Internet Explorer vs. Firefox [Archive]

HMBeaty

07 Jun 2009, 16:20

Who uses what? I WAS using IE8 but just made the switch to Mozilla Firefox and I'm glad I did. Much more features and add-ons to play with :D. I'm still trying to figure my way around it though since there's some things in totally different locations now. It definately takes some getting used to after using IE for the past 9 years

Biker_GA

07 Jun 2009, 16:29

Depends on the OS. With Winderz, I tend to use Firefox. When I have Linux fired up (dual boot machine :D ), I tend to use Opera or Seamonkey.

Lynne

07 Jun 2009, 16:55

I'm on a Mac, so I haven't used IE in years. I use firefox with several add-ons. That is something that Safari is lacking. I do use Safari for when I'm testing stuff on my site (I login with a test account on that browser).

lasto

07 Jun 2009, 18:54

IE for me.Because i dont like firefox.

IdanB

07 Jun 2009, 19:40

IE just because not all websites are coded/written accroding to w3c standards, and this result some sites not viewed correctly.

RLShare

07 Jun 2009, 20:05

lol. IE is the least standards compliant out of all the major browsers. Every major release of IE comes with the need for new CSS hacks/tweaks developers have to learn in order to get their sites to display properly in IE as opposed to every other browser. IE is the most painful browser to develop for.

steven s

07 Jun 2009, 20:59

IE is the most painful browser to develop for.Unfortunately it is still the one most used. On my sites at least, and that is with me using Firefox skewing the results.

Allan

07 Jun 2009, 21:07

Firefox, i don't like ie ^^

HMBeaty

07 Jun 2009, 21:46

IE just because not all websites are coded/written accroding to w3c standards, and this result some sites not viewed correctly.
I just realized this one when I was going to some of the pages I made on my website. I had to go in and fix a few things, but they're all ok now.

Sofia

07 Jun 2009, 22:42

Mainly, I use Firefox. But I use both to create styles.

Caddyman

08 Jun 2009, 02:12

Mainly, I use Firefox. But I use both to create styles.

yes

ff for everyday browsing

ff and IE both when testing new styles or pages, etc.

JacquiiDesigns

08 Jun 2009, 03:29

Opera (http://opera.com)

Chris-777

08 Jun 2009, 04:32

As a web design hobbyist I have all the major browsers installed because every edit you do needs to be checked in all of them.

I don't like Firefox, but I use it for Firebug and because I know a good percentage of my traffic is from people who DO use it. For my regular browsing, I was a Maxthon guy for a long time but lately I've been using Chrome.

--------------- Added 1244435602 at 1244435602 ---------------

lol. IE is the least standards compliant out of all the major browsers. Every major release of IE comes with the need for new CSS hacks/tweaks developers have to learn in order to get their sites to display properly in IE as opposed to every other browser. IE is the most painful browser to develop for.

My experience has been the exact opposite, oddly enough. I find FF's all or nothing compliance to be infuriating at times, whereas IE has been a bit more forgiving with the occasional oops on my part.

AdrianH

08 Jun 2009, 08:01

Opera !:D

Lautaro

08 Jun 2009, 12:24

I mainly use Firefox because its great for me, but I also use chrome, safari, opera and IE when I design a website to check everything's looking well on all browsers

Zachery

08 Jun 2009, 13:08

RedeemedWarrior

08 Jun 2009, 13:16

IE only to test styles

FF3 always for my personal use

KTBleeding

08 Jun 2009, 13:36

Except you know this whole new fandangled IE8 browser which is standards compliant.Not really. They can render fine at the moment, but they still have a set of their "own" standards, rather than just following W3C completely. But, W3C moves so slowly at setting standards, I personally can't really blame them.. Even though it irritates me to no end.

IE8 is fine, so long as people doing work on the site don't use hacks in their stylesheet to work for IE6/7's lack of support. ( I'm talking about stuff like.. _height: ). If they set up their sites poorly, they could see a LOT of problems in IE8. Hence the "compatibility mode".. which is just going to cause more problems, I think.

Personally, I've seen the light of a better browser for years now, and Microsoft took WAY too long to release 8. (almost 8 years? since that poor excuse for a browser (IE7) shouldn't really count..) If it weren't for addons, I'd use Chrome over Firefox simply for it's great css3 support so far.

vivoperdio

08 Jun 2009, 13:50

I uses Opera and Safari :)

Wayne Luke

08 Jun 2009, 13:55

If it weren't for addons, I'd use Chrome over Firefox simply for it's great css3 support so far.

