Need Some Advice Regarding Internet Browser

[n3wt]

I need some advice with my internet browser I currently use IE and im having trouble with it. Basically it was crashing allot and just being slow, so I downloaded IE8 and it is better but it is anoying and I find it quite slow tbh.

One of my mates suggested Firefox as it is "awesome" and I have see advertised Google Chrome but I dont know anyone who has it. I have Safari downloaded already as it came with my newest iTunes upgrade I have no idea what it is like.

So im in a muddle im not happy with IE I think it is very poor as my laptop is only about 7 months old so its not the laptop. What do you guys suggest to do and I value your opinion.

Cheers MoFoer's :up:

[spudracer]

IE 7 is known to have a lot of problems. Crashing and whatnot, the best advice I've seen to help with the issues is to go into Tools, Options, Advanced Settings, Reset. That'll restore it to "factory" settings, and usually fixes the problem.

Google Chrome is ok, but if you don't like IE8, I suggest avoiding it. It's a nice, clean browser, but doesn't have much to offer.

Firefox IS the best open-source browser out there. I've got it on my laptop and love it. One of the insignificant things I like is the built-in spell check. I suggest going to Firefox only because it's got the fewest problems. The only thing I will say about Firefox, that is negative, is that it isn't supported by all websites. I know Netflix used to not offer support for it, but not sure if they've since changed their ways.

So, if you're curious about Chrome, give it a try, but it's a simple uninstall if you don't like it. Try the two browsers side-by-side and compare their options. I still say go with Firefox.

Happy hunting! :D

[n3wt]

Cheers for the advice Mr Spud :D I have heard good things about Firefox so I think I will be going there. I dont know what it is about IE 8 it just doesnt seem right to me and it is quite slow.

Cheers again dude :up:

[spudracer]

I don't like what they did with the address bar. I would prefer it not contain the history and favorites, and then have them in the same spot they always are, as well. I downloaded it, but don't use it.

Microsoft is trying to do a lot with IE, but in the end, it's the simplistic browsers that will win, every time. Because when IE shares the same slogan as Brian Fantana (60 percent of the time, it works every time), bad things are bound to happen.

[7thson]

Browsers are a lot like quirky relationships, there is no accounting for taste. I have seen everyone of them touted by the user as "the best" I.E. 6,7,8 or Firefox 2,3 or Safari, Opera, Chrome, even Seamonkey. The bottom line is that it does what you want. A browser should not run "slow" unless something is wrong. Some may run faster than others, but if you have the specs to run it and you do not have any maleware issues then you should be okay. Now after saying that I should mention that I.E. with the exception of may ver. 8 will probably work on a more wide range of overall sites with Firefox as a close 2nd. As mentioned before if it is running slow in regards to all around use, cleaning the temp files is a great idea and a thing you should do no matter what browser you have. Another thing I would recommend is running a program called winsock fix (http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Network-Tweak/WinSockFix.shtml) if you have internet trouble, it is not a fix all by any means, but it does clear up certain issues. On the issue of temp files it is also good to manually clean your temp files now and then using your run command. In XP you should see it under the start button and in Vista it should be under accessories. Open your run command and type in %temp% and click ok. This should open a window with remaining temp files on your computer. Deleting these files can help your system run faster on an all around basis and will on occasion clear up some slow browsing issues. Keep in mind that these will be all your temp files on your computer so if for some reason you store a file in a temp folder that you want saved you should move that file to a permanent location prior to deleting. A side note: If you see a large amount of temp files and want to delete them all you can hit ctrl-a and it will select all files then you can just hit the delete button on your keyboard and poof they will be gone. Sometimes it will not let you delete a certain temp file because it is in use, but thats okay just skip it and delete the rest. You would be surprised at how many systems I work on peform so much better after his simple cleanup process. Disk cleanup is of course another option and there are many software programs out there that do the same thing. I personally like to do this manually, but whatever is easier for the user as long as you are removing these files as they tend to build up quickly if you use your system all the time. Also you may try running you system in safe mode with networking and see if the "slow" problems remain, if it seems better in this mode you may have a software program running that is slowing you down. Anyway I think it is best to do as suggested and try a few out, use what you like the best. If you have any specific questions I would be happy to help.

[Tacitus]

I've never found myself liking Chrome and when my firewall picked it up trying to phone home to Google even after I thought I'd given it full rights, I uninstalled it pronto.

I converted to Firefox from Opera when F2 came out and have never used anything else. The plug-ins are what makes it for me: IE Tab for those few pages which don't display 100%, CustomizeGoogle for making surfing less of a 'dodge the adverts' experience and Adblock if you want to deprive Yods of money. :D

I use Ccleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/) for all my temp files/registry housekeeping duties. ;)