a previous post).
I’d say they know how to code a browser, since they set the standard.
stonemeister on December 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Not sure what the issue might be but I just fired up Joe Cartoon in Opera and Flash 10 was the player running. You might want to download the Flash Player uninstaller (from Adobe) and then install it manually.
cfsirl on December 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
MS hate is like our opportunity to act like a moonbat.
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Pardon my while I guffaw *GAFFAW*
- The Cat
P.S. Reporting on Firefox flaws is = to reporting on Obama flaws.
P.P.S. I use Firefox too I must admit. I’m just saying that while IE is the most common it is the most hacked. Mozilla (Firefox and others use this engine) is open source, meaning that anyone can look at the code whereas IE they can not. It’s all just a matter of time. This is technology. Always moving to the next up and coming thing.
MirCat on December 17, 2008 at 11:43 AM
.
Great tip.
Mark30339 on December 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Microsoft will fix the hole but they will introduce three new ones.
I despise Microsoft with the intensity of a thousand suns.
Microsoft has never been the slightest bit concerned for your security, security has alway been an after-though in Microsoft products. My advice…. NEVER USE A MICROSOFT PRODUCT IF YOU HAVE ANY POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE.
Maxx on December 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Why? Macs used to be quicker, but not anymore. The OS’s are about the same and just as clugy when dealing with more complex issues, and the Macs with their proprietary HW makes them more expensive to buy and repair.
Custom build a PC (never do store bought) and just get the stuff you need. Also get the warranty and service – especially if you’ve got a laptop.
pt on December 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I have used Firefox for almost 2 years now, since one of the ITs that taught the microcomputer class at my last command in the Navy told us to use it instead of IE. I still have to use IE every now and then to download certain software as they say use IE 5 or above and won’t work with Firefox.
Gary, go to the Mozilla website and they will have the download for Firefox. Download it and then follow the instructions. You will setup your default web page just like in IE and when you click on the Firefox icon on your desktop it will go to your default webpage which should be your comcast website. I have used it with Cox and AT&T with no problems. The only thing is sometimes certain providers like my current AT&T will not let you use their bundled security services with Firefox yet.
ic1redeye on December 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Then you’re one of the lucky ones. “Firefox Memory Leak” doesn’t bring up nearly a million hits for nothing. I still like it better than Opera due to the sheer availability of plugins, but good lord, my browser should not take up 400MB-800MB of memory after a couple of hours.
MadisonConservative on December 17, 2008 at 11:45 AM
One of the great things about Firefox is the spell check that appears when commenting on websites.
snaggletoothie on December 17, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Firefox for many years now. No problems and always new stuff to try out. Why is it that the company that always had the most resources (Microsoft) consistently, amazingly produced the worst products. The only decent programs they ever sold after Windows 3 were those that they just bought out. Then they always proceeded to screw them up too. Yet they were monstrously successful all along. We consumers dropped the ball on this for years. We should have supported IBM or Sun or Apple more. Apple could have taken over if they just were competitive price wise. Apple machines were always twice as much when I was deciding to buy the roughly 100 computers I have purchased over the years. I still want an Apple but don’t have one, sheese I’m dense.
bagoh20 on December 17, 2008 at 11:45 AM
And while you are running another browser, contemplate running a different operating system than the Microsoft junk. Linux is a great alternative that is much more secure. And Linux is free! You can now try out the Linux OS now as a Microsoft Windows program:
http://wubi-installer.org/
thuja on December 17, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Wow! That would have made some sense in the ’80s, when you could save a few hundred assembling your own. Nowadays, you’d be lucky to save $10, after spending a week (or more) shopping the parts and putting it all together. It kinda speaks to the value you place on your time.
stonemeister on December 17, 2008 at 11:47 AM
I switched to Firefox a couple of months ago and have never looked back. MUCH better!
Repubtallygirl on December 17, 2008 at 11:47 AM
“How arrogant can you get. Most people don’t use IE out of stupidity. They do so because they are unaware of the problems or of their options. Ignorance is a human condition.”
They all have problems, fool.
You just hear about the Microsoft problems because the number of users is hundreds of times, sometimes thousands of time greater than the other products. Same story with Apple.