I consider Chrome to be malware. It doesn't allow me to install it where I want to. It forces its install in the User folder so it can bypass Windows UAC. This tosses all security out the window. Plus it installs a services for updates. That isn't bad in itself but the updates are automatic without user intervention. Also because Chrome is in your user forum, the Updater basically gives Google the permission to install whatever they want on your computer. When they allow addons, it will give addon authors permission to install whatever they want on your computer. I don't trust any company enough to give them blanket permission to install things on my computer.

Zachery

08 Jun 2009, 14:00

Not really. They can render fine at the moment, but they still have a set of their "own" standards, rather than just following W3C completely. But, W3C moves so slowly at setting standards, I personally can't really blame them.. Even though it irritates me to no end.

IE8 is fine, so long as people doing work on the site don't use hacks in their stylesheet to work for IE6/7's lack of support. ( I'm talking about stuff like.. _height: ). If they set up their sites poorly, they could see a LOT of problems in IE8. Hence the "compatibility mode".. which is just going to cause more problems, I think.

Personally, I've seen the light of a better browser for years now, and Microsoft took WAY too long to release 8. (almost 8 years? since that poor excuse for a browser (IE7) shouldn't really count..) If it weren't for addons, I'd use Chrome over Firefox simply for it's great css3 support so far. Firefox has its own suite of unoffical code that doens't follow standards, same as IE, thats a moot point.

KTBleeding

08 Jun 2009, 14:11

Firefox has its own suite of unoffical code that doens't follow standards, same as IE, thats a moot point.True, they all do. This is a result of W3C moving so slowly to standardize things that are pretty important to designers. But you can't compare Microsofts lack of compatibility to anyone else. Microsoft is famous for completely butchering design elements. Arial?! Seriously? What's wrong with Helvetica?

In the end, IE has been holding back web developers for years and it continues to do so. It's absolutely retarded that we have to build a site and fix it for 7 or so different browsers. Imagine a world where all browsers are built on the same engine (I personally like Webkit), and they all follow the exact same standards. You do your job once, not 8 times.

We're almost there, sorta? The only browser that I ever need to alter specifically is IE. 6, 7, and although it's rare 8 too. Granted, there's still the different engines (Gecko / Webkit), but I would say 99% of the time they all work great.. other than IE.

Wayne Luke

08 Jun 2009, 14:55

Arial?! Seriously? What's wrong with Helvetica?

Its copyrighted and Microsoft doesn't have the rights to distribute it. Really. This is a software licensing issue, not a design issue.

Tiramisuri

12 Jun 2009, 06:27

I use both of them and plus chrome, compare with IE, firefox is faster and more steady.

COBRAws

12 Jun 2009, 07:29

KTBleeding

12 Jun 2009, 11:52

FF all the way. Unfortunately there are some stone aged sites that require you to login using IE only, lucky my that I still have windows on my desktop computer. I usually use my macbook to work since im away from home most of the time.Those sites need to burn. It's like putting up a sign, "We're too dumb to figure out multiple browser support. Suffer the consequences." What about Linux and Mac users? There's a large enough percentage of them that it's worthwhile to develop correctly.

iogames

12 Jun 2009, 15:34

FF all the way!

agitated

12 Jun 2009, 18:01

Hasann

13 Jun 2009, 01:16

Internet Explorer is forever..

COBRAws

13 Jun 2009, 03:51

I voted neither only because the option for both is not included.

I tend to use both IE8 and FF3 in equal measure and quite often alongside eachother / open.

Off topic NO IE for Europe in Win 7
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8096701.stm
Yeah I read this today on the newspaper, at the same time a question came to my mind... you install windows 7 and you want to go to the internet and check your emails, how do you do that? Yeah you can telnet or check them through a shell account, but thats not the point lol

Zachery

14 Jun 2009, 00:24

Yeah I read this today on the newspaper, at the same time a question came to my mind... you install windows 7 and you want to go to the internet and check your emails, how do you do that? Yeah you can telnet or check them through a shell account, but thats not the point lol

I don't understand why Windows is unable their browser built for their OS and cannot package it alone. Why is the same not being applied to OSX. It only comes with Safari right now, though I'm unaware how easy/hard it is to remove safari from OSX.

