How is the browser war in your life?
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I've been using Opera for years (I think they were one of the first browsers that I came across with tabs and have had them since about version 5 or something, and Speed Dial is extremely useful), but I second with Firefox and only touch IE when I need to - testing during development work or looking on Microsoft websites etc. Of course, unfortunately I have to use all of them during web dev testing, as I like to aim for full compatibility in IE, FF, Opera, Safari (and now Chrome) but I find that the only real annoyance is IE, which still is the black sheep. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
I too have been using, and loving Opera for years. Favourite feature: Persistant tabs. When windows update, a crash, or misclick on a close button kills your browser, just start it back up and you're right where you left off. Would be nice to have some way of writing extensions/bars into the browser though, widgets are kinda useless IMO (other than the aquarium)
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
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So, how goes it with you all, have you settled on a browser and all happy with it yet? With all the different browsers to choose from, are you good to go now? I switched back over to IE 7 when I started using Vista 64. So far it seems to handle everything pretty good and I have no major complaints. Love the searchbox on the for left side and have a bunch of different search providers. IE 7 seems to handle my 300 or so RSS feed pretty good and I really like the fact it is built in without the need of another app to handle feeds. My only complaints (or wish list) is I would like to be able to use more space in the frame by condensing bars better, but not a biggy. The other would be that it forgets my user name/passwords for different sites at times and I have to hunt them up again, not that big of deal either. So, what about you, what is your favorite, why, and how long have you been with it?
Rocky <>< Recent Blog Post: One method of adding Odiogo to Subtext
Many people think a browser is a browser is a browser and see no reason to switch from whatever is their default. My own browser history (for primary browser) has been Netscape from 1994 to roughly 1998. Then IE 4 to IE 6. During that time I tried Opera as an alternative but didn't regard it as god enough to be primary. For about the past couple of years or so it's been Firefox as my No. 1. IE 7 is better than IE 6 but still doesn't cut the mustard for me for various reasons. Not yet tried Chrome and don't plan to do so for a while. Still have Opera as an alternative.
Rocky Moore wrote:
The other would be that it forgets my user name/passwords for different sites at times and I have to hunt them up again
I tried IE7 as default at work for a while earlier this year but then gave up because of this kind of thing. It kept losing my Google login. As I use the Google services constantly this was a major usability faux pas.
Kevin
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I too have been using, and loving Opera for years. Favourite feature: Persistant tabs. When windows update, a crash, or misclick on a close button kills your browser, just start it back up and you're right where you left off. Would be nice to have some way of writing extensions/bars into the browser though, widgets are kinda useless IMO (other than the aquarium)
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
Yeah persistent tabs are brilliant :) Especially when you have about 10 tabs open and then Windows decides to screw up. That would be my suggestion too - they seem to be quite good at putting new and useful features into Opera so perhaps some sort of extensions feature will be built into a future version. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
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FireFox is my default, mainly because of FireBug. Can't even begin to tell you how many problems I've solved with it. Plus, I can spy on other websites, which gives me the illusion I might be in control. If FireBug was available for other browsers, I might be convinced to switch, or at least feel like I have other options. I run Chrome too, but haven't really put it through it's paces, although the javascript does seem faster.
- S 50 cups of coffee and you know it's on! A post a day, keeps the white coats away!
Steve Echols wrote:
mainly because of FireBug. Can't even begin to tell you how many problems I've solved with it.
Same here. I had Firebug installed at home for ages but never had cause to use it. Then I was doing heavy CSS and JavaScript at work this year. My first Eureka moment was struggling with CSS for hours and hours. Then decided to try Firebug and started solving problems within a few minutes. After that it was "JavaScript hell" and I lost count of the number of times it led me out. :) However, it also means that I now hate JavaScript with a vengeance. :mad:
Kevin
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Yeah persistent tabs are brilliant :) Especially when you have about 10 tabs open and then Windows decides to screw up. That would be my suggestion too - they seem to be quite good at putting new and useful features into Opera so perhaps some sort of extensions feature will be built into a future version. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
Hmm, well i tend to use tabs instead of bookmarks. I have 3 browser windows on my laptop each with 15-20 tabs, and one on my PC (acts as 3rd screen) with 16 tabs right now :)
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
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Steve Echols wrote:
mainly because of FireBug. Can't even begin to tell you how many problems I've solved with it.
