17 responses to “Now (almost) everybody is advising you to stop using Internet Explorer”

1. 

   Herb Rubin January 20th, 2010 at 00:12

   Question.
   Took your advice long ago and switched to firefox. However, when i run cc cleaner it shows IE files to be cleaned, even though I never use IE. What’s happening

   thanks

2. 

   Jerry January 20th, 2010 at 00:25

   What is the path on your PC where Firefox stores your bookmarks?

   Doesn’t Firefox have a similiar look and functionality of Netscape Navigator from way back?

3. 

   SteveG January 20th, 2010 at 03:34

   You can add the Australian Government to the list of governments warning of IE… see http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/19/2795684.htm?section=justin

   Cheers

4. 

   f January 20th, 2010 at 04:22

   Do I just go to windows update and install the Internet Explorer patch?It asks me if I agree to the license for IE 8.Will this take the place of Firefox which is my browser now?

5. 

   Anton January 20th, 2010 at 11:05

   IE6 always made me cringe, though part of that reason is its interface.

   From the little bit of web development work I’ve been involved in, I think web developers would be more than happy too not to have to worry about IE6 anymore (insert another cringe here).

   I’m somewhat surprised by the relatively large percentage of IE6 users still out there, as I can see in my own logs. It would be nice if we all just stopped using it and upgraded, but that would just be too easy…

6. 

   unkamunka January 20th, 2010 at 16:29

   Microsoft Outlook 2003 (& earlier), together with Outlook Express, Microsoft Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Help & Microsoft Sidebar have also now got the thumbs down from the German government – link is in German – https://www.bsi.bund.de/cln_147/ContentBSI/presse/Pressemitteilungen/Sicherheitsluecke_IE_190110.html

7. 

   woody January 20th, 2010 at 21:40

   F -

   Go ahead and install IE 8 (you can either download it directly from microsoft.com, or use any of a bunch of different update methods). The first time you run it, IE 8 will try to become your default browser. Just say NO, and continue to use Firefox. The two co-exist peacefully.

8. 

   woody January 20th, 2010 at 21:41

   Herb -

   Depending on which version of IE and Windows you use, you may be getting IE temp files from Outlook, or myriad other places. Dont’ worry about it. Zap them.

9. 

   woody January 20th, 2010 at 21:42

   Jerry -

   Firefox bookmarks tutorial here: http://mozilla.gunnars.net/firefox_bookmarks_tutorial.html

   Firefox began as a “better” Navigator, but many things are different.

10. 

    keith January 20th, 2010 at 22:26

    I have a serious question; what’s wrong with IE8? I used to use Firefox but I switched back to IE8 after using it as I saw no reason to use Firefox anymore. To me there was no major difference between the two and in all actuality I had problems with Firefox. So in my eyes if there was no major differences why have two browsers on my computer? I’m sure some people will have issue with this but I am genuinely asking, so I would appreciate genuine responses. Thanks.

11. 

    EP January 20th, 2010 at 23:26

    For those using WinXP/Win2003, upgrade to either IE7 or IE8 ASAP. Win2000 users don’t have much options but to either keep IE6 or eradicate IE6 altogether from their W2k systems.

    btw, woody, I started using Firefox since version 1.0 back in November 2004. It certainly felt like a better Netscape Navigator browser. Fast forward to January 2010, I’m using the latest Firefox 3.6 RC and it works well. Final release of Firefox 3.6 should be out in a few days.

12. 

    f January 21st, 2010 at 04:12

    Thank you very much.I did install IE 8.It did NOT ask me if I wanted IE to become my default browser but everything seems to be Ok with Firefox.

13. 

    rc primak January 21st, 2010 at 05:07

    Actually, Netscape Navigator evolved into the AOL branded Netscape, which then morphed into the AOL Portal. All of these forms of Netscape are now defunct. Firefox was always independednt from Netscape, and is the most open-sourced of all the browsers for Windows. (Linux has a couple more, but they’ve never been ported for Windows.) The most closed-source browser now is Apple Safari for Windows. Don’t bother with it.

14. 

    woody January 21st, 2010 at 05:56

    Keith -

    I understand – and IE8 is fine. The major differences are beneath the surface. ActiveX technology, behind IE, has been the source of hundreds of security holes. Firefox doesn’t work with ActiveX. That, alone, to me, is sufficient reason to switch to Firefox.

    I’m sure there are other folks posting here who would expand on my observations.

15. 

    rc primak January 22nd, 2010 at 01:29

    Keith —

    Major advantages of Firefox over IE8 (and to some extent Google Chrome):

    1) Built in ad blocking and add-ons for better privacy. Scripts, Flash and “Flash Cookies” (which are not removed by clearing the browser cache)can be blocked or removed using add-ons.

    2) Faster turnaround when patches are needed, and fewer known 0-day holes.

    3) No Active-X Controls, no XAML, and fewer iFrames types of insecure content delivery sub-systems.

    4) Unlike IE, Firefox is a Program, not as closely tied in with the Windows kernel as IE. Even if you could completely remove the IE browser, many of its components, including Active-X, are still in play, because Windows Explorer is IE without the Internet connections. So the security threats remain.

    5) Firefox offers NoScript, which not only blocks drive-by downloads, but helps prevent browser hijacking through Cross-Site exploits. NoScript also chows many types of “clickjacking” — invisible, clickable page elements hiding behind other, visible, clickable page elements.

    6) So-called “sandboxing” or browser virtualization can be applied much more effectively to Firefox vs. IE. Thhis is partly due to the fact that when a program opens an IE window, this windows can be totally unprotected by the sandbox. If Firefox is called up by a program, the window is protected in many more instances. An example of sandboxing is Zone Alarm Extreme Security (not free, and I do not recommend it).

    So IE is definitely not a good choice if you have a choice. Yes, Firefox has had problems with crashes, sites not working with it, and a “memory leak” which affects users who seldom reboot Windows. And it is slow to load. But the upsides are more security and better privacy, especially when a few carefully selected add-ons are applied.

    I have not used Google Chrome, so I cannot comment on its relative merits or demerits along these lines. But Chrome is even more isolated from the Windows kernel than Firefox, so this may give Chrome potentially even better sandboxing when that strategy is employed. And Chrome installs on a per-user basis, so it never needs to touch the Administrator Account. It can be installed directly into a Limited User Account. Firefox cannot do that.

16. 

    GP45 February 3rd, 2010 at 20:21

    Internet Explorer 8 Officially Becomes World’s Most-Used Browser…

    62.12% vs 24.43%

    AMEN

17. 

    GP45 February 3rd, 2010 at 20:22

    oops, sorry, forgot to add my source:
    http://www.netmarketshare.com/report.aspx?qprid=0&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=132&qpcustomb=