Considering switching to Mozilla Firefox, a few questions…

[Matt_Smi]

I am currently using IE 6 as my web browser and am considering switching to Mozilla Firefox mainly for security reasons (and tabbed browsing seems cool). I have a few questions though; I will still be able to use IE if I want correct? From what I understand the install imports all of you IE favorites and settings into firefox right? When you add a new site to your favorites on firefox does it also add the site to your favorites in IE? And is there anything you really need to setup or configure with it, or do you just install it and its ready to use? Thanks for answering some newb questions about this browser.

[Lobos]

Hi 123456789

Originally Posted by 123456789 I will still be able to use IE if I want correct?

yes i just switched over and both work fine

Originally Posted by 123456789 From what I understand the install imports all of you IE favorites and settings into firefox right?

yes it will ask you if you want to import them

Originally Posted by 123456789 When you add a new site to your favorites on firefox does it also add the site to your favorites in IE?

no it has its own bookmark or favorites list if you add a site into your bookmarks in firefox it will not show up in IE and visa versa.

I just checked it out

Originally Posted by 123456789 And is there anything you really need to setup or configure with it, or do you just install it and its ready to use?

its basically ready to use i had to install some the flash plugin for firefox to play some games but it is pretty much ready to use



hope this helps

Lobos

[HellFish]

Im considering switching to FireFox also. What is your impressions of it and is it worth it to switch?

[doctorgonzo]

Impressions: a fine browser. Worth making the switch? Definitely. Fast, easy to use, lots of extensions and skins, better security.

[kram 2.0]

I just switched two of my three computers over to Firefox for security reasons, and so far, I think it's working quite well. It runs as fast as MSIE, but is probably far less vulnerable. I like the tabbed browsing, though I probably almost never use it - I have the MSIE tendency of using Ctrl+N . So in reply, it has almost all the good features about MSIE, and more - I like it.

Hope that helps,
kram

[Statica]

Some further information on tabbed browsing etc. Its a really great tool and prevents you from getting cluttered with taskbar entries. Take this forum for example, from the mail forum middle click (yeah the middle button click finally has a pervasive use or you can use CTRL+left click) on a sub forum link like Internet/WWW and voila you've got a new tab.
Check out the themes and added extensions to increase the functionality of the browser.

[Kubie]

One thing to remember is that you won't mess anything up by trying Firefox. It is a stand alone program and you can install/uninstall if you don't like it.
As a matter of fact, I can use both IE6 and Firefox, (not at the same time). You just set the browser you want to use as the default.
I have IE6, Opera, and Firefox installed and switch around to see the differences in them.
Don't be afraid to try Opera or Firefox as they can be removed easily.
Carl

[colecifer]

Originally Posted by Kubie One thing to remember is that you won't mess anything up by trying Firefox. It is a stand alone program and you can install/uninstall if you don't like it. As a matter of fact, I can use both IE6 and Firefox, (not at the same time). You just set the browser you want to use as the default. I have IE6, Opera, and Firefox installed and switch around to see the differences in them. Don't be afraid to try Opera or Firefox as they can be removed easily. Carl

I can use ie and firefox at the same time, i do it all the time when i have multiple tabs open and one of them is built only for IE i just copy the link and paste it into an IE window and that way i don't have to close all the tabs.

[Matt_Smi]

Cool I will defiantly give Firefox a try then; does it also make your system less susceptible to viruses and trojans? Or only from spyware?

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by 123456789 Cool I will defiantly give Firefox a try then; does it also make your system less susceptible to viruses and trojans? Or only from spyware?

Well, looks at it this way - put yourself in the shoes of a viri maker. To try to target more people, you would make your viri compatible for the most popular browser...which is as of the moment, MSIE. Also, right now, a division of the Department of Homeland issued a recommendation to switch from MSIE to an alternate browser, Mozilla Firefox being a viable option. As for safer, yes, I found that malware are coming in a little less - those that come through browsers and visiting websites.

Hope that helps,
kram

[mrdeeye]

I like the tabbed browsing, though I probably almost never use it - I have the MSIE tendency of using Ctrl+N .

i had that tendency as well...within a day or so i switched that over to Ctrl+T for New Tab . I LOVE the tabbed browsing...love it love it love it. Its also cool to have differnt windows for different subjects your researching or looking at. so a window with 2 or 3 tabs of one subject another with some tabs of another and so on....its great...gotta love Firefox

[Statica]

Well, looks at it this way - put yourself in the shoes of a viri maker. To try to target more people, you would make your viri compatible for the most popular browser...which is as of the moment, MSIE. Also, right now, a division of the Department of Homeland issued a recommendation to switch from MSIE to an alternate browser, Mozilla Firefox being a viable option. As for safer, yes, I found that malware are coming in a little less - those that come through browsers and visiting websites.

That has always been a constant tag line hasn't it. The reason why you switch to the browser isn't centrally because there are people coding for a popular browser. FYI, there have always been exploits on IE and OE; ever since their adoption of the ActiveX and other "features". By comparison the original Netscape versions didnt have those exploits (crashes on the Windows platform yes, but vulnerabilities no) The reason why CERT and other concerned agencies are recommending the switch isnt because it isnt popular and hence there are fewer vulnerabilties but because it is an infinitely more secure platform. There is also the confidence that should a hole appear there is a MUCH larger coding community out there that handles patches and fixes than a central organization like a company that is already way behind schedule on a number of critical patches. By your reasoning, there should be more critical unpatched vulnerabilities for Apache than IIS because Apache is more popular (not true). Heck look at the pace of development, there are usually nightly builds used for testing and available for download.

[z3frog]

if you want tabbed browsing, skins, and little icons in tabs that show how much a page had loaded, consider Slimbrowser. there's also a popup blocker, and it uses much less resources than IE. the browser's based on IE though.