Windows Explorer

[Michael623]

I know, this is very boring. But, I am excited about Windows Explorer 7, beta 2 version. I have been using Firefox but I am trying to figure out why I should continue. Windows Explorer appears to be very good. Anyone else try it yet? If so, are there any problems I should be aware of?

Michael

[DiamondDog]

I use firefox. It's less buggy, open source software, you can customize it with themes/extensions, there's tabbed browsing, and the bookmarks are easily savable/recoverable. Plus you are a lot less likely to get spyware/ad ware while using firefox at least that's been my experience.

I don't find this topic boring at all but I am kind of a computer geek. :-) ;-)

[Michael623]

I take it you have tried the new Windows Explorer 7, DiamondDog? What did you think of it. It seems to have similar features as Firefox, but easier to use.

[DÆMØN]

Don't fall into the M$ trap again :tongue:

Keep using Fire Fox & try out other browser types
don't let M$ invigle themselves into your computer any more than neccessary.

And yes, I R GEEK - wØØt !

[Haemoglobin]

i would go with firefox .
i used to use windows explorer on my computer until my man told me to change to firefox and it worked perfectly at that time .. you shouldnt change back to windows explorer .. thats my opinion too .

[smokey]

I use Firefox and Safari (Mac person)...when Firefox came along I downloaded it and after a week systematically removed all microsoft crap from my system (except for word and powerpoint for cross platform purposes) and religiously KEEP IT OFF!!! Microsoft is just the king of software (just like Bud) not because its any good, but because they have flooded the market with it. Firefox is fare more flexible than anything windows has put out and far easier to use with such real cool features like stumble upon, that there simply is no comparrison. Also note this...the more crap aka features that is attached to your browser, the slower it runs. Firefox, like Opera and Camino are the souls of minimalism which is one reason why they are so fast.

[Michael623]

What operating system are you using then, Smokey?

[biandu]

I have windows.. XP..

but i just recently downloaded firefox.. and mozilla...


not sure where to go now.. how do i start removing.. m/s from my computer..
i need to keep my word docs...i don't want to fuck up my system..
it just seems to me.. that M/S is so integrated with so many of the applications i use on a daily basis.. it seems to me to be impossible.. to remove m/s completely.

i don't think this is a boring discussion..
we're bi.. that doesn't mean we don't have other needs..
lol

thanks for posting this.

[smokey]

What operating system are you using then, Smokey?

Apple's OS 10.4.6 Tiger and it rocks.

[smokey]

Apple's OS 10.4.6 Tiger and it rocks.


I would suggest a total clean reinstall and then try one of the linux systems. OS 10, Tiger will run on windows but it takes a geek to do it and when I think of doing such things I go :eek:

Of course doing such things as removing an OS or major app. is so much easier to do on Mac's. Apple assumes its users are intelligent so they don't try and idiot proof them, besides OS 10 etal is built around Unix. and is rock solid.

[Michael623]

Thank you smokey!

[jedinudist]

Firefox!!

although I haven't tried the IE version you are talking about (and most likely won't), I have been in low-level IT and there are two things we tend to universally hate-

Internet Explorer and aol - lol

Honestly, IE always has more holes than a lace curtain.

Firefox is great! Constantly updated, peer reviewed, and very safe. The G.U.I. is awesome and it behaves the way one would hope it would. I've never had any issues with it thus far, and feature wise, it's eons ahead of IE.

[Michael623]

Ok! I have stopped using IE, lol. Thanks everyone.

[spo_doggie_guy]

I guess that I am a bi computer user too...I have both installed on my computer, but use Firefox pretty much all the time. There are a couple of programs that don't like to go to Firefox, so I left IE on just for those...but I watch the firewall and viruses when I use them. Since I started using FF, I haen't had a bit of trouble with viruses, adware or any other issues... :2cents:

[arana]

Hmmmmmmmm funny how this thread coinsides with the new Firefox ad I am now seeing on the site. :tong:

[smokey]

well I haven't seen the ad...be that as it may, it would have no bearing on my opinions about microsoft and firefox indeed ads seldom have much bearing on my opinions about things. My bullshit detector is on auto. :bigrin:

[arana]

well I haven't seen the ad...be that as it may, it would have no bearing on my opinions about microsoft and firefox indeed ads seldom have much bearing on my opinions about things. My bullshit detector is on auto. :bigrin:
I was just teasing. I know Michael didn't post this in any relation to the ad any more then any of the replies here were.

[JohnnyV]

Arana, can you PLEEEEASE bring back Tinkerbell? I really miss her.

As for Windows Explorer, I say no go. Stick with Safari or Mozilla. It's the 21st century already, and I hate the slowness of explorer. YOu might as well really scrape the barrel and just start surfing in Netscape or AOL (Ooops! No offense to Navigator fans).

J

[canuckotter]

Haven't had a chance to play with the new IE yet. Unless it's really amazing, I'll stick with Firefox, thanks. :) But as much as I don't like Microsoft, I do have to give them credit for being able to put out great software when they set their minds to it... Even the OS is getting to the point of being worth using.

[smokey]

"If sex is a pain in the ass you're doing it wrong."

Actually if sex is a pain in the ass you're not using enough lube. ;) :bigrin: :rolleyes:

[Michael623]

In my usual existence of having my head up my butt at least half the time, I had no idea there was an add for Firefox. I had downloaded the new version of IE as my original post stated. It does work similar to Firefox and is just as fast on my computer.

I am assuming that those with negative opinions of IE have either tried IE 7 or it makes no difference in the grand scheme of things.

