Comments on: Still more reasons to avoid Internet Explorer

Highlighting the obvious: Firefox good, IE bad.

[chltmdwp2]

ok.... is internet explore 7 included also? if it is, i'm changing it to firefox

[Blade22110]

Yes, it does. Read paragraph 3 again.

[chltmdwp2]

i prefet internet explore because i know how computer works. so i'm not like uneducated people, like most ppl does, who dosent' know when to update. so yeah i'm not so worried about using INternet Explorer

[normishmael]

I thank thats part of the problem.You may know when to update,but that does not mean Microsoft has seen fit to provide the patch's needed. I have heard the term "Fully updated Windows XP" used as a security term.<br />That just means you have done your part.<br />Strange the number of people who also "know how computer works" that will not willingly touch IE with a ten foot pole.

[jdutton90]

"i know how computer works. so i'm not like uneducated people, like most ppl does"... Yet you still type badly

[Lerianis]

Actually, Internet Explorer 7 is not anywhere near as dangerous as Internet Explorer 6 and before. Also, with Internet Explorer 8, most of the problems will be fixed, with nothing being able to be downloaded without user consent.

[BrandonLive]

The first link seems to go to an IE6-only vulnerability. How can anything for IE 6 be "unpatched." Just install IE 7.<br /><br />Sure, the second link goes to a moderate IE 7 vulnerability that was recently discovered. But you make it sound like Firefox doesn't have any unpatched vulnerabilities which was not true the last time I checked.

[pdk001]

i want to use a linux with firefox, but there is nothing with linux(include firefox) in horrible ******* korea. such as internet banking(most important for me), some VOD's and flash etc..<br />this is a reason that's why i hate ******* korea

[knack4]

This has gone on and on and on for years and years and years.<br />IE has NEVER been secure. It is, I am quite sure, the centerpiece of more compromise and intrusion and loss and expense for its users than any other software application in all history. It will undoubtedly never be surpassed.<br />I run an IT service, serving a stable and expanding customer base of several hundred home and business clients for the past 15 years. The overwhelming majority of intrusions and infections I see are accomplished by way of IE. A vast number of additional problems are also IE-related.<br />I almost wish Microsoft were a Japanese concern. The fools who coded this garbage would have suicided long since, and we'd either have fresh talent fixing the damned thing, or (perhaps better) it would have gone the way of the dodo.<br />All but a stubborn few of my clientele use Firefox. (I'm called often by those few.)

[Bakero2008]

Having spent the last 10 years being forced to use a lot of Japanese software, if the suicide part were even close to true, there would be no software engineers left in Japan.

[knack4]

This has gone on and on and on for years and years and years.<br />IE has NEVER been secure. It is, I am quite sure, the centerpiece of more compromise and intrusion and loss and expense for its users than any other software application in all history. It will undoubtedly never be surpassed.<br />I run an IT service, serving a stable and expanding customer base of several hundred home and business clients for the past 15 years. The overwhelming majority of intrusions and infections I see are accomplished by way of IE. A vast number of additional problems are also IE-related.<br />I almost wish Microsoft were a Japanese concern. The fools who coded this garbage would have suicided long since, and we'd either have fresh talent fixing the d#mned thing, or (perhaps better) it would have gone the way of the dodo.<br />All but a stubborn few of my clientele use Firefox. (I'm called often by those few.)

[jjoensuu]

"Also, with Internet Explorer 8, most of the problems will be fixed"<br /><br />cute. When will version 8 be available, and if MOST problems are fixed, what are left remaining? A few that allow a remote user to take over your system? And a couple of zero-day bugs?<br /><br />Microsoft is one ridiculous company. But at least they are doing better than the U.S. auto and airline industries, at the moment. And they are not complaining about their largest operation expense being "high wages". Well that would be crazy, considering that wages FOR THE MAJORITY of workers in the U.S. are high only if they are compared with those in some 3rd world nation.

