Alternate Web Browsers

[lildog]

The tech media is practically singing about how Microsoft's Internet Explorer's market share is slipping due to a variety of high-quality alternate browsers entering the market in the past couple of years. (I'm sure those other companies would just love for their shares to 'fall' to 85%!)

Anyway the topic of alternate browsers came up in another thread, so I thought I'd get the discussion going, since I seem to be on the alternate browser fringe (at least among anyone I know) because I use the new Netscape 8.0 as my primary browser (though I have about a dozen different browsers installed.

As I said, I use Netscape Browser 8.0. What attracted me to it is that it can render pages in FireFox and Internet Explorer "modes." I also like that it allows you to set security preferences (i.e., cookies, java, activex, etc.) on a page-by-page basis. I also love the way it handles passwords, allowing you to set a "passcode" for individual pages. It's sourced on FireFox, so it has all the security and flexibility of that browser.

Yes, it is still an AOL product, but it is a totally new application from previous versions of Netscape. It is a browser-only application, like FireFox, so it doesn't include a bundled mail/news reader or HTML editor.

So what browser do you use and why?

[Rudi]

Lil Dog:

K, since I started this debate... and cast the first vote, might as well put in my 'pinion.. oh and my vote was not a vote of preference, just an expression of what I am stuck with.

I used to use Netscape - 4.74 was the ultimate at the time and I loved it. IE sucked big time and was as useable as a nut cracker to remove a stuck bolt. I really disliked IE with a passion. However, AOL bought up Netscape and took a really top flight product and made it into a piece of garbage. I will check out Netscape 8.0 though. I just hope it isn't another one of them products that wants to "take over my puter'. Judgement will wait until I actually try it.

IE became my browser mostly out of ignorance on other available browesers and lack of the necessary time to investigate the. Too many computers to keep running in the house... school and better half take priority over research.. IE is my browser not because of preference, but more by default.

I have seen so many problems with the browser and inter-platform compliance issues, that I would welcome a truly independant browser that gave me all the function I need without any of the detrimental effects that seem to apply when one tries to use something "not quite Microsoft..."

[Lurker Carl]

Here's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The orginal computerized HP laboratory equipment was designed around Apple Computer interfacing. Thus, I was a Macintosh/Netscape user for years until Uncle Sam sued Microsoft for monopolizing the computer market. That's same timeframe when Army forced all employees to convert from Macintosh/Corel to Windows95/MS Office platforms, another case where the left and right hand of government don't communicate. HP was severing the Apple connection by that time as well. It was extremely painful to make the switch from Mac to Windows, Netscape to IE, WordPerfect to MSWord - like going from riches to rags. We still keep a 15 year old Mac in the lab to access old files and operate some equipment.

As a result, I hate Microsoft with a passion and abhor using a Window-based operating system. But I have to use it for work and use it at home just to make life easier. I gotta admit, it does interface better with the rest of the world than Mac/Netscape.

Since I am a creature of habit and not a computer geek, I'm ain't too keen on relearning operating systems and interfaces - AAARRRRGGGHHH! (to quote Charlie Brown). So I use what I'm force to use, figure out how it works, and use it to the best of my and it's abilities.

[Rudi]

Carl:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. May God perpetually shine upon your head

Corel! Yeah! Now that is a Word Processor. Unfortunately the Canadian Government had some real dunce write up the tender process for ALL government requirements for a word processor.

Seeing as Corel is Canadian, and was smart enough to buy Word Perfect from Novell, the Canadian Government, wrote the procurement documents entirely around Microsoft Office and totally froze out Corel. They could not even bid.

Corel is a Word Processor. Word and Office is a sorry upstart at the very best... at the minimum it is a pretty useless Word Processor. I hate it with a passion.

sorry I got up on me again...

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I started off with Mozilla many years ago when It was the only thing that would run on the old pc I had at the time. I have stayed with it ever since Netscape came out with a similar version (may have been based on the old Mozilla for all I know)
I stay with netscape
1- I am familar withit, and
- I like th integrated email program. Especially since most worms are aimed at Microsofts mail programs and don't seem to bother Netscapes.
I downloaded Netscape 8, but they left the mail out so I went back to 7

[1541]

I personally like Opera. I have version 7.23 installed on all of my PCs. I like many of its features. I like how it sizes the display, pop up blocking and the security settings. I installed FireFox on my Linux box and it works well there. I attempted to install it on an XP box and the installation failed hosing a couple of other pieces of software. I haven't been brave enough or had the time to try it again. At work we have to run IE so I use it most of the time out of habit.

My wife has a small web design business on the side and IE certainly has the market share. Below are the stats from one of our sites.

IE 6 - 61.1%
IE 5 - 19.8%
Netscape - 5.91%
Mozilla - 1.65%
Opera - 0.22%

We gear everything to make sure it looks great in IE and check it in Netscape. We have found the occasional quirks where something won't display the same in Netscape so you have to go back and adjust something. We use Frontpage and Dreamweaver for layout. With either package it is still necessary to go in and tweak the HTML.

I think the browser is sort of like a car radio. Basically all cars come with a radio and the majority of people stick with what came in the car.

[lildog]

John, you should check out Thunderbird. It's Mozilla's stand-alone e-mail program sourced on the old Netscape 7 mail component. Most of the NS users I've talked to have found it to be a satisfactory replacement when upgrading to NS 8.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/