I’m always very suspicious of David Coursey. I've been following his articles for years and he appears to be a MS Droid. He's expert at dressing it all up in "reasonable" sounding decoration, but underneath he's a Microsoft schill. The settlement of the legal battle between Microsoft and AOL Time Warner means Netscape can now be taken off life support and the body harvested for any useful parts that remain. The romantic in me says this is a terrible fate for a company whose Mosaic/Netscape browser changed the technology world so much. The realist in me responds that this only proves how overrated "first-mover advantage" really is. How many of the first companies to do anything are still in business when the industry matures?

…will the end of Netscape mean the end of third-party browsers? No. It just means that the best one is gone and that Windows is now, for all intents and purposes, a non-MS-browser free zone. The only alternative browsers I can think of are Opera and Mozilla, neither of which I think about very often. There's nothing wrong with these other browsers, but nothing so incredibly right that I want to use them. (Full text here (http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2913880,00.html )) The best alternative is gone? Netscape is now and has been for some time based on Mozilla, which is in fact a cut of code superior to the Netscape branded version. Pop-up management, cookie control, Bayesian spam filtering- all these features are more completely implemented in the free (as in your soul is free, not you are free to receive advertisements) version of the software.

Just as in politics, in the world of software we're only as oppressed as we choose to be. MegaSloth remains the predominant software monopolist because we choose their products out of apathy and laziness.

:m: Peace.

Opera is my favourite by far.

I prefer Mozilla. It's more simple and there's no publicity.

Oh boy..*ducks and gets ready for flames coming toward him*

I actually prefer Internet explorer over netscape..seems more compatible with my PC..Netscape seems to keep screwing up on me PC

It's not the PC, it's the OS - fess up... MS? ;)

:m: Peace.

Originally posted by goofyfish
It's not the PC, it's the OS - fess up... MS? ;)

:m: Peace.


http://www.otcentral.com/forum/images/smilies/flame.gif

Forget Netscape....go with the ROOT...Mozilla! :)

-AntonK

When using windows I go with Opera, on linux I use Mozilla.

it has been some time since i last used linux, how does it(netscape/mozilla) handle true type fonts now.

I was actually going to start a thread about a similar topic.


Anyways, my default browser is a cool little thing called 'k-meleon'. An absolutely great browser. (Also runs on Mozilla, I think)

I honestly believe that a browser should be integrated with the OS (security issues aside, of course :p). I'd embrace IE if it had more features... But it doesn't. It simply doesn't have the conveniences and extras that other, smaller browsers have (like Opera, for instance). I’ve been using Opera since the 7 beta came out and I just can’t go back to IE for day-to-day browsing.

I do have to switch to IE for some sites (usually about once a day) but I like being able to have 35 pages open inside the browser and not have 35 buttons on the Windows task bar. I love mouse-gestures. I like being able to close Opera and having it open up later with the same pages that were open when I closed it.

The main drawback to IE for me is its lack of customizability. With Opera, I can edit .ini files to add my own items and commands in any menu. MS locked IE down pretty tightly and has turned me off, completely.

I don’t like the way that MS doesn’t follow W3C implementation, and so as a result, there are many sites out there that will only display correctly in IE but that’s something I know is not going to change.

But… For day to day… I’ll stick with Opera and will also try out Mozilla and Firebird (I think that’s what it’s called now?)

I will be the first to admit that I don't know much about the various browsers out there. However, for those that like IE but want more control, try neoplanet. IE soure code, alot of nice added features ( pop up control, flyswat, etc.) Flyswat is a feature that finds key words and terms on a page and hyperlinks them to a search option so you can find out more about things while browsing the original page. Neoplanet is definitely the collest thing to ever happen to IE. Unfortunately, last I checked its not available for mac 'cause MS won't release their mac IE code.

whats so good about mozilla and opera? ive just not tried either one im stcuck on IE and not really minding it ....

So many people that complain about IE’s lack of customizability don’t know how to use the operating system and tools.

I recently had to compare two sites and compare the similarities.

So I opened up my IDE, dragged two explorer components onto a form, two address bars, and a compare button. After setting up a few events, just to make it clean. I then wrote a simple text compare program which highlighted the differences in the browser frames. Took me 2 hours. Tadaa my own custom browser, way to easy.

I could create a Tab bar version of IE with as many pages as you like in even less time.

I have 5 different browsers for special jobs all based on IE. Two of them are my most used browsers. I call one Grabit, and the other PageGen.

Learn to use the tools before say their no good.

Blindman, while I am one of those that only know the base functions of the tool, I agree wholehearted with you. Not just about browsers, but most anything. If you want to complain about something, know the subject first.

The way I feel some of those tools work is analagous to the following story:

"Mommy, whats a scalpel? The man on ER said it."
"Well hunny, its a tool the doctor uses to cut open a patient so he can work inside when he needs surgery."
... 3 hours later ...
"LOOK MOMMY I MADE A SCALPEL!"
"Hunny, thats not a scalpel, thats a 2x4 with lots of razor blades and nails sticking out of it."
"Well, it does what you said... it opens the patient up...it opened up little johnny down the street really well when i hit him with it."

The moral of the story is that just because a tool seems to do the job doesnt mean its actually the correct tool for the job nor does it mean you actually know what you're doing in making it.

-AntonK

ps: not directed towards anyone in particular.

Ha ha ha ..

Don't let your prejudice make you fall behind. Microsoft software is not sticky tap and nails. It works every time. It is written by the best of the best.

To be head hunted by Microsoft is a badge of honor.

Learn to us it before you abuse it.

And if you hate monopolies think about it next time you have a coke.

Originally posted by Blindman
So many people that complain about IE’s lack of customizability don’t know how to use the operating system and tools...

...I could create a Tab bar version of IE with as many pages as you like in even less time. ..

...Learn to use the tools before say their no good.

Well, that's great for you, good job :)
I know how to use my OS and I modify it to suit my needs but I'm not a programmer. I don't have the inclination, programing knowledge, nor the time to try to modify IE (I'm betting that people who've adopted other browsers don't, either).

Luckilly, I don't need to go learn how to change IE, I don't need to spend the time on it. I can download another browser that has customizability built in and use it, instead. (I believe your use of "lack of customizablility" is incorrect, as what you did was modify the program, you weren't able to just go into the menus and check or uncheck custom settings that were already there.)

What tools did you use to make your custom broswers, if I may ask? (I'm not sure what you mean by IDE, as that just stands for Integraded Drive (or Drive) Electronics).

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

Programs like Dot.NET, Visual studio, Borland Delphi C++ and Pascal are examples of IDE's. Current favorite Dot.NET. Before that Borland Delphi Pascal for com development. and Visual Studio 6 for graphics and real time stuff

Also I did not change one line of code. I simple dragged operating system components into a new project. Though I did add some code, it was not much.

There are times that you will not find the software to do the job, and with a little programming knowledge and some modern development tools, you can get most problems sorted in a short time.

I have nothing against the other browsers, except their inability to progress. Standing back and waiting for the W3C to say cool or uncool is not what I call progressive development.