[mhinnewyork]

I agree with your "wordsmithing" of the IE8 language. I didn't mention the many recent stories bragging about how secure IE8 is, which says, in effect, how insecure IE7 is. Michael Horowitz

[Lerianis]

I am talking about the total revamp that IE8 is getting will fix most of the old problems because they will be going to new code. Now, there might be problems with that new code, but most of IE7's problems come from the fact that it is STILL using too much IE6 and down code in it.

[Brunhilde52]

I've used FIrefox for years, since my son discovered it in his High School Cisco class. It's easy, user friendly, and I love it! However, I have to use IE occasionally for specific functions, meetings, etc. It always makes me nervous.

[soutrik93]

Use IE-Tab, it's an extension for Firefox. You simply press a button and the page renders in IE for you, within Firefox. Not surprisingly, it works a lot better than the original IE.<br />check it out here <a class="jive-link-external" href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419" target="_newWindow">https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419</a>

[t8]

IE eill never be secure because it is part of the Windows Kernel. In other words the core of Windows has a direct link to the rest of the word through the Internet. Microsoft made IE part of the Windows kernel to win a court case against Netscape. Microsoft argued that IE wasn't an application but was part of Windows. So after pretty much getting away with bundling an application and killing its competition as a result, Microsoft must lie in the bed it has made and deal with the fact that Windows is extremely complex and IE as a browser needs to be open to the Internet. I think more and more people are seeing just how clunky, dangerous, and old fashioned Windows really is. The most efficient platform out there is the Web. It has a much better design and look for Google to basically be the builders of the most popular Internet OS.

[Lerianis]

Well, you have a point there, I have to admit. Making IE part of the Windows kernel (they have gotten away from that I believe with Vista) was an extremely bad idea.<br /><br />As to Windows being 'old-fashioned, clunky, dangerous'.... no. It is no more, and no less, those things than any other user-friendly operating system is (leaving Linux out of this because it is NOT, repeat, NOT user friendly).<br /><br />The only reason that Mac doesn't have all the security vulnerabilities that Windows has..... people aren't looking for them because they are still a 'niche' market set.

[morrie 52]

The ability to have a multitude of add ons to assist your net experience with Firefox and the speed of the 3 flavour I do not no any reason (ok some people have page problems)for not running Firefox,but when their is a basic security issue the reason becomes overwhelming.

[SpeedyDemon]

BrandonLive said, "How can anything for IE 6 be "unpatched." Just install IE 7."<br /><br />For Windows users using less than XP this requires upgrading to XP or better because MS has "chosen" to not offer IE 7 on Win2K or below. They did that as an arm twist to make people upgrade. Upgrading always equals more $$$ for MS.<br /><br />Lerianis said," Also, with Internet Explorer 8, most of the problems will be fixed, with nothing being able to be downloaded without user consent."<br /><br />If this happens it will be a Microsoft first. MS releases software, allows outsiders to find the vulnerabilities for them at no cost to them (but often at great expense to affected end users) and then attempts to patch.<br /><br />pdk001 said, "i want to use a linux with firefox, but there is nothing with linux(include firefox) in horrible ******* korea. <br /><br />Not in Korea? Linux is everywhere. You've just got to download it, install it, make some software additions to handle all that commercialized 3rd party, Windows oriented media and you're good to go. Of course this requires a bit of learning on your part. Unwillingness to learn a little bit is the biggest stumbling block for most people.

[Bakero2008]

If only Firefox did not get bulkier and slower with more and more bugs each update, then I would use IE less. # is so bad on my computer, it is next to useless. If MS does nothing, and Firefox continues on the same path it is now where setting download records is a major focus, IE will become the only choice for many.

[Galley]

I dumped IE for Opera back in '99. Since I became a Mac user two years ago, I've been using Safari. I use it on my work PC as well.

[dvanburen]

This is news? Only the uninformed masses use IE, though 7 was a big improvement.