Same here. I had Firebug installed at home for ages but never had cause to use it. Then I was doing heavy CSS and JavaScript at work this year. My first Eureka moment was struggling with CSS for hours and hours. Then decided to try Firebug and started solving problems within a few minutes. After that it was "JavaScript hell" and I lost count of the number of times it led me out. :) However, it also means that I now hate JavaScript with a vengeance. :mad:
Kevin
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Many people think a browser is a browser is a browser and see no reason to switch from whatever is their default. My own browser history (for primary browser) has been Netscape from 1994 to roughly 1998. Then IE 4 to IE 6. During that time I tried Opera as an alternative but didn't regard it as god enough to be primary. For about the past couple of years or so it's been Firefox as my No. 1. IE 7 is better than IE 6 but still doesn't cut the mustard for me for various reasons. Not yet tried Chrome and don't plan to do so for a while. Still have Opera as an alternative.
Rocky Moore wrote:
The other would be that it forgets my user name/passwords for different sites at times and I have to hunt them up again
I tried IE7 as default at work for a while earlier this year but then gave up because of this kind of thing. It kept losing my Google login. As I use the Google services constantly this was a major usability faux pas.
Kevin
Kevin McFarlane wrote:
I tried IE7 as default at work for a while earlier this year but then gave up because of this kind of thing. It kept losing my Google login.
Maybe that is how it is built, to foget Google ;) With my system, it seems it is months before it fogets, but it gets a little annoying.
Rocky <>< Recent Blog Post: One method of adding Odiogo to Subtext
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IE Developer Toolbar: http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=E59C3964-672D-4511-BB3E-2D5E1DB91038&displaylang=en[^] Doesn't seem as powerful as firebug but its still useful
I use that as well. But it's nowhere near as good as Firebug. A good test of this was when I had CSS and JavaScript problems at work earlier this year. Despite repeated troubleshooting with IE Dev Toolbar I got nowhere. Loaded up Firebug and started solving problems in minutes. Having said that IE Dev Toolbar is still useful in certain contexts. For example, I find it more convenient to use than Firebug with web testing tools such as WatiN.
Kevin
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Hmm, well i tend to use tabs instead of bookmarks. I have 3 browser windows on my laptop each with 15-20 tabs, and one on my PC (acts as 3rd screen) with 16 tabs right now :)
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
M Harris wrote:
I have 3 browser windows on my laptop each with 15-20 tabs, and one on my PC (acts as 3rd screen) with 16 tabs right now
Wow ouch.. I was going to say you're an early starter as its only Sunday 10am here but then I saw you're in Australia ;P At the peak of development work/boredom I usually only have about 10-20 tabs open at once.. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
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Maxthon is based on the IE engine, correct? I tried mouse gestures once, but couldn't get the hang of it. Backspace key was much faster than trying to draw an arrow with the mouse, at least for me. :) Maybe I'll give them another shot, although I have a touch screen laptop now, with way to many input devices - touchpad, stylus, finger, wireless mouse, fingerprint reader, keyboard. All I need is voice recognition and wet wire to complete the collection!
- S 50 cups of coffee and you know it's on! A post a day, keeps the white coats away!
Steve Echols wrote:
I tried mouse gestures once, but couldn't get the hang of it.
I first discovered mouse gestures several years ago in Opera. At the time I wasn't impressed. What hooked me was (ironically) IE7. I spent a period earlier this year forcing myself to make use of IE7. But, being a Firefox user, I missed the extensions and other things. I then discovered the IE7Pro add-in that, among other things, has mouse gestures. I decided to give them a go again and now I'm hooked. So I then installed the mouse gestures extension in FF. Of course, I still use the other methods of navigation but there are certain contexts when it is more convenient to move the mouse.
Kevin
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M Harris wrote:
I have 3 browser windows on my laptop each with 15-20 tabs, and one on my PC (acts as 3rd screen) with 16 tabs right now
Wow ouch.. I was going to say you're an early starter as its only Sunday 10am here but then I saw you're in Australia ;P At the peak of development work/boredom I usually only have about 10-20 tabs open at once.. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
17:15 here now. I dont close tabs much, like i say i use them as bookmarks for things i use reguarly, or want to look at later/might forget heh. also - mouse gestures are cool, thats how i close most of my tabs. "paste and go" to the address bar, and searching in the address bar with g for google.
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
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So, how goes it with you all, have you settled on a browser and all happy with it yet? With all the different browsers to choose from, are you good to go now? I switched back over to IE 7 when I started using Vista 64. So far it seems to handle everything pretty good and I have no major complaints. Love the searchbox on the for left side and have a bunch of different search providers. IE 7 seems to handle my 300 or so RSS feed pretty good and I really like the fact it is built in without the need of another app to handle feeds. My only complaints (or wish list) is I would like to be able to use more space in the frame by condensing bars better, but not a biggy. The other would be that it forgets my user name/passwords for different sites at times and I have to hunt them up again, not that big of deal either. So, what about you, what is your favorite, why, and how long have you been with it?