There is no perfect software.
notagool on December 17, 2008 at 11:48 AM
And that will only happen in our dreams.
snaggletoothie on December 17, 2008 at 11:49 AM
You microsoft lusers are so funny.
If you’re not using lynx then you’re a total homo.
Real men telnet to port 80 and parse the HTML by eye ;)
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 11:49 AM
its like a religion for some people. they’ve got long beards, sitting around with their linux box.
Borland used to make great language compilers…turbo C++, etc…where are they now?
these anti-microsoft wackos just need to be assimilated…its useless to resist….
right4life on December 17, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Why would you buy a MAC when you could have an Ubuntu PC?
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 11:50 AM
My Firefox has memory leaks in it as well, but I will admit that it has been better since I loaded their latest SW patch. Don’t know if it would be better on a 64bit machine; and I’m still holding out on installing Vista.
pt on December 17, 2008 at 11:51 AM
I’ve been using Firefox for a long time now, and only use IE at work for applications that won’t run on Firefox (company proprietary stuff). IE isn’t even installed on my home computer. Between Vista and IE, Microsoft has really been putting out some real crap as of late.
simkeith on December 17, 2008 at 11:51 AM
I’ve been using Opera for a looong time. Have recently added Firefox, which does Google maps and over-Javascripted web pages better. It also handles IE directed web pages better. It’s like a station wagon with automatic shift.
Opera is an old stickshift 911. Speed. Lots of keyboard shortcuts. Just bring up 5 or more tabe, load one, hit “2″ to move to the next, begin downloading it, hit “2″ again, etc., , and by the time you get back to the first, it should have completely loaded. And the email client works well enough.
Blagden Alley on December 17, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Notepad for me! My real name must be Moore Manly.
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 11:52 AM
“My Firefox has memory leaks”
Shocking. I’ve been led to believe that all non-Microsoft software is perfect.
Dozens of geniuses on this site have told me.
notagool on December 17, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Chrome has worked well for me. I did shut off the spy features.
phronesis on December 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM
I use FF3 and Opera. Ed has good taste.
Coronagold on December 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM
I didn’t know Mr. T was giving software critiques….
The size of the install base makes the impact of any flaw a really newsworthy concern. There are also far more flaws being exploited on MS platforms.
Depends on your definition of “perfect”. If you mean “bug free” then yes there is perfect software, but it’s expensive to make. If you mean “perfection” with respect to features, that’s an entirely subjective and arguably unattainable goal.
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Real men make their own browser out of Fortran code. Never had a bug. Har.
/
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Actually, for those of you who are lamenting the demise of Netscape Navigator, there is Sea Monkey, based on the same engine as Firefox/Mozilla, but with the most of the all-in-one features of Netscape Navigator. Here is the link:
http://www.seamonkey-project.org
tballard on December 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
BS.
I can shop for all the parts I need for a new PC inside ten minutes, have it shipped to me next-day delivery and put it together AND have an OS up and running on it in less than 3 hours. Total time: less than 48 hours.
Vs.
Go to Dell/HP/Lenovo/whatever website, slog through various kludgy menus with very restricted hardware and software choices, NOT be able to get EXACTLY what I want, wait 2-3 WEEKS for it to be built and shipped, and STILL have to re-load the OS once I have it to remove all the crapware that it comes with. That’s assuming that I didn’t pay EXTRA to have the crapware not installed in the first place.
No, it has always been, and will ALWAYS BE cheaper to “Roll your own” PC than to buy a pre-made one.
Period.
wearyman on December 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Get Firefox. Anyone who’s ever built a website will thank you.
My disgust for the festering pile of hog slobber that is IE knows no bounds. Have you ANY idea how many workarounds, hacks, and etc. are necessary to get a page to display properly in some versions of IE? Awful.
TheUnrepentantGeek on December 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
No. By using Notepad you confess to using Windoze. Your real name must therefore be Arthur Penis.
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
HERETIC, BLASPHEMER…notepad is a microsoft product *gasp*
right4life on December 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Ah you misunderstood – Custom build on line like at Dell or somewhere so you get the memory, the HDD, the video card, the monitor, etc. that you want.
Hanging out at SW shows buying cages, cables, and components while avoiding vendors with the red strobe light is not my cup of tea either.
pt on December 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Might want to check your math on that one.
