Which Internet browser to use ?????

[Mohan]

I am fad up of Netscape particularly Netscape 6.../ Internet Explorer loads up the registry.

For my new PC I am about to build, I need from your personal experience, recommendations to help me choose an Internet browser which does suck & serves as a easy and fast email client.

Pls post you reply.

 

[goldboyd]

LYNX and use pine for mail

 

[Zenmervolt]

Try Opera, I have heard only good things about it, though I have not gotten around to trying it myself. The website is <www.operasoftware.com>. Of the Big Two, I prefer MSIE 5.5, but it seems as though it doesn't meet your needs.

Zenmervolt

 

[FOBSIDE]

opera IMHO hogs up tons of memory. i say go with IE 5.0

 

[Isaiah]

I would go with MSIE 5.5

 

[narzy]

MSIE 5.5 but I did get my hands on mozilla (not finished yet...) its buggy but alot like NS 4.7 with the ns6 enhancements but without the NS 6 skin... or opera is a good choice

 

[SaturnX]

I say go with IE 5 with SP1, runs fine on my system, I really dislike IE5.5 much slower than it's 5.0 counterpart.

--Mark

 

[xpaf077]

Well I've been using Opera 4.02 for the last 2 months, and it's very fast and not bloated like IE5.5. also no pauses when trying to open a second one. Also who ever said it's bigger than IE better try it before commenting.

 

[Elledan]

Mozilla.

I'm currently using 0.6 and I like it. Athough it's not rock-stable, its getting more stable with each new release.

 

[Sunner]

Opera.
Small, follows W3C standards, fast as he!!.

FOBSIDE:
The memory problem isnt really a problem, its just a side effect of caching, if you tweak your settings the mem usage will drop way down.
I rarely hit 20 MB even after very extended usage and loads of visited sites.

In fact, if I fire up IE now, it uses 13 MB right from start, and my homepage is MSDN Online(only thing I use IE for since MS refuses to make their site work well with other browsers).

 

[Supergax]

I'd say IE 5.01SP1; IE 5.5 even with SP1 is still too buggy.

 

[GregGreen]

I recommend Mozilla 0.6. Just as Elledan said, it's not rock stable, although, in my experiences, it is much more stable than Netscape 4.7x or 6.

 

[Mohan]

First of all, I would like to thank all the members of this Forum
for your very useful guidance.

However, as for Mozilla I am foxed by the fact that Mozilla was funded by Netscape till AOL bought over Nestscape. Even Netscape 6
is using Mozilla's Gecko rendering engine. In fact, after I
downloaded Netscape 6, the registry shows several Mozilla files.

So if I am disgusted with Netscape 6 performance, I am rather
suspicious that even Mozilla will have similar common basic features.
The CEO of Netscape himself has stated in one of his articles that Netscape 6's launch should have been delayed till all the bugs were
removed.

Moreover, Mozilla 1.0 is due to be launched not before mid-2001.

I therefore feel that for my new PC I should stick to IE5.0 or IE5.5.

I would welcome any further thoughts.

 

[Elledan]

At least give Mozilla (current version: 0.6) a chance. It's a very nice browser and crashes less than NS4.x on my PC.

 

[Daemon_UK]

IE 5.5 (sp1) all the way!!

 

[tbumpus]

Opera Pros:

1) It is fast.
2) It's small w/o the Java plugin (2 Mb±).
3) It has built-in News and Mail clients.
4) It pretty much abides by the HTML standard.
5) It has a lot of nice customization features.

Opera Cons:

1) It will cost you $$ to register unless you're willing to put up with some adware.
2) It has built-in News and Mail clients.
3) It pretty much abides by the HTML standard.
4) It's not small w/ the Java plugin (9 Mb±).

Many Opera users would prefer that the News and Mail clients be optional. They (we) just want a speedy browser, not a everything-but-the-kitchen sink NS/IE clone. It's my personal view that Opera will lose some of its user base because of this. Although, I expect it's Opera Software's view that the net gain in users will be positive, and they very well may be right.

