Browsers

[rsawchuk]

Hope you didn't have too much money invested in Netscape when it was flying high. It now has less than 25% of the browser market and is dropping fast. Microsoft has over 80%. Microsoft released version 5.0 of IE some time ago, but Netscape is still waiting to release version 5.0. No one seems to know when it will be available - it may be academic anyway. A recent survey showed that 75% of large US corporations have standardized on Internet Explorer. I have used IE 5.0 for the last few months and it works fine. It is much faster than previous (and other versions) of browsers. Since we do all our web development in Microsoft's Front Page, it is the browser we recommend to view our sites. IE picks up some features (coloured borders and lines) that Netscape does not. I am not a big fan of Microsoft, and it is unfortunate that Netscape did not remain competitive. However, the technology landscape is littered with companies and products (WordPerfect, DEC, Dbase) that weren't able to adapt and keep up. Version 5.5 (beta) of Explorer is now out and can be downloaded from the site specified. I have installed it, and it seems to work fine.

[kaniteo]

Russ, I guess I'm now in the minority. I've been using Netscape since it was first introduced and I much prefer it over IE. I develop in Front Page as well, however I optimize for Netscape. I do like the mail client that comes with IE, Outlook Express, and have peelled it off as a stand-alone mail client. I know of some institutions that are considering banning IE because of some of the security issues that it causes. I know I've had difficulty with past versions of IE. I don't know if MS has worked the bugs out of the newer versions yet or not; I haven't bothered looking at their newer offerings. I find the word bug is an acronym for Bill's User Group. I still use Corel products for two reasons, one its a Canadian company and two, for me it has a better word processor that is backwards compatible with its own earlier versions. I do use Excel and Access, however, because they have a better fit in some other areas I'm working in. I believe its important for people to have an eclectic set of software tools that suits their individual needs rather being dictated to. When we are dictated to we lose control of our future. Merry Xmas Ted

[jwright]

Ted wrote: 'I guess I'm now in the minority. I've been using Netscape since it was first introduced and I much prefer it over IE. I develop in Front Page as well, however I optimize for Netscape. I do like the mail client that comes with IE, Outlook Express, and have peelled it off as a stand-alone mail client. Jim writes: Yes. When I used Netscape 4.x as a browser, I found its email program so unpleasant that I used an old copy of Eudora for email. Outlook express works fine, though I still miss a couple of Eudora features (perhaps I haven't found the equivalent features in OE). What annoys me with all of them is the constant battle to keep them from funnelling me into their own advertising and marketing schemes. Jim