Pablo on December 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
I’ve found IE7 Pro to be a useful add-on for IE7 when I have to use it. Look at is as bringing key Firefox features to IE7. Available at download dot com. g00gle it to learn more.
duggernaut on December 17, 2008 at 11:56 AM
its now F#
you will be assimilated…resistance is futile.
right4life on December 17, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Why stop with just dumping IE? Microsoft makes the worlds worst O/S and has forever! Ask any MAC/Linux user and you’ll get the same response.
I recommend Ubuntu for your desktop system and buy a MAC for your laptop. They work, work, work and very rarely have any issues.
I’ve been off Microsoft for years and have had a much better quality of life.
BierManVA on December 17, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Real men post comments using punch cards – made from tungsten alloy.
pt on December 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
WTF? Something is mightily farked. FF3 on Fedora/RHEL does not leak like this. You need help.
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
The trick, as always, is to surf safely.
As for the “it will never happen to my favored browser/OS/program” crowd, your favored browser/OS/program isn’t popular enough to attract the attention.
steveegg on December 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Ah, you are a wimp! Lynx rules!
Chrome is indeed nice, but I sure wouldn’t use it for online banking…
Firefox is my current browser of choice. Saddle up with firefox, and the “adblock plus”, “noscript”, and “wot” plugins, and you have a nice protective surfing environment — without all the bloomin’ blinkin’ ads. Add in “firebug”, and then you have a great environment for developing and troubleshooting your blog and portal code — when Ed was running CQ, that’s what I used to find all the bugs I reported to Ed or to Daniel Ha over at Disqus. Many’s the time I entered an extra </sometag> because some other poster forgot to close their tags, and firebug was the html checker which found all this stuff for me.
As for a firefox memory leak as described by madisonconservative, I just did a top on memory usage and firefox is idling along in the noise with almost no page faulting. Of course, I have a Linux box, so whatever is going on in Madison’s box may be invisible to me. Using firefox 3.0.4, with the four specified add-ons, fully patched 64-bit CentOS 5.2 Xen kernel, 4GB. top -p shows firefox holding steady over the last 10 mins at 540MB virt mem, resident 92MB (2.4% mem usage). I’ve got 6 tabs loaded, one with hotair.
And the Lynx isn’t a joke — it is a good browser for checking your pages for usability by people with disabilities; if your page is navigable with Lynx, it is indeed user-friendly. As a sighted person, I’m glad I don’t have to use it daily, however.
unclesmrgol on December 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Nah, you can still save significant money. And barebones kits will save you the shopping hassles. Anyone marginally competent can build a box in about 2 hours.
Pablo on December 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
I also love Adblock Plus. Its the only reason I haven’t left Firefox, though. Memory issues are a big deal for me, but that might be because I leave my browser open for days at a time.
If I were going to switch, I would switch to Google Chrome, because I’ve heard it is awesome in terms of memory.
jimmy the notable on December 17, 2008 at 12:00 PM
If only it was that simple….
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Dude.
http://www.newegg.com
get what you want, at good prices, get it next-day shipped to you, build it in an afternoon.
I can get a machine equivalent to a $3000.00 top of the line Dell for just under $2000.00. Put Ubuntu Linux on it and pay NOTHING for the OS and software, and have a MORE functional and useful machine at first boot than the Dell.
I’m saving PILES more than the 10 bucks stonemeister said, and even more than you are by going with Dell.
Roll Your Own. You’ll thank me later.
wearyman on December 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM
“The size of the install base makes the impact of any flaw a really newsworthy concern.”
So what? That says nothing about the quality or utility of the software.
Murders are newsworthy. Do you move every time there is one in your town?
The plain fact is that Microsoft software dominates the market. There are many reasons for that, but if quality or security is so bad, MS wouldn’t dominate.
People using other software are kidding themselves that they are safer. The key offsetting factor for non-MS software is that hackers aren’t as interested in other brands because of the smaller installed base. It is likely that other brands are LESS safe, because the features haven’t been exercised as much. If Apple had the installed base MS has, you would hear just as much about the flaws in that software. The TV ads are marketing hype.
