IE versus Google Chrome versus Firefox

[Firefox]

Have never had any security probs with IE, it was just the slowness and the freezing which were exasperating.

Any thoughts about upgrading to Win 7 and office 07 and Android tablet? Your comments much appreciated.

The thing about IE is you pick up malware while browsing and never know it apart from the decrease in speed. When I used to use IE I was forever picking up spyware and malware and I was having to clean it. Ever since Firefox and then AVGfree, problem solved.

Win 7 is quite good, as was XP and Win 2000 NT, I've got Win 7 on my laptop now. I used to have Vista and it sucked big time. It was really slow and horrible. It was the worst OS I ever had apart from the first version of Widows 95.

Office 7, I don't know much about but I can't think it's much different from the previous versions. I think they maxed out word processing and spreadsheets about year 2000. There's only so much you can do with them. We use Open Office at work - free download. It opens all the office files and more. It's more than adequate, free, and updates are free. I don't know why anyone ever bothers with MS office!

I don't have a clue about tablets so can't comment. Except to say I have tried them and I much prefer a small laptop with 12 or 14" screen (not the big ones with 15 or 16") for mobile use.

 

[whitevanwoman]

I'm using Win 7 on my mail laptop and XP on 3 others

I've found both to be stable.

Initially some S/w didn't like Win 7 64 bit but a lot of the bugs have gone now for me.

I prefer the interface of XP, maybe I'm just used to it, but even after 2 yrs Im not keen on the visuals of 7.

Win 7 does seem to require a much faster processor and much more RAM. Bloatware springs to mind, but it is trying to do a lot more than XP did for me.

I'm not highly technical as far as PC's go, but I'm no beginner. I just use it a lot for work and play.

As far as mobile goes, I've no idea. My phone just makes calls, texts and takes pictures!!!

Cheers for that, I got rid of my PC and just have a laptop now with Vista on it (and an old netbook with XP which is on it's last legs but has been much used and loved and will be sadly missed, which is why I'm wondering about an Android tablet to replace it as I love my Android mobile).

Laptop is 2GHz processor, 32 bit and have upgraded RAM from 1GB to 2GB. I never use more than about 50 - 60% RAM routinely but when using IE processing was frequently at 100% and often froze. Big difference in processing seen already with Chrome, hardly touching 100% at all now, staying mainly under 50%.

I do have a bad habit of having Outlook, several browser tabs / windows and Word open at same time but Chrome seems to be coping ok.

I also have a bad Luddite tendency - me no like change, which is why I'm hesitating about upgrading software.

 

[Somelier]

I use Safari. I particularly like the "Top Sites" and History features. Use it both on the dreaded Windows 7 and on my Macs.

 

[whitevanwoman]

The thing about IE is you pick up malware while browsing and never know it apart from the decrease in speed. When I used to use IE I was forever picking up spyware and malware and I was having to clean it. Ever since Firefox and then AVGfree, problem solved.

Win 7 is quite good, as was XP and Win 2000 NT, I've got Win 7 on my laptop now. I used to have Vista and it sucked big time. It was really slow and horrible. It was the worst OS I ever had apart from the first version of Widows 95.

Office 7, I don't know much about but I can't think it's much different from the previous versions. I think they maxed out word processing and spreadsheets about year 2000. There's only so much you can do with them. We use Open Office at work - free download. It opens all the office files and more. It's more than adequate, free, and updates are free. I don't know why anyone ever bothers with MS office!

I don't have a clue about tablets so can't comment. Except to say I have tried them and I much prefer a small laptop with 12 or 14" screen (not the big ones with 15 or 16") for mobile use.

I refuse to use AVG since last summer when an update crashed both my laptop and netbook. Luckily I was able to restore to a restore point on the netbook but ended up having to reinstall Vista on the laptop. When I googled the problem, apparently it was well known. Grrr :mad2:

I have noticed spyware but since using Advanced System Care regularly, that's solved that problem. Well worth it, cost about a tenner I think.

