What is so good about Firefox?

[Burf.com]

I agree with these

Firefox has popup blocking as well as tab browsing
It’s quicker than IE at rendering pages
It has less security holes than IE
It’s multi platform – works with many different operating systems
It has excellent extensions that can be freely downloaded
It has better support for html / css etc standards


I would say though
Firefox does use alot of memory and is slow to load up at first
Seems to have problems running on 2003 server

[a12c4magic]

I noticed that you are using OS Commerce above all other shopping cart solutions available to you. OS Commerce does not have the best browser compatibility on earth, so why would you pick it?

This is off topic, however I chose osCommerce because I'm new to PHP and osCommerce have an excellent support forum. I am aware that osCommerce can render differently on various web browsers, however I have tested it on several browsers across different OS's and there is nothing that I have found that doesn't work that I am concerned about, or that I believe would prevent users from using my site. osCommerce allowed me to build a shopping cart without prior knowledge and excellent support from the previously mentioned forum without costing me anything except time and patience (no license fee for software that I may only use once)

[ADAM Web Design]

And what happens when a new browser or a browser up-date brakes your non-standard code?

Hasn't happened yet, and it probably won't. And if you had bothered to look at the example I'd provided (which you clearly didn't), then you'd realize there is a "standards-compliant" alternative for those who can't see the effect in question.

Standards are there to be followed. Any one that is not following them is begging for trouble.

And if we're all so busy "following", then where do leadership and new standards come into play? Do we have to rely on some committee most of us will never have any access to or input into in order to help establish newer and better standards?

And have you not read the news about all the govenments and corporations that are switching to open source, that 5-10% will be growing.

I elect not to read news due to the large number of biased sources out there and the bits and pieces of information that are distorted and conveniently left out in order to fill a story.

As far as what "governments" and corporations are doing, I go by what I've seen, not what I've read. And I happen to be unique in that I have clients who fall under both categories.

I'll provide you with some stats on what's actually being used from my clients (percentages):

Open source packages being used: 0%.
Non-IE browsers: < 1% (two people who use Netscape).
Non-Microsoft productivity suites being used: < 1% (one of my clients uses Lotus Organizer, which is part of SmartSuite, and that comprises the percentage figure.)

It's like that US government story that was going around about how the Corel office suite was being installed on all of the government machines and everyone was all excited because this meant the downfall of Microsoft and the US government was going to stick it to them and...oh wait. That's not gonna happen. They still need to keep and use MS Office on all of the machines because that's what most of the people that they deal with have as well.

Before anyone gets the wrong idea (and I imagine some might by now), I am the first person to encourage multiple choices and a competitive marketplace. I would love to see someone take on Microsoft on any level and pose a real competitive threat. The problem is that the angles that peopla are pursuing just aren't viable alternatives.

For the masses (not you, me, and any one of us as individuals):

There are no better browsers.
There are no better productivity suites.
There are no better OSes.

And if someone out there doesn't like this, then I challenge him/her to really do something about it.

I don't mean bitch and moan and whine and post about how MS Word has this problem and IE has this problem.

I mean go out there and build an OS. Build a productivity suite. Build a browser. Test your products among average people. Grow your company. Have people hate your company. Have people try to attack your company and find major security holes. And if any of you out there can do that, I will be one of the first ones to buy your product. Until then...keep it to yourselves. The only people listening are the ones who are firing the same BS back at you anyway.

supernatural_247: there are a lot of IE CSS proprietary filters (although some are kinda crappy). Look them up sometime. Some of them can do some pretty cool stuff.

[a12c4magic]

I mean go out there and build an OS. Build a productivity suite. Build a browser. Test your products among average people. Grow your company. Have people hate your company. Have people try to attack your company and find major security holes. And if any of you out there can do that, I will be one of the first ones to buy your product. Until then...keep it to yourselves. The only people listening are the ones who are firing the same BS back at you anyway.

I don't think Microsoft or Apple or any OS writers give the OS to average people to test. It isn't in their interest to do so as the average user won't know how to report bugs/faults. Betas of Windows and Windows applications are sent out to a very restricted audience for appraisal. Hence why Windows has various betas followed by the RC's (release candidates) which still aren't released to average users to test. Despite this controlled environment bugs and security holes still get through! They probably always will and the reason is not due to poor testing but down to the size and complexity of the problem.

I am not an Apple Mac fan but do use them on occasion, if you'd believe what you read then the most secure (read least attacked) OS is currently OS X/Darwin. If that fact hadn't escaped you, then you will also realise that OS X is derived from Unix/BSD, without a lot of input from Microsoft. As stated earlier biggest is not always the best.

On another part of the topic, which seems to have wandered from being what is good about Firefox into a complete melee. Some financial institutions (in the UK) have had to change their websites as they refused to work on anything except IE. As they received enough complaints about this they have chosen to alter their sites to work with other browsers, financial organizations don't like to do things that cost money without a reason, one might expect that they did so as they were concerned about losing some of their customers, even if it was only a small percentage.

Microsoft haven't just added CSS filters they have also added to Java, a language they do not even own or control, leading to a legal wrangle with Sun microsystems.

IE is a good browser for the user that likes to keep things 'as out the box' let's all be honest here and say that a high proportion of users will NEVER try anything else than what their computer is supplied with. After all how did MS-DOS become so widely used. It was because it came supplied on most PC's

All the time there is an alternative to use that 'might' tempt the more adventurous users away. Microsoft or who ever the market leader in that field, will develop their software to stay ahead of their competition.

[supernatural_247]

Well, it's obvious that this thread has indeed turned into a melee and has totally gone in directions I was not expecting. IF you all wish to keep debating to the point of no return, I have begun a new thread entitled: Firefox vs. Explorer. Or keep posting here if you wish.

Thanks to all who have answered my questions - your info (and even personal opinions) have been most helpful.

Cheers,
Tim

[premtech]

Untill we get some serious regulation on web coding and browser standards ...they all are crap....cross browser design..the bane of a web designer.... at least Firefox is trying hard to set a standard by attempting to follow W3C guidelines