[wildangel]

Another Firefox user here. I was not even aware that Explorer was behind in the virus protection until I was listening to Clark Howard one day and he said all kinds of people were flooding MS with complaints. I jumped on the Firefox bandwagon and haven't looked back.

I'm with Smokey in removing everything MS from my comp. When I bought my most recent computer, I opted against MS and chose Corell programs. NO MS FOR ME!!

[allbimyself]

IE 7 has no new innovations. They copied Firefox, end of story. The problem MS faces now is that Windows XP is VERY stable for a Microsoft product (please note the qualification). On workstation quality hardware running XP Pro and keeping the M$ software to a minimum, I have one computer that has NEVER crashed on me in 20 months. It is on 24/7 and has only been rebooted when necessary for software upgrades, etc. Another computer with similar hardware and XP Pro HAS frozen twice in the last year. In both cases I could trace the problem to running a certain game at the same time Open Office was running. That being said, I would never run any version of Windows on a server.

Anyone that suffered thru 95, 98, ME, NT will be very reluctant to change from XP. That makes it quite difficult for M$ to force their other software down our throats.

In the interest of fairness, the reason you see more exploits for IE than Firefox or other browsers is the simple fact that the vast majority of surfers still use IE. Even crackers (NOT hackers, I hate how the media has screwed those terms up) target the largest audience. As Firefox has gained in popularity, it has gained some exploits.

The problem is that a browser is a very complex piece of software (more complex than it needs to be cuz everyone wants more bells and whistles) doing an inheriently insecure thing... downloading content to your computer without much interaction on your part (clicking one link can cause the download of dozens, even hundreds of files to your computer.

sorry, got of topic there....

[smokey]

Well considering everything that makes Microsoft work, i.e. GUI, they stole from Apple or somebody else it wouldn't surprise me that they basically copied firefox...but the great thing about firefox over anything microsoft, is that they want YOU so they bundle everything together so you can't pick and chose what you want and that very thing is firefoxes strength.

[canuckotter]

In fairness, last time I tried to explore my options, nobody had a product that could even start to compete with the various Office applications. The last time I looked at WordPerfect was about 4 years ago, but it was still a few years behind Word 2000... OpenOffice is a good start, but it still has a LONG ways to go... And that's pretty much it. The Office division makes great products.

It's also worth pointing out that Microsoft generally (depends on departments and specific boss, of course) treats its employees very well. I know a few people who work there who go on and on about how great it is to work there and how much they love their jobs.

All that being said, my preference is still for Mac first, then OSS if reasonably practical, and only then for MS. :)

[Michael623]

Allbi, what OS would you recommend for a pc. I run an appraisal software program with a sketch program and a couple of mapping features.

[slaphappypud]

I have windows.. XP..
not sure where to go now.. how do i start removing.. m/s from my computer..
i need to keep my word docs...i don't want to fuck up my system..
it just seems to me.. that M/S is so integrated with so many of the applications i use on a daily basis.. it seems to me to be impossible.. to remove m/s completely.
thanks for posting this.

You can also get rid of M$ office. I use Openoffice (text, spreadsheets, powerpoint.. all that stuff) it works great and is fully compatible with Word and the rest. I've been using it in school for the last year or so (shcool is M$ all the way) and haven't had any trouble with compatability. Oh yeah, it's free.

I did try the new Internet Explorer. Man it was awful. Bloated and awkward to use, it lasted less than a week before I deleted it.

[allbimyself]

i.e. GUI, they stole from AppleHehe, Apple didn't invent the GUI. I can't recall the company now, but they were out of Berkeley (where else?), that had a GUI for the Comodore long before there ever was a Mac.

Otter,
Open Office is more than enough for 98% of people using M$ Office.

Michael,
At the moment, for the non geek, stick with XP. In the future, if and when the port of Mac OS to PC achitechture becomes mature enough that it isn't a major pain to do, I'll probably switch to that. Mac OS is now based on FreeBSD, which is the OS used on almost all my servers. I am NOT a Linux fan.

[Michael623]

Allbi,
Thanks for the reply. Is there any advantage to using XP Pro over the Home Edition?

[smokey]

Hehe, Apple didn't invent the GUI. I can't recall the company now, but they were out of Berkeley (where else?), that had a GUI for the Comodore long before there ever was a Mac.

Otter,
Open Office is more than enough for 98% of people using M$ Office.

Michael,
At the moment, for the non geek, stick with XP. In the future, if and when the port of Mac OS to PC achitechture becomes mature enough that it isn't a major pain to do, I'll probably switch to that. Mac OS is now based on FreeBSD, which is the OS used on almost all my servers. I am NOT a Linux fan.


Xerox invented GUI and mistakenly believing that they had no use for it, legally gave it to Apple to use from which microsoft stole it while writing software for apple. as for commadore, I had one and I don't recall anything like GUI on it.

[allbimyself]

Sorry, Smokey, I didn't mean to suggest that it came WITH C64 or C128 but that the software was developed FOR them. Depsite the fact the you and most people never heard nor saw it doesn't mean it didn't exist.

The GEOS system by Berkely Softworks was originally out in 1984 (the same year as the Mac) tho not widespread commercially avaiable until 1986. Berkely Softworks development ran parallel with PARC (xerox' GUI).

The point being that niether Xerox nor Apple "invented" the GUI (Apple's lawsuits not withstanding). They were among the first to make it technologically feasible. The original idea for a GUI goes back to the 60's and the guy that designed the first point and click interface (tho he didn't call it a mouse, IIRC).

BTW, Apple's lawsuits had NOTHING to do with other's use of GUIs per se, but terminology and "look and feel."

Michael,

I can't really speak to that as I've never used the Home edition, only the Pro.