Can't decide whether to get a new netbook or an android tablet - decisions, decisions. Not in any desperate rush so will do more research.

I was quite impressed with OpenOffice but my Office 03 was a freebie from a friend who had never installed it and had the reg key so it's legal and I am used to it and know my way round it with eyes closed. Would be happy to continue to use it except that the ECDL course I'm doing (which despite a degree in IT I'm having to do because apparently I have no proof that I am computer literate with up to date skills!) is using Office 07 and so I'm having to reluctantly get to know it, but am not really keen on it, though maybe that'll change once I get to know it better.

 

[Firefox]

Outlook is another piece of memory hugging Microsoft junk. We changed to Thunderbird (Mozilla version) a few years back which was a big improvement, and for the last few years we've been using Google corporate mail at work. The great thing about that is that it's web based and free. And you can have mail @yourcompaname.com I get 50 emails a day many of them with huge attachments. Outlook would have locked up but Googlemail breezes through it.

 

[Somelier]

Go for a Macbook. Much, much better than anything from Microsoft. Once you go to Macs, you'll never look back!!!

 

[whitevanwoman]

Go for a Macbook. Much, much better than anything from Microsoft. Once you go to Macs, you'll never look back!!!

No chance. Have been v tempted but can't afford to change all my gadgets etc to Apple. I got a few friends who love their Macs (probably with good reason) but that is just TOO big a change for me to cope with!

 

[whitevanwoman]

Outlook is another piece of memory hugging Microsoft junk. We changed to Thunderbird (Mozilla version) a few years back which was a big improvement, and for the last few years we've been using Google corporate mail at work. The great thing about that is that it's web based and free. And you can have mail @yourcompaname.com I get 50 emails a day many of them with huge attachments. Outlook would have locked up but Googlemail breezes through it.

Ditto, I prob get 50 - 100 mail daily (lots of working from home at the mo) but never had any probs with Outlook. And I like to be able to download my mail so that when my unreliable country bumpkin broadband connection conks out for a few hours at a time, at least I can still work on them and they will all get sent when it comes back up. Have never really liked webmail. I got various email address accounts set up with Outlook using ISP domains and own domain names. And cos I've been using it for years, got all my Inbox files organised etc. Again too big a change.

 

[Firefox]

Oh dear it's MAC versus PC time again!

A few facts about Macs

1. They are almost exactly the same hardware as PCs, just 3 times the price.

2. They have glossier shinier nicer looking cases.

3. They are almost un-upgradeable - so you have to keep on buying a new machine to keep up.

4. They have a better OS, except when MS brings out a decent OS once in every two updates.

PS. For Outlook v. Googlemail, I'd add many of my attachments are huge like 10MB or 20MB ACAD drawing files and large pdfs. With webmail you get off-site back up, so if my hard disc died, I still have all my emails. And I also work from home or the office or from site - I can access webmail from anywhere. Only thing that bugs me is you only get 8GB storage, but you can download older emails and attachements. 8GB lasts me about a year.

 

[Somelier]

Oh dear it's MAC versus PC time again!

A few facts about Macs

1. They are almost exactly the same hardware as PCs, just 3 times the price.

2. They have glossier shinier nicer looking cases.

3. They are almost un-upgradeable - so you have to keep on buying a new machine to keep up.

4. They have a better OS, except when MS brings out a decent OS once in every two updates.

That may be your opinion, but my experience since changing from Windows to Mac proves to me that the change was definitely worth it. They may cost more, but quality costs and the quality of Mac OS is worth twice as much as any Windows system.

 

[Firefox]

MAC OSX is Linux based which is why it is good. But Linux is free, so quality doesn't always cost!

Jobs found a way to market freeware and lock it to his machines so you can't us any other OS. Credit to him for that sleight of hand, but with Jobs sadly deceased, Apple and the whole circus will slide into the abyss.