I've used IE for about 5 months from my last HDD fomart now and I have not gotten any SpyWare.
That you know of. Spyware doesn't announce itself. I can almost guarantee that if you are using IE, browsing quite a bit, and don't have some sort of software spyware detector like Symantec or McAfee, you've got spyware. Double those chances if you don't keep up with your Microsoft patches at least monthly.
I just use yahoo or google to search and since I have no idea what tab browsing is I don't miss it. Firefox.
I like FF more than IE, and the feedback/help system is a million times better than Microsoft, who have an update page which may, or may not, let you know that you need that critical update so your computer is safe.
Also the plug-ins and extensions make Firefox a better browser. Also the Mozilla Thunderbird mail client is much better than Outlook Express.
I use Thunderbird, too, MMLH. It allows you to import your mailbox from OE or Netscape, which is what I was using before as a mail client.
I just pretty much despise Microsoft, their anti-worker and anti-compe ive practices, and the security holes you could drive a truck through. I use only what I have to for work, and my current home computer runs Win2K (all patches and SPs) and Office 97, and that will likely be the last Microsoft OS that I load on my PC. I'll probably go with something like Lin-dows, with maybe a dual boot to do work at home.
Yep, Thunderbird rocks too. And they've got the calendar software now to go with it too (dunno if it's integrated yet or not, but saw they have it).
If you are using IE you have spyware on your computer. It's as simple as that - there's alot of spyware that doesn't manifest itself so you're unaware of it until you use special software to detect it.
Pop-ups are just an annoying internet thing and are not always linked to spyware. So if you block pop-ups you haven't done much yet.
E20: My computers are just fine thank you very much - I'm in broadcasting equipment so I can never get enough performance regardless of the latest hardware I use. Despite that it is stupid to use memory and CPU power just to run a rather ugly hack that is needed to compensate badly written software.
Firefox and Thunderbird are "dumb" applications in the sense that they are designed to perform a single task (web browsing and e-mail client) and perform it well. Microsoft was trying to be smart and incorporated all sorts of functionality in their programs in order to "make them work together better" (which btw is a BS argument from MS Marketing). They actually run a sreies of services in the background that most user never know about - some of those services have very high-level permissions (ie starting other services/applications). And once those services are found out - hackers will take advantage of them and use them to run their own malicious code.
And one other thing I hate about MS. You have to regularly update you windows (otherwise you're in even more trouble) but some of those updates actually modify your windows settings without telling you. If you go and disable all background services in Windows (something that is time consuming to do), chances are that you will find some of those services magically re-appear after and update.
I do not hate Microsoft per say - but their latest "master of the world" at ude is creating more problems than it is solving. Their newest releases are less about improvement of the software and more about protecting their market share.
Don't take it to personally Slomo.
No offense, but if you can't keep your computer spyware-free using IE and Outlook, you have no business using a computer. I use both extensively and about the only spyware I ever get is tracking cookies that get through Firefox just the same.
Firefox is better than IE, no doubt. But it's the extra features like tabbed browsing that make it better. The security thing is way overblown. If you won't make the effort to keep your computer secure Firefox isn't going to save you.
Don't take it to personally Slomo.
You're right. But Microsoft's at ude is really pissing me off the past few years. It's quite obvious to me that they could fix a lot of the issue - but they don't because it's more profitable right now, in the long run though I have to believe it will come back and bite them in the ass.
Slomo is right, Firefox is not all that...
Firefox has just celebrated its 50 millionth download
The Mozilla Foundation, maker of the open source web browser Firefox, has released a security patch to plug two critical security flaws in the browser.
BBC NewsThe flaws were found last week by net security experts. Danish firm, Secunia, called them "extremely critical".
Mozilla has now recommended people upgrade to the latest version, Firefox 1.0.4, which is a security update.
Firefox is Microsoft Internet Explorer's (IE) main rival. IE has dominated the browser market.
But many have switched to Firefox because, so far, it has had fewer security flaws than IE and is more customisable.
Although the vulnerabilities, reported on Saturday, had been identified no cases had been reported of them being exploited.
Secunia said they were "extremely critical" because they could have let cookie and history information be used to get access to personal information or access previously visited sites.
The first flaw reported fooled the browser into thinking software was being installed by a legitimate, or safe, website.
The second was related to the software installation trigger which was not able to properly check icon web addresses which contain JavaScript code.
Potentially, a hacker could have taken advantage of the security flaws to secretly launch malicious code or programs.
Chipping away
Firefox has had more than 50 million downloads since its formal launch in November 2004.
Since then, it has chipped away at IE's dominance, but there are signs that its take-up is slowing down, according to recent figures.
IE fell a percentage in its share of the browser market, net monitoring company WebSideStory said on Tuesday.
