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Well I thought it was funny.

[computerdude1985]

I use IE, and I prefer it to all other browsers because in my opinion Firefox is way too slow, and Opera is just unbearable with its mediocre speed. IE loads faster for me, and its great. I realize a lot of people don't like it because its the most vulnerable to spyware, viruses, and trojan horses. But mine runs steadily, and the google toolbar is great at preventing pop-ups.

[computerdude1985]

*faints after reading computerdude's post*

Hehe, I like your sense of humor.

I know I'm so naive. I probably have no idea what I am getting myself into.

[computerdude1985]

What about Netscape? Like it?

Haven't tried Netscape in ages. Do you recommend it?

I just think the main problem is my computer. It is so slow, and old. It's in desperate need of an upgrade. Once that is done I will probably use Firefox.

[StarHawk]

Firefox is way too slow, and Opera is just unbearable with its mediocre speed. IE loads faster for me, and its great.

I have 4 low memory machines sitting around here and 3 connect to the internet, Dial up and very slow. So yes IE loads faster, Opera displays faster but actually takes longer to totally finish loading than IE. Firefox takes forever it seems to start up, but loads web pages about as fast as opera. Both opera and firefox use more system resources than IE. The google toolabar seems to do a slightly better job of blocking pop ups than Opera or Firefox. very slight tho, and firefox extensions properly used strengthen firefox's abiltiy greatly. ( I love the remove this object thing and adblock) firefox crashes the easiest when resources are too low, tho the multiple tab thing doesn't effect resources much in firefox or Opera.

All of that tho fades away to nothing on a faster machine with lots of memory.

I know I'm so naive. I probably have no idea what I am getting myself into.

oh yeah!!! IE is a security nightmare. Opera at the moment is the best as far as vuneribility. Firefox is close behind. IE is a mess!!!!
IE has too many problems to even list. Learn what Active-X means or Browser Helper Object (BHO) and maybe you'll wake up. The right spyware prevention tools do help some tho, enough of 'em and you're almost protected. And I haven't even mentioned the dreaded Index.dat files.

After surfing the whole day, with all my firewalls and all strict as ever, I got 2 trojans, and 27 pieces of spyware. Course, I never get anything with Firefox. Beware!

My experience too Bro!!! Funny ain't it. With firefox maybe once a month I get a java virus, easily destroyed and more or less harmless anyway. And thruthfully i suspect the problem is with Sun's java anyway. Maybe not but I think firefox is the way to go, the extensions are great, tabbed browsing is addictive ya can't go back, and spyware/malware issues are minimal. but best of all it's free and Open Source Code.

if a program is not open Source code then you really don't know what it does now do ya? You could dissassemble it but that's prob against the law and anyway who could understand a million lines of machine code?

That said Firefox is the king of the browsers. no comparision at all. This of course reflects my experiences, my observations, and probably my dreams so make of it what you will. After all I am a member of MAPS, and not exactly fond of uncle bill.
---------------------------------------------------Free your mind and your OS will follow

Edited by StarHawk, 20 May 2005 - 10:55 AM.

[computerdude1985]

Very informative, thank you for all of that dude.

[Major Payne]

Both opera and firefox use more system resources than IE.

IE is so integrated with Windows, I wonder if you could actually separate the resources it uses itself from the rest of the resources that the O/S is using at the same time? This is probably why IE loads so fast is because what it needs is already "running" just by having the Windows O/S running. Just a thought.

I only use IE whenever a site requires it. Firefox is the best for me because I use the Web Developer's tools a lot. Wish they would do something about the slow loading. Mozilla you can set to keep some in memory for faster loading, but I only use it once in a while to keep the "engine" cleaned and the "tires" checked, etc.

Ron

[StarHawk]

IE is so integrated with Windows, I wonder if you could actually separate the resources it uses itself from the rest of the resources that the O/S is using at the same time?

That's an extremely good point Major Payne!! I never really understood why Microsoft went that route but they did. And in my mind it's been a problem ever since. A problem you either learn to live with or you switch to Linnex et al.

My comparision above was between internet connected and IE opened on my desktop, no other windows open but with the usual background stuff running, compared to the state it was in right before I opened IE. Compare that with the same for Opera and Firefox.

Firefox is the best for me because I use the Web Developer's tools a lot

Yeah ya gotta love that.

thanks for the info Major

[Major Payne]

Thought everyone might be interested in this from

ConsumerAffairs.com

especially the part in red (color added by me) :

IT Firm Uncovers Identity Theft Scam

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.Com

August 23, 2005
A routine study of a malicious spyware program led an Internet security company to a vast identity-theft criminal enterprise.

The perpetrators used a "keylogger" program to infiltrate users' systems, record their passwords, and feed the information back to a central server. The scammers were able to gain access to thousands of individuals' bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and other vital personal information.

Eric Sites, vice president of research and development for Clearwater, FL-based Sunbelt Software estimates that at least 27,000 personal computers may have been infected.

Patrick Jordan, a Sunbelt employee, was performing an examination of the infamous "CoolWebSearch" spyware program when he noticed the machine he was using sent a notification to another machine.

He traced the notification back to a remote server somewhere in the United States, and was shocked to find it contained records of "passwords for online accounts from 50 banks, eBay and PayPal logins, hundreds of credit card numbers and reams of personal data," according to BBC News.

Sites himself has seen individuals' retirement plans, "investments from Fidelity…all kinds of sensitive stuff."

Alex Eckelberry, president of Sunbelt, posted a warning  regarding the virus on his blog on August 4th and notified the FBI of the ring's existence.

Eckelberry personally contacted several individuals and families whose information was stolen by the identity thieves. The company has been creating special programs to track down and identify the stolen credit card numbers and send them to the major credit companies, with similar plans being developed for banks, as well as PayPal and eBay.

Since the initial discovery, Sunbelt's staff has discovered four variants of the spyware program, which appear to have been utilized by the same people. The server is located in the United States, but the program appears to originate somewhere in Russia.

The "keylogger" program, called "Srv.SSA-KeyLogger", steals information by recording and logging everything a user types on their keyboard. This particular keylogger is part of a Trojan spyware program that infiltrated computers through the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, and copied information stored in the Windows "AutoComplete" feature, such as private passwords and account numbers.

According to Sites, "everything you've done on your computer" can be found in this file.
Customary antivirus or anti-spyware software such as Symantec AntiVirus or McAfee Virus Scan will not detect this particular keylogger program, but Sunbelt is offering a free "cleaner" utility (http://research.sunb...om/ssaclean.cfm) for computers that may have been infected.

Sites also strongly recommended that Windows users install the latest security updates and patches to their software. "None of [the infected computers] had Service Pack 2 on them, and most didn't have Service Pack 1," he said. "Just use the updates and you'll be all right."

Of course, one of the best defenses against spyware -— particularly browser-related spyware -- is the Mozilla Firefox browser. In this case, Firefox does not possess the flaw that renders computers using Internet Explorer vulnerable to the keylogger program.

If companies can't stay safe from this stuff, imagine individual frustration in trying to even discover what's on our PCs. These guys were ITs and caught it because they knew something was wrong. But, notice the normal employees using the PCs neber noticed anything.

[Guse]

The problem is that the more people say "Firefox protects you from damage" the more programmers are gonna say "wanna bet?" and create attacks against a vulnerable Firefox.

I love Firefox and use it exclusively, but challanging virus programmers is never a good idea.