Firefox Looking Good enough for me!

[Buddha]

Well I made the switch to Firefox this weekend. Not an easy switch took me more than an hour and half just to install it. They really need to fix that if they expect your average user to ever install it. However, once it was installed I was delight by the improvements over 8.x. I found that there's a Google Page Rank extension now - that was a must have for me. It seems to cold start about as fast as IE. Rendering seems faster too. I found an extension to Minimize to Tray which works even better than cold starting it. (Make sure you get the latest verison.) The Sage news reader extension is so easy to use I think I may start using it too.

I would like to thank Microsoft for motivating me to switch. I'm pretty sure the last IE update broke something. All the IE browser crashing really helped convince me it was time to switch especially when it crashed 15 times in a row! Now if I can get rid of all the other Microsoft crap? Well goodbye Windows, Linux here I come.

[-Oz-]

I definitely am split 75/25 now using MSIE 75% of the time and Firefox 25%. I do have Sage installed and I loved tabbed browsing too.

[bhills]

I've been using Firefox for more than a year. It's safer than IE. And even if weren't, it would still be better. Everybody likes the Firefox tab browsing.

Buddha, maybe something has changed, but the last time I installed Firefox I didn't actually have to install anything. I just created a directory, dumped all the Firefox files into it, and then created a shortcut to the .exe file. And that is one of the things I liked the most, it doesn't latch onto the operating system like IE or its clones.

[-Oz-]

I remember why i don't use it, i can't mousescroll by clicking with the wheel then moving the mouse, and that sucks.

[Jonathan]

Really Oz? Right now using 0.9.3 I can do that
Try turning on "SMOOTH SCROLLING" in the options?

Anywhose, been using FireFox since I found 0.8 bout three, four months ago
Love it, don't even use M$IE except to test sites and to sign onto MSN's Zone.

[Buddha]

Buddha, maybe something has changed, but the last time I installed Firefox I didn't actually have to install anything. I just created a directory, dumped all the Firefox files into it, and then created a shortcut to the .exe file. And that is one of the things I liked the most, it doesn't latch onto the operating system like IE or its clones.

That how it usually worked for me too.

I've been checking Firefox (back to earily Phoenix) progress for a while and this last install was the first time I had any trouble. The hardest part was figuring out what was wrong. I had no error message. I thought it was processing my IE favorite but that not what Filemon showed me. It was just looping. After digging around the support forum I found the answers I needed. I eventually had to delete every Mozilla directory, find and delete all the profile folder, and finally clean the registery. All of which took less time than figuring out what the problem was to begin with. Tell you the truth I'm not even sure what the problem was? Could've of been a corrupt file for all I know. All Microsoft's fault I'm sure!

However, it was all worth it! The change between 0.8.x and 0.9.x was enough to get me to switch.Any problems I've had since installing 0.9.x have been minor. And ... NOT ONE SINGLE CRASH. IE had been crashing a dozen times a day at least.

Oz just give Microsoft a little more time they'll help you make the switch too. My logitech wheel mouse works fine even without smooth scrolling.

Forgot to mention I LOVE Tab Browsing too.

[justme]

I've been using Firefox for a few months, too. I really like it and use it almost exclusively. But I've got a couple questions for you guys . . .

First, do you ever have the drop down bookmarks menu close up on you when you're trying to navigate to a particular bookmark? I tend to have my folders within folders in my bookmarks and sometimes, and I can't figure out why, but as I'm moving the mouse from folder to folder the bookmark menu just closes up. Frustrating!

Second, help me understand what's so special about tabbed browsing. I tried FF after hearing so much about how wonderful tabbed browsing was, so I figured I'd give it a try. But, honestly, I don't see why it is any better to open a site in another tab than it is to open a site in another browser window. What am I missing?

thx
justme

[Jonathan]

I've been using Firefox for a few months, too. I really like it and use it almost exclusively. But I've got a couple questions for you guys . . .

First, do you ever have the drop down bookmarks menu close up on you when you're trying to navigate to a particular bookmark? I tend to have my folders within folders in my bookmarks and sometimes, and I can't figure out why, but as I'm moving the mouse from folder to folder the bookmark menu just closes up. Frustrating!