[rick47591]

I've tried firefox 2 and 3 and dislike both of them. They're slow to load, many of the movies I want to watch on the net will lock up if using firefox. I also had to manually install my roboform professional. I also tried to transfer all of my favorite websites from ie but firefox would not let me save any adult sites. i also am able to download up to 10 different downloads at the same time using ie6 but not firefox. Another feature that ie6 has that neither firefox 2 or 3 have is the picture toolbar which i use several times everyday. Firefox has too much fluff.

[soutrik93]

when you've got IE working better than firefox...you know you have a problem with that computer...

[firefoxluva95]

Here's the deal with IE8. They claim standards compatibility yet they don't get very far on the Acid3 test, not the Acid2 test, the Acid3 test. <br /><br />Sure I'd say Firefox has a slow startup if you have 2GB or less of RAM. However, once it gets going, the pages render faster than IE. As for transferring bookmarks from IE, if one way doesn't work, you should know how to export it as an HTML file and import it into Firefox. Also, not everyone uses the picture toolbar in IE so that would be considered "extra fluff" to us and therefore Firefox lets you choose what to add using addons. Firefox 3 I would say is a lot faster and less bulkier than Firefox 2. Out of all the releases, I'd say Firefox 2 was the worst. <br /><br />The download record was something for fun. What a world we would be in if nobody had any fun around there. I'm sure you've seen how the people at Google go at it, playing pool and having fun with their dog, taking a moment of the day to have fun and not do a single bit of work. I guess you expect Mozilla employees to just sit there and endure carpal tunnel syndrome.

[ghormax]

The best solution is to abandon Windows entirely and switch to Linux, at least for surfing the web! Nowadays you can even install Ubuntu Linux as an application in Windows and then surf from there. I, however, prefer the Linux only solution. And since I have moved from Windows to Ubuntu at home, I am always annoyed when I have to use Windows at work. Ubuntu was quick to install (less than an hour) and works with plug and play. Ubuntu also updates are also as easy as Mozilla updates. It's safe and easy to use. It developed as fast as Windows 3.1 to Windows XP in about a year! And best of all, new releases of the operating system (as the first install) are free. I am waiting for more improvements soon!

[jthunder]

I suggest just stop using IE. The world worst browser. Just dont use it, or just dont use Microsoft at all. I stopped using any Microsoft software in my machine, and now I am very happy. No bugs and no more bugs. For a multibillion dollar company and over paid employees, they cant even fix a simple bug. And more so, they ask you to call a 900 number and pay for something they can not resolve or something they cant even answer. <br /><br />Set that aside, Firefox 3.x, oh my god, its the best. I for now, stop temporarily using Safari 3.x for Firefox. Its so like Safari. Its so inteligent like Safari. The best Firefox ever. Hopefully, in the future, Safari does not copy their browser UI from Apple. Its so Apple like, but I dont blame them. Apple's so friendly and very very pretty always, and very safe. I switched everything to Apple and never a single virus, anywhere I go. They cant even attach itself to apple safari or Apple OSX. Of course, Ineed to be carefull sometimes, but its so exremely safe. <br /><br />Apples, update, its very friendly and extremely nice. NEVER will use any MICROSOFT powered machine. NO MORE BUGS, NO MORE PROBLEMATIC AND VERY BUGGY OS FOR ME. THEY ENVELOPE ALL BUGS WITH NEW BUGS. LOOK AT THEIR OS, THEY DONT FIX HE BUGS, THEYHIDE IT WITH A NEW CODE WITH NEW BUGS. THATS WHY THEIR OS IS SO BIG, AND IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO BOOT. LOOK AT APPLE, I HIT THE POWER KEY, ITS UP ALREADY. I NEVER HAVE TO REBOOT IN 10 MONTHS AND NO PROBLEM. EXTREMELY SAFE AND VERY VERY VERY NICE..

[mayamouse]

While I don't like IE's flaws and Microsoft is definately slow to fix things I will also say that trumpeting how well Firefox updates is also a bit presuming. There is a fine line where updating too often causes people to disable the feature that checks for updates thus defeating the purpose as well. If every day I launch the browser and it tells me I have to wait while it updates I am going to grow tired of the feature fast.