If you use Internet Explorer, it's time to switch to an alternative web browser

[64Guitars]

Check out these recent articles:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8463516.stm

http://mashable.com/2010/01/18/france-against-internet-explorer/

http://www.itworld.com/security/93045/dump-internet-explorer-now

http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10014889o-2000498448b,00.htm

Alternative browsers include:

• Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari
• Opera (from Oslo, Norway)

Others exist as well, but these are the most popular.

[Oldrottenhead]

i use firefox but have google chrome not tried it yet will need to be good to beat firefox tho.

[Satchwood]

Thanks 64!  Is IE the reason why the mp3 player doesn't always work?

[cuthbert]

I avoid IE at all costs...

[64Guitars]

Thanks 64!  Is IE the reason why the mp3 player doesn't always work?

I'm not sure. Some people have said that the song stops playing partway through. That has never happened to me with Firefox. However, on a few rare occasions, I have clicked the play button and nothing happened. Then I reloaded the page and it worked just fine. I suspect that issue has more to do with the server, but the stopping partway through may be Internet Explorer.

[Mach]

I'm using Firefox and Chrome. However I have IE as my default Browser. Some IT person once told me (and I know absolutely squat about this stuff) if I have IE as the default browswe but use the others it least likely to get a virus or hacker get through.  Any truth to that?

[64Guitars]

I can't think of any reason why the default browser setting would make any difference. Firefox has been my default browser for about 10 years or more 6 years* and before that it was Netscape.

* Edit: Apparently, Firefox was first released in 2004. It seems like I've been using it much longer than that but I guess I'm mistaken. I remember that the first version was called Phoenix. Then it got renamed to Firebird for a short time, and then Firefox. I used Mozilla for a while too between Netscape and Firefox.

[rraguse]

I have been using Firefox for a few years now. Before Firefox I used Netscape Communicator.
I have never liked IE.

[Flash Harry]

IE is the safest browser to use, provided you are fully patched. It's designed to snap right into Windows and despite the vulnerabilities, you can guarantee that MicroSnot have teams of developers making sure that it doesn't let you down.

Windows Vista was a bit of a disaster, XP to my mind was excellent as was Windows 2003 server. They have got their act together and anyone doing serious computing (I look after the windows infrastructure for about 10000 desktops and 400+ servers) would be well advised to use the most recent version of IE that they can run. Anything else is just too difficult to manage and in my opinion a risk that is unnecessary. I'm not a fan of MicroSnot, but with their dominance in the market, if you are using their OS, its wise to use their browser.

I really liked Solaris 2.6. It used Netscape.

[Tony W]

I've got 100 desktops and 10 servers. I force all my users to use IE, but I myself and my staff use firefox.

That default browser/virus stuff, I've never heard anything like that before.

Flash, have you played with Windows 7 yet? I've been resistant to upgrade from XP but Windows 7 isn't half bad. I wouldn't throw it on an old machine (3 years old or older is what I consider old for those of your who actually read this). Server 2008 is getting on my nerves. I'm running it on a development box and can barely find my way around. I feel like Stevie Wonder after somebody moved the furniture.