I rarely have had this, and my bookmarks have several sub-folders
within other folders; is it with the latest 0.9.x ?

Second, help me understand what's so special about tabbed browsing. I tried FF after hearing so much about how wonderful tabbed browsing was, so I figured I'd give it a try. But, honestly, I don't see why it is any better to open a site in another tab than it is to open a site in another browser window. What am I missing?

This actually improves performance (memory wise), as it is still
just a single "instance" of FireFox; plus it keeps your work space unclustered

thx
justme

Check ze bold text

[Buddha]

I find it easier to organize with tab browsing. Got my development site, phpMyAdmin and PHP.net in tabs on one window. In another window I'm doing a couple different searches on tabs. Or just do it all in one window it's your freedom of choice. Choice is good? Choice - I think that's the hidden attraction of tab browsing.

bookmark menu just closes up

My deepest bookmarks are five deep and I notice that too. (Yeah I'm working on cleaning them up. ) The bookmarks seem to respond a lot quicker. So if you go off the menu it closes because it selects whatever your hovering over. That takes some getting use to. With IE, it's too busy trying just to display the favorite to figure out what your hovering over.

[bhills]

I use new windows sometimes. but at other times the tab browsing works better.

1. You can open up lots of windws in tabs, the title of the .html page is in the tab. This makes it easier to see what you have open, and go to it quickly.

2. Sometimes when researching things, I'll have 10 or more browser windows open. It's easier to know what you're dong if five sites are opened in tabs in one window (for instance all five in one windw are about smart dogs), and five sites opened in tabs in another window (for instance about stupid cats).

3. And if I have a browser and five other programs open at the same time, there gets to be just too many programs on the bottom of the screen, and it gets even more confusing without using tabs in the browser.

[-Oz-]

My logitech wheel mouse works fine even without smooth scrolling.

That is messed up, what mouse do you have. My wireless logitech mouse won't allow me to click then scroll but it will allow me to wheel up/down the page.

[Buddha]

It's a corded mouse: Logitech M/N: M-S69, Driver Version:19.73.236.0

I think I might know the problem though. You need to make sure you click out of any controls like textboxs or it won't work. I can't scroll while there's a blinking caret in this textbox for example while typing this.

That doesn't bother me as much as the caret disappearing sometimes. But I'll deal with it. It's only a minor annoyance compared to that IE crashing.

[justme]

Thanks all for your replies.

Jonathan - yes, the bookmark menu closing has been happening since I first started with FF. I'm using 0.9.3 now.

justme

[ChrisTech]

I have FF 0.9.2 and I have a ton of issues with it. Its nice for the tabbed browsing, buts thats it. I have it installed in 2 diff. environments (home 2k pro 2ghz amd/1 gig ram) and (work xp home 750mhz / 256 ram).

In both environments I've crashed the damn thing countless times (more than IE which scares me). In both between the time I click on the shortcut and the program actually loads I could of opened and closed IE twice. I've tried un-installing and re-installing, and no avail.

The really big issue I have w/ FF is that when I goto load my admin section of my forums (IPB 1.2 Final) the browser just locks up, then crashes (might be due to the iframes) but I really dont understand it.

I've never really had any problems with IE, I tried out FF due to everyone around me sayin how great it is (not).

I'm a "abusive" user when it comes to usin my pc. I use it hard. At work its normal for me to be searching for a fix for a problem and have anywhere from 3-20+ broswer windows (or tabs) open at a time. Same goes for @ home. That doesn't include any of the other programs I might have running in the background as well.

[Buddha]

I had FF going all day yesterday. I think I used only three different instant of FF all day too. Installed that Javascript Debugger had to restart it for that. I didn't crash it till about 6 that night. I'm pretty sure it was the crap theme I was trying to get rid of that crashed it.

I did have to restart Windows because of that crash, something about profile in use or something. It was about time for a restart anyway. 6 to 6 that pretty good for Windows 98 any day.