Topic: I.E.7 Test Run

[Delgado]

I have downloaded and tested I.E.7 Browser for two days, and am very impressed with it. I am a Firefox user, but I feel that I.E.7 dosent deserve the negative reviews that C/net and others have given it.

I fail to understand why it appears to be so fashionable to knock every piece of software that Microsoft produce. Dont forget that without Windows Operating system, most of us would be incapable of running a PC!

 I.E.7 on my machine runs fast-displays web pages clearly, and I like it.
The RSS feeds work like clockwork, and put the lumbering Firefox Live bookmarks to shame.

Dont get me wrong, I like Firefox, but feel that credit should be given when its due to Microsoft for a good Browser!

   

[Simon]

A summary of the CNet review:-

The good:  IE 7 includes built-in tabbed browsing; antiphishing technology; an RSS reader; and a redesigned Favorites Center.

The bad: IE 7 is limited to Windows XP SP2 users only; installation requires reboot; reuses old IE 6 code and doesn't yet comply with current Web standards; doesn't match all the features found in Firefox or Opera; carries a Microsoft legacy of not patching its IE flaws quickly enough.

The bottom line: IE 7 was Microsoft's one chance to leapfrog ahead of the competition, but the company has only barely caught sight of the current front-runners. For more features and greater security, switch to Mozilla Firefox.

Now, admittedly, that's only one review, and I haven't tried it myself yet, but does it really offer anything Firefox hasn't been offering for some time?

There have already been several 'serious' flaws found in IE7, some of which have been reported here on PC Pals, and it's the 'Microsoft legacy of not patching its IE flaws quickly enough' which concerns me, along with the comment above that it 'reuses old IE 6 code and doesn't yet comply with current Web standards'.

I'm pleased you like it DG, and it would be great if you could keep us posted as to how you are getting along with it.  Obviously, when it reaches me via Windows Update, I will give it a try, but it will take a lot to convince me to change from Mozilla / Firefox for the long term.

[chorleydave]

Those of us who criticise Microshaft don't knock all their software, Delgado.  I will be the first to admit that nobody has come up with anything to match Microsoft Office.  My problem with Microsoft is that they can charge several hundreds of pounds for a software package when they know it is flawed and it will take a few years of service packs to put it right.

Even "final releases" of new Microsoft packages are still in the beta stage, that is why service packs that can often be bigger than the original package are eventually releaesed to complete them.  Who can forget Outlook 97 for instance?  They had to completely rebuild it as Outlook 98 and give it away free on magazine cover disks.  Even after that, they didn't even learn (or chose not to learn) from this and still put software out that is nowhere near ready.   They shouldn't be allowed to charge a penny for, what are after all, beta products.

[sam]

Those of us who criticise Microshaft don't knock all their software, Delgado.  I will be the first to admit that nobody has come up with anything to match Microsoft Office.

i do agree with office, but what would happen if open office was able to invest even a fraction of the costs that microsoft spend on it?

I fail to understand why it appears to be so fashionable to knock every piece of software that Microsoft produce. Dont forget that without Windows Operating system, most of us would be incapable of running a PC!

Well thats not quite true. The average user, who can use windows, can easily use Mac OS X or would have learnt it if MS wasn't there. Also if windows wasn't there we would all be using something else. Trust me Linux can be as easy / probably more understandable to use than M$ these days.


Saying all that Mircosoft do offer a few good things: Office and of course the X-box...

[Simon]

Well, I've just started using Windows Defender, and that seems OK, but the Windows Firewall is still inadequate.  Granted, M$ do offer some good products, and even though it's had several updates and fixes and has security flaws, generally speaking, Windows XP is a stable OS for most average users.

[Simon]

OK, I have just downloaded IE7, and I'm lost for words.  It might be fashionable to knock Micro$oft, but in this case, I feel it's entirely justified.  What a pile of poo!!  After a long installation, I was rewarded with a complete PC freeze, which forced a cold reboot, after which things started up OK again.  I went to IE and had a fiddle with a few bits, but what's the deal with the immovable toolbars?  I don't like tabbed browsing, so turned that off, but why can't I have the Menu bar to the top of the page, like every other browser?  It just isn't right where it is.