Rocky <>< Recent Blog Post: One method of adding Odiogo to Subtext
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I've been using Opera for years (I think they were one of the first browsers that I came across with tabs and have had them since about version 5 or something, and Speed Dial is extremely useful), but I second with Firefox and only touch IE when I need to - testing during development work or looking on Microsoft websites etc. Of course, unfortunately I have to use all of them during web dev testing, as I like to aim for full compatibility in IE, FF, Opera, Safari (and now Chrome) but I find that the only real annoyance is IE, which still is the black sheep. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
Perspx wrote:
I have to use all of them during web dev testing
Yes, I discovered some interesting things testing with all of them.
Perspx wrote:
the only real annoyance is IE, which still is the black sheep.
Strangely enough I would often find that ASP.NET worked better with Firefox than IE! Maybe this is because ASP.NET was designed to be standards compliant by default and IE not?
Kevin
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Kevin McFarlane wrote:
However, it also means that I now hate JavaScript with a vengeance.
Haven't you always done that? :confused: Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
No, I used to hate it. But now I hate it with a vengeance. :laugh:
Kevin
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17:15 here now. I dont close tabs much, like i say i use them as bookmarks for things i use reguarly, or want to look at later/might forget heh. also - mouse gestures are cool, thats how i close most of my tabs. "paste and go" to the address bar, and searching in the address bar with g for google.
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.
M Harris wrote:
also - mouse gestures are cool
Definitely - another cool thing I found out is that I use an Apple mighty mouse with my Windows PC and the side squeeze buttons (by chance) act as a back button - so useful! :) Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
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Perspx wrote:
I have to use all of them during web dev testing
Yes, I discovered some interesting things testing with all of them.
Perspx wrote:
the only real annoyance is IE, which still is the black sheep.
Strangely enough I would often find that ASP.NET worked better with Firefox than IE! Maybe this is because ASP.NET was designed to be standards compliant by default and IE not?
Kevin
Kevin McFarlane wrote:
Yes, I discovered some interesting things testing with all of them.
Whenever I write web apps or anything to do with JavaScript, whenever I sort out the bugs in FF, Opera and Safari, I test the damn thing in IE and I have another 20 bugs to sort out, and visa versa :mad:
Kevin McFarlane wrote:
Strangely enough I would often find that ASP.NET worked better with Firefox than IE!
:laugh: that's great!
Kevin McFarlane wrote:
Maybe this is because ASP.NET was designed to be standards compliant by default and IE not?
I don't know.. MS have never been one to stick to standards - they created JScript which has plagued us all for the last 10 years, for instance. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
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No, I used to hate it. But now I hate it with a vengeance. :laugh:
Kevin
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:laugh: Fair enough. The web really is a mess... :sigh: Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
Unfortunately, the way things are going it seems that we may have to get our hands even more dirty with this stuff rather than less. My ideal dev scenario would be that stuff such as JavaScript, XML and SQL were completely abstracted away and that you would always code in cleaner, more elegant languages such as C#; or maybe Ruby and Python (not that I've really tried them but they seem more elegant than JavaScript).
Kevin
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Many people think a browser is a browser is a browser and see no reason to switch from whatever is their default. My own browser history (for primary browser) has been Netscape from 1994 to roughly 1998. Then IE 4 to IE 6. During that time I tried Opera as an alternative but didn't regard it as god enough to be primary. For about the past couple of years or so it's been Firefox as my No. 1. IE 7 is better than IE 6 but still doesn't cut the mustard for me for various reasons. Not yet tried Chrome and don't plan to do so for a while. Still have Opera as an alternative.
Rocky Moore wrote:
The other would be that it forgets my user name/passwords for different sites at times and I have to hunt them up again
I tried IE7 as default at work for a while earlier this year but then gave up because of this kind of thing. It kept losing my Google login. As I use the Google services constantly this was a major usability faux pas.
Kevin
Kevin McFarlane wrote:
Many people think a browser is a browser
Yeah, and we don't have reasons to believe otherwise, it certainly is not a spaceship :)
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Unfortunately, the way things are going it seems that we may have to get our hands even more dirty with this stuff rather than less. My ideal dev scenario would be that stuff such as JavaScript, XML and SQL were completely abstracted away and that you would always code in cleaner, more elegant languages such as C#; or maybe Ruby and Python (not that I've really tried them but they seem more elegant than JavaScript).
Kevin
Yes it is unfortunate - it is very unlikely that any of it will be replaced and new standards and formats seem to be introduced all the time which just complicates matters. Regards, --Perspx
Don't trust a computer you can't throw out a window
-- Steve Wozniak
