It is time to switch
If you are still using Internet Explorer for your browsing, it is time to switch. Firefox is rapidly gaining market share and is a better and safer browser. If you haven't switched already, now is the time. I used to take a halfway measure and suggest that people use Slimbrowser or some other improvement built on the IE base, but no longer. Firefox works so well there is no reason to use the IE base at all.
Why switch?
1. Firefox is much safer.
Secunia is a well respected international security company. They have issued 6 security advisories showing security problems with Firefox. They have issued 76 such advisories for Internet Explorer. This is, I think a fair comparison. Internet Explorer is probably about 12 times as dangerous as Firefox.
2. Firefox does not do Active X
The worst and most dangerous problems on the Web use the Active X components made by Microsoft. These allow a site you visit to install and run programs on your computer. Under Internet Options on your computer, you will find 5 separate controls to configure how IE will handle Active X under different circumstances. This mess is unusable. Even Microsoft says so.
Their recommendation is that you turn off Active X and then turn it on for "trusted sites". Trusted sites are those you want to allow to put programs on your computer and run them because you trust them. You not only trust them regarding what they will do, you trust that they are competent enough not to allow a hacker to take over their site and put their own Active X controls on it. However, if they were that security conscious, they would not be using Active X in the first place.
Firefox simply does not do Active X.
3. Firefox does not have Browser Helper objects
Internet Explorer made their system pretty open allowing people to write "Browser Helper Objects" to expand the capability of IE. Some, like the Adobe Acrobat Reader Helper Object are useful, enabling you to read PDF files from within your browser. But, thousands of bad ones pervade the web. These get installed on your computer and control IE without you even knowing they were put there. One of WinPatrol's functions is to guard against phantom Browser helper objects. To view my previous newsletter articles on WinPatrol click here:
Firefox does not do those dangerous objects, but instead extends functionality with much safer Extension technology. With that, you confirm the addition and installation of particular extensions which can be monitored, updated or uninstalled via the Tools⁄Extensions menu option.
4. Firefox is not part of the operating system
By being part of the operating system, problems with IE create much more danger than problems with a simple program like Firefox. This means, if there is a problem, the amount of damage with Firefox is likely to be less.
5. Firefox has tabbed browsing
Tabbed Browsing is offered by every modern browser except IE. When you do a search for example, you may find 3 or 4 interesting items. You can open each of those in a tab and move quickly and easily from one to another without having to reload any pages. You can also preserve your original search.
6. Firefox has extensions
Firefox extensions are very cool. For example, when I open my browser, it contacts Weather.com and gets the next three days weather reports which it places on little icons in the bottom right of my browser window. With FireFox you have access to hundreds of extensions to tailor the browser to your own personal needs and preferences.
7. If you need IE, then use the "IEView" extension
Another extension I use on rare occasion is the "IEView" extension. If I am on a site which requires Active X and I am willing to risk its dangers, then I can right click on the page or link and select IEVIEW and FireFox will launch IE to view the page or link. After viewing that page I can close IE, to limit the duration of my increased risk.
Summary