Microsoft's browser now has a 88.9% share, while Firefox's share has risen just over a point to 6.8%. Previously, IE dominated more than 95% of the browser market.
But Microsoft is set to release another, more secure, version of IE in the summer.
The Mozilla Foundation was set up by former browser maker Netscape in 1998. Netscape dominated the browser market in the early 1990s.
No offense taken. I keep my computer operating smooth and clean.No offense, but if you can't keep your computer spyware-free using IE and Outlook, you have no business using a computer. I use both extensively and about the only spyware I ever get is tracking cookies that get through Firefox just the same.
The problem is probably 80% of all internet users worldwide don't know what the they're doing, or are naive to the issues altogether, and therein lies the problem.
I went out to one of our clients a few weeks ago to teach them some new features on our software, and ended up having to stay an extra two days because I spent the first two cleaning all the trojans, spyware, and junk off their computers that they had downloaded through "cute little email emoticons" one of the secretaries had downloaded and sent to all her colleagues (and they had McAfee on all computers, it didn't catch any of it - just more proof that company's security suite sucks ass).
Now tell us what their reaction was when you charged them for the extra time. When it happens to us they always challenge the invoice, almost blaming us for the spyware (although telling the manager in a private meeting that visiting www.underage-fetish-asian-bestiality.com from the office is not a good idea usually takes care of that)
P.S. I would not have been surprised if that linke actually worked
I love FireFox and Thunderbird. The tabbed browsing is my favorite. But, are all of you going to switch back on IE7 it has tabbed browsing also
Doubtful. Tabbed browsing is great...as long as it doesn't come with the Lincoln Tunnel sized security holes heralded by every release of IE. I've never used IE at home.But, are all of you going to switch back on IE7 it has tabbed browsing also.
Yeah IE is terrible, but damn Microsoft has been working on IE7 and Longhorn for what 5 years now....they had to have gotten something right
Don't count on it. There is already some talk that upgrading to Longhorn could be a step backwards for some from the near rock-solid stability of Windows XP, and the price.Yeah IE is terrible, but damn Microsoft has been working on IE7 and Longhorn for what 5 years now....they had to have gotten something right
Don't underestimate MS's ability to adobt and take on industry compe ors, just look at what happened to Netscape in the browser wars.
Windows XP is in no way rock-solid stable. It's hard to run it more than a week without it becoming noticably slower. Also, isn't IE7 going to be strictly for Longhorn?
Yes I believe it is strictly for Longhorn. I thought that Longhorn was going to be a great OS when it came out from the Press Reports. I have to look everything up again b/c I can't remember, but I seem to recall that they've cancelled some of the projects they were working on in order to bring the release date back down.
Also I think that it was smart for MS to put IE on their OS's. But anybody that understands about browsers will also choose the best. The reason it was smart to do it, is for people who either don't know or don't care. They will use IE just b/c it's convienient.
PS - I love this picture though I'm sure most of you have seen it.
ow tell us what their reaction was when you charged them for the extra time.
Screw IE7, it's still gonna have the same security holes. I have a bud who works up at MS in Washington. Their whole policy on security is to let the hobbyists out there find the holes and report to them, then they'll fix it.
That's a ty way to treat your customers.
I agree but that's also what you get to do when your company is as close to a monopoly as they are. Maybe that's why so many people are switching to Linux and Apple.
Someday I'll make the switch but am I able to play PC games on those platforms? That is the only reason I'm still on XP
The security problems with MS are exactly why I really dig my iMac G5 and the new OSX Tiger system.
Wow I have been slacking when did Tiger come out??
Late last month.
LOL.. that's my desktop wallpaper. Linux has been my main OS for a while now. A couple of months ago I put XP back on and hated it so much because of the constant need to update and get rid of viruses (also, explorer can be ridiculously slow at times). So I said screw it, made a small Windows 98 par ion for my games with all network, IE, explorer, and HTML engine files removed (with litestep as the interface), and then built a 2.6.10-based linux with SSP (stack smashing protection to kill buffer overflow attacks), PaX stack and heap overflow protection, position independent executables, and blowfish passwords. It's still fast as , and I'm not too worried about the 2% or so dropoff in performance with it since my most taxing application (games) are all on the windows par ion.Yes I believe it is strictly for Longhorn. I thought that Longhorn was going to be a great OS when it came out from the Press Reports. I have to look everything up again b/c I can't remember, but I seem to recall that they've cancelled some of the projects they were working on in order to bring the release date back down.
Also I think that it was smart for MS to put IE on their OS's. But anybody that understands about browsers will also choose the best. The reason it was smart to do it, is for people who either don't know or don't care. They will use IE just b/c it's convienient.
PS - I love this picture though I'm sure most of you have seen it.
Last edited by baseline bum; 05-17-2005 at 02:18 PM.
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