Many web pages you'll come across display fine in IE, but when viewed in Opera, are garbled. This is an HTML standards issue which I won't go into. Suffice it to say, for an Opera user, it can be annoying.

It's good enough though, that I use it 95% of the time. When it runs across a page that doesn't display or function correctly, I open up IE.

This is probably more than (any of) you wanted to hear, but there it is.

 

[Mohan]

Oh God the worst thing ever happened to me was my downloading
Netscape 6. Many applications got linked with it. Has made my
life miserable.

I had not realised how a horrible browser could make your computing work so annoying.

Wake up Nescape owners. You cannot fool all by offering all kinds of prizes and gift for downloading the rotten Netscape 6. I have used Nestscape 4.75 for long time.....it was not so bad.

 

[ocdudette]

I generally prefer Netscape since I believe Microsoft is evil. =) But I downloaded Netscape 6 and hated it -- it was incredibly slow! I quickly got rid of it and am still using 4.7. Works fine for me. The only problem I have is that a lot of web sites are optimised for IE.

 

[smp]

I too feel the need to ostricize Microsoft.. but netscape isn't much better off from what I hear. I don't like the way that Microsoft bullied Explorer, and the whole standards thing is just screwed. I liked Netscape for a long time, I just got a new system and I've been using IE 5 .. and I like it a lot better than Netscape, it doens't crash. Netscape however, isn't microsoft.. the only way to spank microsoft is to boycott them, but they make that a difficult option. PPL would rather sit back and enjoy a browser that works a little better than stand up for what's right.. Screw everyone, I'm going with Opera, or mozilla. If a site is only optimized for Explorer, then they won't get my hit. I design web pages, and I make my pages for all to see, there is no corporate agenda here. I also think that ppl should make a little bit of a sacrifice (cause it is only a small sacrifice when you think about it) and try to boycott Microsoft as much as possible. Microsoft is pushing the NWO strong.. who makes our decisions for us? Gates? Jobs? uh uh.. Screw them.. how come there are so many different cars one can buy? But only one browser? Go linux!!!

 

[resinboy]

another Opera fan here- been using it for about 3weeks, now. Only had 1 crash in all that time, as opposed to the MS crash of the day
Tried uppgrading to MSIE 5.5-WORST thing I have done in a while

 

[josphstalinator]

netcaptor

it uses the ie engine, but has a few more options. the key feature is it opens new windows as tabs and not separate windows that clutter the taskbar. the file download is only like 1.5m.

 

[BudB]

W2K with IE5.5 SP1. Nothing ever crashes. I may be lucky but this combination of OS software has been the most stable I have ever used and I go back to the IBM 650 (stone) age. As a software developer I couldn't ask for more.

Another thing that amazes me is that people are always talking about &quot;bloat&quot;, &quot;memory hog&quot;, etc. etc. With 256mb memory costing about $100 and 40GB disk drives less than $200 who gives a damn. Memory and diskspace are now a non-issue unless you're editing large video files or some such thing and even then a little more memory is still cheap.

 

[TP]

IE 5.5 SP1 has been mostly crisp and clean for me so far. It may be slightly buggy, but arent they all!?!? I cant imagine how anybody would still go with Netscape. Please somebody tell me why you bother with Netscape. I wont try Opera, tempted as I am. I just cant stand Adware and cant justify paying money for a browser.

 

[Blain]

I'm using Netscape 4.73 right now. But it does seem to have some creepy crawlers in it.

I'm downloading 4.75, to see if the bugs were exterminated.
I've tried 6, but just don't like it for some reason. Maybe it's the IE'ness of it.

IE just lets way too many windows pop up for my taste.

Anybody care to comment on the &quot;least buggy&quot;, pre-6 versions of Netscape?

 

[BadThad]

IE 5.01 SP1. IE 5.5 SP1 still has bugs, when SP2 comes out, I may consider it. I used IE4.0 SP2 for a long time, it's still a decent browser today.