I also didn't initially like the Favourites Centre, but this is better now I have the Menu bar, although I have had to go through and re-sort everything for some reason.

Of course, the first website I went to was PC-Pals, and was horrified to see it looking battered and broken, as in the pic below:



WTF!!    Reloading the page did nothing, and everything was soooooooo slooooooowwwwwww, including other websites, and HMV.co.uk wouldn't load at all.  I decided to turn off the phishing thing, which seems to be scanning each and every website (is there no White list?), and this improved things slightly, but still the speed was like wading through treacle, compared to Firefox or Mozilla.  Perhaps this isn't a fair assessment, as I lost patience with it at that point, but really, if IE7 is supposed to jump up and impress, it should work properly straight out of the tin. The appearance and positioning of the toolbars certainly isn't to my taste, and to make these moveable should have been a basic premise if this effort is to have any chance of competing with Firefox.  I'll give it another chance tomorrow, but it's not looking good so far!  :roll:

[Delgado]

Sorry youve had such a bad experience  :roll:

 Simon I cant understand what you mean about the Menu bar-mines at the top like every other browser!

My installation was flawless-did you turn off your Anti Virus as instructed first?

 The favourites thing is a getting used to change thing-and the toolbars can be moved by unticking "lock toolbars"

 I still prefer Firefox, and am staying with it-Ive got the hang of the "Live Bookmarks" now, and will stay with Firefox cos Ive got it just as I want it.

But I dont think there is a lot of difference in either Browser-its just what your used to.

Incidentally, your right-somethings not right with PC Pals Site when viewed in IE7. The coding dosent work right in IE7.

[Simon]

No, I didn't turn off my anti-virus, but I don't think that was the problem.  This is how mine looks, and I'm buggered if I can move the toolbars, even by unlocking them!  Pals looks even worse in this pic, it seems to be OK on the Index page, it's just threads which aren't working.

[Simon]

Well, at least I've found a way to move the menu bar:

http://www.pc-pals.com/smf/index.php?topic=20413.0

[Delgado]

I see what u mean about the Menu Bar-yes mines underneath the address bar as well. It was late and I didnt grasp what u meant last night  

 I shant bother to move mine, as Im useing Firefox as I said before.

 The freezing up on installation was probably due to the fact that Microsoft run their malicious removal tool before installing IE, and as you didnt switch off your Anti Virus, you had a conflict.

 PC Pals Site is definatley suffering from an illness when viewed in IE, mines exactly the same as yours when viewed in IE, but OK in Firefox!

 I must admit Im not so keen on IE7 as I was; the only thing I do like a lot are the RSS Feeds.

[Simon]

I've never used RSS feeds - someone will have to explain to me what they do!  :blush2:

[Delgado]

I've never used RSS feeds - someone will have to explain to me what they do!  :blush2:

  RSS feeds are a direct link to whichever site you subscribe to-eg.

  If you like to get latest news from BBC News, you go to the BBC News Site, and click on the red box with like radio signals in on whichever you choose, and the feed appears on your computer, and is updated all the time. In Firefox its called live bookmarks, and then when you click on the icon on your PC you are presented with the latest headlines, and you click to read whichever you want. They are continually updated!

 I use mine also to get latest DVD Rips from Demonoid, and other Torrent sites-saves you keep going to the site-Bloody Handy!!


 In IE7 the feeds are bigger and more info given on headlines-although Ive now got used to the Firefox Live bookmarks

 Try it Simon-its easy and handy.

      

[Simon]

Thanks DG, I think I need a plug in for SeaMonkey, but I'll look into it.  

[Hiatus]

Well, at least I've found a way to move the menu bar:

http://pc-pals.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=134795#134795

Hey Simon, could you please tell me how you moved the menu bar? It's p**sing me off as well, lol. I keep getting "Sorry, but this board is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

Edit: Nevermind... I didn't look before I started typing, lol... It's in the topic right below this one... 

[Simon]

Thanks Hiatus, for reminding me to update the link.    Unfortunately, there may be a few of these around the forum, since we changed software, as a lot of links will refer to the old board.