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My computer with Windows 98 was starting to slow down, plus I wanted a bigger hard drive, etc., so I bought a Hewlett-Packard with Windows XP. When I finally found the time to unpack it and start putting it together, I read that it had Netscape for its browser and not Internet Explorer. I am totally unfamiliar with Netscape and have used IE at home and work for over 10 years. I've done a lot of surfing, trying to see which is a better browser, and I'm getting conflicting opinions (no surprise): Some say IE7 is the best, some say Netscape is the best, and some say Foxfire 2 is the best. I'd be very interested to hear your opinions on these three browsers, pro and con, before I decide what to do. Also, I have used Outlook Express for e-mails (at home and at work) and am not anxious to try a different e-mail program (I tried Hotmail and hate it)! Is it safe to assume that I cannot use Outlook Express if my browser is Netscape? To download Outlook Express, don't I have to download Internet Explorer? Thanks in advance to all for your opinions/advice/recommendations!
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If you are happy with what you have been using for several years, why change? Personally, I prefer Firefox and the Thunderbird email program. I'm sure you can use OE with Firefox. I used the Netscape browsers for a long time and switched over to Firefox. Firefox is much better. Firefox is fast and opens a lot of sites that Netscape wouldn't. IE does open some sites better because the sites are made for IE. My suggestion is to keep IE, it should already be loaded on your system, and try Firefox also. They can both run without any problems. If you decide you don't like Firefox, just uninstall it. No problem. The best is to try it for yourself and see how it works for you, not for other people. Just my 2 cents.
Back when Netscape was the preferred browser, I used it and Outlook Express without any problems.
I currently use Firefox 99% of the time and still use Outlook Express.
As far as browsers go, the "best" browser is the one you like the best. They all let you look at websites and download stuff, so the one that does it the way you like it done and looks the way you like it to look is the "best" browser for you.
packfan -
Your new comp w/ XP has internet Explorer installed. ALL windows XP computers have Internet Explorer. It's just that the manufacturer setup the model with Netscape as the default web browser. They may also have remoced the standard Internet Explorer shortcuts in the menus and on the Desktop.
Just go to Control Panel > Internet Options > Programs Tab and put a checkmark in "Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser". Then start Internet Explorer and you will get a prompt to mkae it your default browser, choose "yes".
The "best browser" should be based on "what are you using the browser for?". I use Internet Explorer and Firefox for different things. I do web development so must test my code in different browsers to make sure my sites look the way I want. I also use Firefox when mobile in my laptop because there are fewer security vulnerabilities with Firefox, meaning I have more manual control over what is downloaded that could possibly affect my computer. I love both of these browsers.
Good advice. You asked for many opinions so I'll add mine. I use Firefox 2 as my default browser. Why? It's fast, secure, updated quickly, has extensions and is customizable. It also has many great help forums where folks will answer your questions should you have a problem. As for IE, I also use IE 7 sporadically. As has been mentioned, some sites are made with Front Page and therefore open more readily with IE. I also use Opera 9 but again, only sporadically. In the end, the best browser (as many have already said) is the one with which you are most comfortable. For me, that is Firefox hands down.
I prefer using Opera 9.xx as my main browser with Outlook Express for trusted emails. I still have IE6 for updates. IE7 will have to wait until the majority of the bugs are worked out and I refuse to go back to Firefox after all of the issues I had with it up to version 1.02, which is when I switched to Opera..
I'm very happy with Firefox 2, for the reasons given, but if you find that IE7 is not on your system, you should download and install it because there are a few sites, still, which do not display as they should in Firefox, and you can install an extension (Addon) to Firefox, called ietab, which you can use to open the site in an IE tab, within Firefox. That they do not display as they should is not the 'fault' of Firefox - just that they use non-standard coding, which IE is less sensitive to.
You can, of course continue to use Outlook Express as your mail client (though I use Thunderbird, and, if you wish to, you can still keep Outlook Express on your system, say with all your old emails, if you transferred them across - or, transfer them into Thunderbird, I believe).
None of these things interfere with each other; it's just a matter of personal choice. I think I'd probably uninstall Netscape, however...
I use Opera 9.xx almost exclusively it's small fast and so many great features and it's getting better all the time.
I also use Thunderbird as my e-mail client also a great program. But then again that's why there is vanilla and chocolate everyone sees it differently.
I have just recently changed my "default" browser to Firefox 2.0 from IE 7.0...here's why:
I am 54 years old, and I have "issues" with the size of on-screen text. I find that Firefox *typically* renders websites better (by "re-flowing" text) than IE does (because IE doesn't enlarge text by "re-flowing" it, usually). Today's higher resolution monitors make text and icons nearly invisibly small for old geezers like myself so if I buy a new computer, I have to find how to read...or quit reading ;-)
I also use IE Express as my email program (even though I'm toying with the notion of using Outlook because of its ability to use "add-ins"), and have for many years. My only (current) problem with IE Express is the fact that I can't figure out how to enlarge the size of text in e-mails (now that I've increased my screen resolution).
I hope that this post has informed your decision somewhat, but I have to tell you that I was "blown away" by your statement that you'd bought a new computer and had "finally gotten around to" unpacking and setting it up. I (personally) couldn't wait 5 minutes after receiving a new PC to set it up!
Best regards (and I'm jealous of your new PC)
Dale
Today's higher resolution monitors make text and icons nearly invisibly small for old geezers like myself so if I buy a new computer, I have to find how to read...or quit reading ;-)
Dale,
You can change the screen resolution to match your needs. Just because new machines are supplied with a high resolution does not mean you have stick with that higher resolution. To change the screen resolution:
Open the display properties in control panel (or right click on your desktop and select properties)
Select the settings tab
On the settings tab is a slider labelled Screen area or screen resolution. Move the slider to the resolution you want to use and click on Apply
The screen size will change and a message pop up prompting you to confirm that you want to use this resolution. It it looks OK, confirm the change by clicking on the Yes button. If you don't confirm the change the screen will revert back to the original size.
When you have a resolution you want to use, click on OK on the Display settings window.
With resolution, the smaller the numbers, the bigger everything will appear. Common screen resolutions are 1024x768 where the text is smaller than 800x600, with 640x480 giving the largest text size. The compromise is that the larger everything gets, the less you get on screen. So the smaller resolutions don't get used any more.
Sometimes you can hit a resolution that the monitor can't display and you'll get a blank screen. That's OK. Just don't hit any keys or click with the mouse. The resolution confirmation won't be confirmed and after a few seconds the screen will revert back to your previous setting.
With TFT screens there are resolutions that the monitor works best with. You may have to compromise between using a resolution that best matches your monitor (and therefore is at its sharpest) and one that gives you large enough text.
WOW !! is that ever a loaded question.
Asking which browser is better is like asling which car is better.
Jane Doe likes. #1. John Doe like #2 I like neither. Also it may well not depend all on what we like. What works best with our machine may have something to do with things.
Quote:
I am 54 years old, and I have "issues" with the size of on-screen text.
Speaking of eyes, one of the features I like about IE7 is the zoom feature which scales up or down the whole web page including images, not just text. Really nice on a wide screen Monitor.
Hi Dale, If you have a wheel mouse-hold CTRL key and move the wheel on your mouse and text size will increase or decrease whichever way you turn the wheel. You may have to set up for one line at a time use through Control Panel>Printers/Hardware>Mouse>Magic where you can set the number of lines to scroll. Neil
Opera
