Firefox - the new browser

[Tarmithius]

In these perilous times on the internet, one must make sure that one is safe. Firefox can help you. Firefox is a completely open source project that stems from the Mozilla foundation. Firefox does not rely on ActiveX, which can harm your computer if you are not careful.

There are people who write malicious code that take advantage of ActiveX's ability to install software on your PC without you knowing it. Firefox also takes the W3C recommendations for coding standards to the extreme, it is completely compliant.

Firefox is also completely configurable. You can add plugins, and skins. You can move the toolbars around to whatever configuration you like. A Google searchbar is built right in too.

Some of the plugins you can get including the following:

Gmail Checker
Weather Alerts
Web Developer Tools
Mouse Gestures
Download Managers
Foxytunes - The ablility to control a media player from within the browser

[Spock]

... There are people who write malicious code that take advantage of ActiveX's ability to install software on your PC without you knowing it. Firefox also takes the W3C recommendations for coding standards to the extreme, it is completely compliant. ...

The way this is worded it sounds like Firefox has this problem with ActiveX. Somehow, I don't think that is what you meant.

[Tarmithius]

No that is not what I meant. I apologize for the confusion. ActiveX is a component of some other browsers. What it allows sites to do is inspect, change, and install stuff without your knowledge. At least before Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Firefox does not support this and that is why some sites appear broken in this browser.

[Lotussy]

Up till now i only hear good things about FireFox....I think when i get my new pc,i shall use FireFox!

[Ben Last]

I'd recommend Firefox, it has some useful features not found in Internet Explorer and it's more secure too!

[Luke]

Does anyone know how Firefox's security settings apply to Cookies? As far as I can tell, they're either allowed or blocked, unlike IE where you can allow Cookies containing certain information and block others.

[Lotussy]

Thanks Ben Last,since even u r on Firefoxs side,then it must be good

[Lotussy]

Hi again everybody,i have this question:if i use Firefox,does that mean my IE is gone forever and is there such a thing as having both and yet could choose either one to browse?Thanks for your help

[Spock]

You can run as many different browsers as you want, at the same time if you want to.

Think of a browser as a window in the side of a house. You might have a small window in the wall of one room, a big bay window in the livingroom, and two medium sized windows in the livingroom. They all look outside. They can all be opened at the same time. They just have different features.

Sometimes while working on the Internet, I will have 2 or 3 browser windows open at once. I could just as easily have one of those windows to be Firefox, another Netscape Navigator, and another Opera.

[Lotussy]

Got it

[Saber]

There is a learning curve involved? Or do you just jump into Firefox?I got a little mixed up or not sure what you were asking? Pardon me,but you sure have my attention. I'm off to google.

[Seomah]

I also strongly recommend firefox. You can use it without uninstalling IExplorer, and use both at the same time if you want. Now try to uninstall Iexplorer. Not easy, uh?.

You can even import your settings (bokkmarks, etc) from Iexplorer. I navigate much better with firefox than before. Forget about pop-up windows.

However, I must say that, at least in my case, flash games run much slower than in Iexplorer, and some sites do not work correctly, like scroll-down menus or things like this. When I get to such sites, I simply copy the direction and open a Iexplorer window, even not closing firefox windows.

Oh and tabbed browsing - I love it !

[Spock]

I have now taken the plunge and installed Firefox so I can compare it with IE7. So far, there doesn't seem to be much difference except I had a Spell Check module in IE7. Will have to find a god one for Firefox now.