I just dislike double standards and what the EU is doing.

Paul M

15 Jun 2009, 19:39

I use both.

Allan

15 Jun 2009, 20:26

Safari is good so !

cedced

15 Jun 2009, 20:41

Firefox

Marco van Herwaarden

17 Jun 2009, 11:31

I don't understand why Windows is unable their browser built for their OS and cannot package it alone. Why is the same not being applied to OSX. It only comes with Safari right now, though I'm unaware how easy/hard it is to remove safari from OSX.

I just dislike double standards and what the EU is doing.
Because IE is too much embedded in Windows. Even with FF as your default browser, windows will still use IE for some tasks. You can discuss if that is a good or a bad thing, but the EU say it is to stop competition.

Zachery

17 Jun 2009, 12:18

Because IE is too much embedded in Windows. Even with FF as your default browser, windows will still use IE for some tasks. You can discuss if that is a good or a bad thing, but the EU say it is to stop competition.
Perhaps in OLD verisons of windows, however Vista, and 7 are not that deeply embedded. Regardless, i do not understand why they cannot sell their OS with their browser. Its like Ford/GM/Honda/Toyota/Volvo/BMW not being able to sell their engines in their cars, or their raido's in their cars. OSX is the same, why are they allowed to bundle Safari with their OS?

Marco van Herwaarden

17 Jun 2009, 12:23

The problem is that Windows is not a product that is only sold seperatly, it is most often used as pre-installed OS on new PC's.

Zachery

17 Jun 2009, 14:34

The problem is that Windows is not a product that is only sold seperatly, it is most often used as pre-installed OS on new PC's.
That is the choice of the seller of the PC and no one else. No one forces those companies to use Windows, they choose to do so.

Again, this needs to apply to ALL operating systems sold/packaged with computers, or none of them. Mac OSX/Windows/ETC

Additionally, no one forces someone to purchase a prebuilt computer, all parts/peices/etc are available to the general public. Given a bit of time most people could figure out what parts to buy, how to install and get running.

I see no reason why one company should be forced to do something, and others don't have to.

DobieGillis©

17 Jun 2009, 14:38

Opera!

maplr4life

17 Jun 2009, 21:10

IE Pwns :3
Firefox has too many issues.
And lately I just hired a guy who loves firefox to test my new websites.

agitated

17 Jun 2009, 21:43

The problem is that Windows is not a product that is only sold seperatly, it is most often used as pre-installed OS on new PC's.

Microsoft do not have any restrictions that stop the vendor installing an alternative browser OR even include an alternative browser when they preinstall Windows.

The latest news is that Microsoft will offer a disk that contains IE8 and other software (Windows essentials etc) at the point of sale. It will then be a matter of choice to the customer.
Take it or leave it and install an alternative.

This gives Opera the opportunity to supply their browser on disk at the point of sale.

Brandon Sheley

17 Jun 2009, 21:51

firefox 2.0 gets my vote

3.0 would crash to much, so I went back to 2.0 :up:

HMBeaty

17 Jun 2009, 21:57

3.0 would crash to much, so I went back to 2.0 :up:
Ditto. 3.0 definately needs some work

agitated

17 Jun 2009, 22:02

Must admit, even though I use both, the FF3 series has never been as good as the FF2 series.
FF3 is very slow to open and quite often locks up on my box. Never had that problem with the FF2 series.

smartkidbk5

18 Jun 2009, 01:37

Firefox imo.....
I hate IE, it looks bad, cant customize it....

I only use IE for programming needs. After I code, I check it on multiple browsers...

COBRAws

18 Jun 2009, 03:13

So, people, can someone answer my question?

You buy a new PC in the EU with windows 7. So, how do you surf the web since you have no browser???

Marco van Herwaarden

18 Jun 2009, 13:59

And more important: How do you download and install the browser of choice without a browser. ;)

agitated

18 Jun 2009, 14:40

Microsoft do not have any restrictions that stop the vendor installing an alternative browser OR even include an alternative browser when they preinstall Windows.

The latest news is that Microsoft will offer a disk that contains IE8 and other software (Windows essentials etc) at the point of sale. It will then be a matter of choice to the customer.
Take it or leave it and install an alternative.

This gives Opera the opportunity to supply their browser on disk at the point of sale.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=windows&articleId=9134381&taxonomyId=125&intsrc=kc_top

Microsoft will be supplying a disk.