Is Firefox & Thunderbird better than IE & Outlook?

[Dobby]

From a security point of view I'd say Firefox addressed it first and the car analogy is a good one but let's face the fact that the average user can't keep a computer shaped car 'locked'. Firefox provides the child locks (popup blocking) but still give a simple way to remove them. That's not to say that IE hasn't now addressed these issues and you have to remember that 90% of the browser market is still IE and so of course IE is going to take the most slack. I also read recently that a security firm had found three holes in Firefox although they weren't serious.

On the simplicity side again I would say Firefox. It provides a browser. Nothing more nothing less. If ppl want to customise it (add skins, extensions etc) then they can but the default install is a fast, simple browser.

Thunderbird really kicks Outlook Express. It's junk mail handling is superb. As mentioned you can't compare it to Outlook although a calendar function can be added.

Guess which Browser/Mail Client I use

[Leviathany2k]

Well hello, after a long time i decided to post.

I actually own a Cyber Cafe, Cyber Center, or if you dont get it, well is a place were you can rent a PC for an amount of time for web browsing.

Well. my story for Firefox goes like this, having 10 computers and give them mantainance all of them takes a LOT of time.

Many times i had to re-format de computers because of spyware reasons, (Cool web search and others) mostly the cause of this is because many teens comes to my business and enter to porn sites. Actually I cannot tell then not to do it, cause that what they came to

So after a lot of web browsing I found Out obout Firefox. I install it, set it as default, and all my problemas went away. No more spyware and wierd things, besides, many clients say that they browse faster than IE, so what can I say.

Firefox for me is the solution for security reasons, but still has some bugs around, like wiht JAVA applications (www.latinchat.com), my clients complain about that and they have to switch to IE.

Plug ins are a good solution, but still misses the compatibillity of many sites.

Salutes from Guatemala City

[horsecharles]

I agree about Firefox better security, no comparison actually: for a business, IE is toast, & that compatibility issue is disappearing by leaps and bounds. I predict that one year from now, browser use stats will be reversed: Mozilla will have more than half the market.

There are lots of porn & warez sites that don't hijack-- if you wanted to do that research: you could provide a list of recommended 'safe sites'.

Leviathany2k: stay safe in Guatemala-- i lived there once.

[m8E]

I decided to downloaded Firefox after all the positive posts here and on my first attempt to use it a message box presents me with a message:

"The proxy server you have configured could not be found. Please check your proxy settings and try again."

How do I check my proxy settings?

[horsecharles]

wow, i've never seen that-- w/ netscape either. Usually i can manage to screw up IE so it can't connect, but the other browsers have no problems. During install, i did select the option to use/retrieve current connection settings(can't remember clearly)....

Try Control panel / internet options / connections / lan settings / ........

what isp, type of connection, & hardware do you use to connect?

[matrix0978]

Well i mean if you want to go throuhg a proxy server i would check this site out......

http://www.stayinvisible.com/index.pl/proxy_list (just a proxy server list)

And

http://www.anonymizer.com/docs/support/surfing/

[m8E]

Guys I don't have a clue about things like proxy servers, networks, or how to configure whatever they are so please be gentle with me! horsecharles, even though I followed those directions on IE to that location I didn't know what to configure or how or what I was looking at when I got there so is there any chance of making things more simple I use 56k dial up connection and I don't know what you mean by what hardware do I use to connect, I use a modem on my computer, is that any help?

matrix0978, is that my information you have on that notice below your last post? if it is how did you get it? and how come you can get it when I have no idea where to look! also... what on earth is uBoR kNoWleDgE!!!

[matrix0978]

matrix0978, is that my information you have on that notice below your last post? if it is how did you get it? and how come you can get it when I have no idea where to look! blink.gif also... what on earth is uBoR kNoWleDgE!!!

????????

[horsecharles]

m8E:

Oh, we're on the same boat as far as proxies! And you answered the questions satisfactorily: i didn't know whether you had broadband, a router, connected directly with the one computer or sharing a connection, etc.

So, is it safe to assume you didn't try to set up any proxy, such as for anonymous surfing, or from your isp etc.?

In that case, you should select direct connection like so: http://www.bit.net.au/support/firefox_quick.html

or you may have an isp like this one, at the bottom is firefox config:

http://www.metropipe.net/SupportDocumentationWin.shtml

It would help to know what your connection settings dialog looks like, and/or your isp......

??.

[gamehead200]

matrix0978, is that my information you have on that notice below your last post? if it is how did you get it? and how come you can get it when I have no idea where to look! also... what on earth is uBoR kNoWleDgE!!!

<offtopic>

m8E, his signature is a dynamic PHP image that checks your browser's headers, checks who is connecting to it, and then takes the IP and does a trace on which ISP it belongs to... Nothing hard to do... I've done it before!

BTW, only YOU can see that particular image with your IP/Browser/ISP...

</offtopic>

[amoss24]

myself i think firefox and thunderbird are better than outlook and ie but the only draw back is you cant receive your hotmail on thunderbird.

[m8E]

Thanks gamehead200 I didn't know that

horsecharles I don't know what my connection settings dialog looks like or what it is even! My ISP is www.wanadoo.co.uk although if I were to select a direct connection like from http://www.bit.net.au/support/firefox_quick.html as you suggested do you think would that alter any agreement between me and my ISP?

I realise this is beginning to get off topic here but not for long I hope because I'm trying to get Firefox up and running!

[DigeratiPrime]

Im Hardcore Firefox, but new to Thunderbird.

Is there a legal reason we cannot get Hotmail in Thunderbird, or a technical reason?

I wonder if someone can make a 'hotmail popper' extension.

Otherwise the hotmail webmail has gotten better at least.

[Guest JanusChrist]

Well, lets see....

IE is virus/adware importing piece of waste utilizing obsolete s*** like ActiveX that does nothing but sneak viruses and trojans onto your machine. It hasn't been bothered with since 2001 where as Firefox 1.0 was released in November 2004. It crashes. It f***s. It sucks. It swallows.

Outlook AKA MS Worm Spreader 2000 is notorious for security bugs and it doesn't help that it's "integrated" (fancy word for saying "won't let you delete it") into your OS. That fact alone makes Thunderbird a better choice.

Comparing Mozilla to Microsoft....I mean there IS NO comparison.

[MCT]

@JanusChrist

u seem like a very angry person lol