Pick your poison
notagool on December 17, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Notepad on Linux Ubuntu
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Nah, its still cheaper then buying if your building for purposes other then general computing. ;)
still I don’t know why MS doesn’t put more resources to internet explorer? They know people are going to hack it, why not work on it more. I’d have a group working just on exploiting IE so I could patch it faster.
liquidflorian on December 17, 2008 at 12:02 PM
I do like newegg. They’re good.
pt on December 17, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Yes…I have run a few things on top of Wine myself. For masochistic pleasure ;)
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Firefox’s market share is substantial, though hard to estimate precisely Firefox’s market share is estimated around 20% worldwide and it is the dominant browser in diverse place like Slovenia, Indonesia, and probably Finland.
http://blog.mozilla.com/metrics/2008/12/01/firefox-surpassing-50-market-share-in-more-regions/
thuja on December 17, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Dittos on the praise for newegg.
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Chrome is screaming fast but some issues with media. Firefox great but resource hawg.
ronsfi on December 17, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Ahh, a little stale cheese with your Wine
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Baloney, notagool. What runs most of the internet? Apache webservers. Which servers have the most flaws? Windows servers. Your marketshare=vulnerability argument is flawed. True, marketshare has an impact, but notoriety for bringing down Firefox or Apple has to be compelling too.
In any case, I use Camino or Safari or Opera. IE for Mac sucks so badly that even Microsoft killed it off long ago. And at the time it was released, it was the best browser–bar none–in the world.
IE sucks royally. They don’t follow standards, so websites are basically split into “yay, non IE–things work!” and “Oh crap, it’s IE. What list of hacks as long as your arm do we have to use now?” ActiveX was an incredibly bad idea. But microsoft inflicted it upon the world, costing billions in security flaws everywhere.
Vanceone on December 17, 2008 at 12:07 PM
I had been using Firefox from the time it was still Firebird up until just two weeks ago, when I switched to Chrome. The memory hole that Firefox has become is just unacceptable to me. So far, so good with Chrome. I can’t believe people still us IE.
holygoat on December 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM
This must be a really slow news day if Ed is forced into reigniting the M$ wars.
Don’t fall for it. Lets talk about creationsism, or birth certificates, or Blago, or …
/
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Macs have had a horrific backward compatibility problem over the past six years, in going from OS 9 to OS X and from the Motorola-based chips to the new Intel Macs. That’s meant your software became obsolete after the OS X changeover six years ago, and if you bought between 2002 and 2006, your stuff is now becoming outdated if it doesn’t run correctly with the new Intel chips.
Plus the move from OS 10.3.9 to OS 10.4 and now to 10.5 was a pretty significant jump, to the point that some software, like Firefox 3.x , won’t work on your Mac unless your operating system is 10.4 or higher, while the first three releases of the Adobe suite (Photoshop, etc) when OS X came out don’t work on OS 10.5. So if you upgrade your operating system, prepare to fork over up to $1,500 for new Adobe software that will work with it.
With such a small market share compared to Microsoft, Apple and its software suppliers can get away with things like that, but were they to have a share in the 25-35 percent range, woe to the company if they came out with a new operating system that made software less than seven years old useless.
jon1979 on December 17, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Shit. The whole COM architecture was an acid-induced fustercluck.
LimeyGeek on December 17, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Microsoft, gas engines, and printed newspapers are dying breeds. It’s sad really.
faraway on December 17, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Anyone that uses Chrome is giving Google a big thumbs up on censorship. You are pretty much telling the world that you could care less if Google censors sites dedicated to human rights in China and sites here that take stands against what Google’s majority shareholders believe in.
The next time you load up Chrome think about the colusion Google has with the Chinese government and Liberal groups here in the States. Let’s hope the next security bug hits it and the computers of those who use it.
Firefox 3 gets my vote.
grdred944 on December 17, 2008 at 12:13 PM
faraway, I don’t understand what you are getting at. Yes, installing Notepad++ on Linux is a little complicated, but I can’t imagine why anyone would do it. What would be the point? Linux has many good text editors and many good programming tools.
thuja on December 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM
HMMM
I like opera and firefox
Rick007 on December 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Oh, sorry. I don’t belong to the fraction of a fraction of the computer enthusiast community that likes being unable to use a majority of software without emulators, questionable drivers, and performance hits.
Yes, I use Windows, like the vast majority. Scoff all you like, but XP has served me well for the better part of the decade. And within, Firefox leaks like Niagara Falls.
MadisonConservative on December 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM
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