Sorry, can't keep it to little mentions here and there any longer, this great alternative to IE, Netscape and Opera is too great to keep to oneself!!

First, and foremost, probably the biggest selling ( so to speak, it is FREE after all. We like free stuff, yes? ) point of this program is its speed. It is unbelievably fast. As in "Aziza teleports you out cuz you're rude" fast. It is designed to load up pages faster, and it does. I have yet to test it on a dial-up connection, but I have heard good things about it.

This baby also shows more page per window. Up to 4% more than IE in fact! And hit F11 to knock out a couple of the toolbars, and the status bar on the bottom for even MORE viewing space.

You can add features to Firebird to extend its extreme usefulness. So far have personally added a built-in calculator, client, extension that saves files to different folders automatically depending on extension, a toolbar that assists in web development ( think built in code validator, element outliner, table outliner, etc. ), and this little thing called gnusto that allows you to play z-code adventure games, which admittedly I have not tried yet.

There are also built in accessibility features, most up-to-date standards support of any browser, default configuration to get rid of annoying browser tendencies, etc. Even though the download size is 6.0 MB, it is well worth it.

If that doesn't convince ya, go here: Why switch to Firebird?

Sounds intriguing! I just might give it a try, Spearflight.

-hoopyfroodcat

I was thinking of doing this Spear, but I couldn't have said it any better than you have

I've ditched IE except for a few sites that only allow IE to access it

Another upside is that it's skinable! I have mine skinned to be a rather rustic looking wood design

The tabbed browsing also helps with keeping your taskbar free of windows, and it doesnt' have that annoying E-mail client that Opera has, which takes up half your screen!

And Spear left out the biggest part - a built in POP-UP blocker!!!!

Nonthing better than Firebird! Heck, I even ditched Icredimail to get Mozilla Thunderbird because of how much I liked Firebird!

MOZILLA RAWKS

Ah yes. I forgot about the built in pop-up blocker because the old build I had didn't have it in. In fact, I had just upgraded right before I posted this.

And I'm using the Orbit Blue skin r ight now.

Just downloaded it, and I'm impressed with the fast loading time and easy organization of bookmarks. However, I keep having to install plug-ins in order for javascript, flash and other things to work...and these plug-ins have not been working for me, unfortunately. I think I would enjoy it 100% more if I could get them to work right...

-hoopyfroodcat

Ummm.... right under the toolbar with the address label, there is a link for a Plug-in FAQ. If you don't see it there, it is under Bookmarks > Bookmarks Toolbar Folder > Plug-In FAQ.

It has some information about Plug-ins for Firebird, including Registry information if you didn't use the Firebird installer and just unzipped it into a directory ( like me! )

I had that same problems with plug-ins on the computers that I did use Firebird on. At home I think I'll continue to use my AOL browser though.

About the only thing I can think of is to make sure you install the plugins into the plugins folder.

You're well on the way to convincing me, Spear... <gives it some serious thought>

Can you, when you install it, specify the plug-ins? Or do you have to do that later?

Depends on the plugin. Version 0.7 ( downloadable from the main page ) comes with most plugins already installed that other browsers offer.The only thing I've had to personally install is the Shockwave Flash. Although that was rather simple: Download the installer from Macromedia.com and point it to the plugins folder for Firebird.

Yeah, that was the only thing I had to install too.

Mozilla RAWKS

I'm definitely tempted to move away from Netscape...

How's Firebird as far as security goes?

Considering I don't have any problems with it... and I'm usually a target for those sort of things... I think there aren't any security issues to worry about

Hmm, it is certainly interesting. However I do find it's sorting of the bookmarks horrid, the folders and the links are mixed. Any way of sorting this out?

Under the Bookmarks menu, click Manage Bookmarks.

And as for Firebird security, suffice it to say that while it is not an impenetrable web browser of Doom ™, it does have adequate devices to protect the user. It supports many versions of SSL to use, it can check Certificates for sites if desired. And for the corporate environment, you can set it up to only allow access to a certain list of desired sites and block access to all others. You can clear your History totally and completely, delete auto-form history, clear cookies, etc.

It has little to nothing that hasn't been seen before in other browsers, but it is still secure. Oh yes, and it includes a built-in popup blocker to block viruses from getting in through popups. I believe Orion once had a problem with this on a site of his, correct?

Still can't find the option to sepperate folders and bookmarks, well I guess I just have to live with it then

Mozilla 1.5 is out with a final release version. I think this one is better than Firebird, it's a little easier to use (my opinion). It does come with a pop-up blocker & other options that make it a compleate browser.

Mozilla Home Page

Windows Mozilla 1.5 download (11.9 mb)

Well sure, you're entitled to your opinion. Of course, Mozilla 1.5 is almost twice (!) as large as Firebird 0.7, not to mention that Firebird has already had many of the features of Mozilla when it came out a month or two ago. And even though it is built on the Mozilla engine, it is actually quite a bit faster than the stock Mozilla install. I'll have to check this new one in any case.

However, tabbed browsing only gives the illusion of speed; as you're reading one page another downloads in the background. In Maximum PC Vol. 8 No. 11 ( November 2003 ) they ran IE against Firebird 0.6. In loading three different web sites and averaging the load times, IE was the faster by a whole second. I doubt that this new Mozilla can really be faster than IE as Rex Baldazo from C|Net claims. Word is that IE does a few proprietary tricks with Microsoft web servers to run faster.

But in any case, you can be sure I'll check out Mozilla 1.5 and compare it, and post in your thread.

I only have two real complaints about IE:
1) It doesn't have it's own pop-up blocker.
2) No tabs or comparable function.

I have a 3rd to add to that list, it has activex as being originally being set to being enabled. Yet this is what most spyware uses to get into your system. And I for one hate spyware, IMO it's more dangerous than viruses just because it's so much more porminent. I dunno about you all, but I really hate spyware it's just one of those things that really pisses me off.

Same thing here Archon. That's one of the main reasons I moved away from IE in the first place.

That is the only reason I started using Mozilla, but now I realize there's so much more goodness w/ it.

Hah I just noticed your sig Spear, you know FIF? That's cool, they're a decent band, too bad they split.

Yeah, FIF is really cool. A friend of mine introduced me to them about a year back. He went to their last concert before their final tour and got their last CD. Of which I burned myself a copy. Shamelessly. Still pretty cool.

Ummm... I think most of the guys from FIF are in a pet project of theirs. It's called Brave Saint Saturn. It's not really ska, but it's still pretty good; at least from the couple of songs I've heard.

www.guerillarodeo.com

That's Reese and Sonnie's new band. I can't wait to hear it.

-hoopyfroodcat

Yeah I know Brave Saint Saturn they're ok, not my favorite though.

Ooh nice. Guerilla Rodeo eh? Have to keep an eye out for it.

Thanks, Spear! This is pretty good.

There's just two things so far:
- the folders and urls being mixed is annoying me too
- how do you set it to open the links that have target as "_blank" into a new tab by default, instead of a new window?

If they fixed those it'd be really cool... I haven't gotten into the plugins yet though.

Heh. I know having the folders and URL's mixed is pretty annoying. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to fix it. And, oddly enough, I'm becoming kind of used to it, in the ignoring-unpleasant-details kind of way that most Americans have of ignoring problems.

As for links set to "_blank", either clicking the central mouse button ( often the scroll wheel ) or holding Ctrl while clicking will move it into a new tab, I don't know of any way currently to set them to open in a new tab by default. That could be something worth requesting for someone to develop...

Oh wait, nevermind. Just as I was about to post this message, I found a little thread on the Mozilla Firebird forums about Tab extensions. Seems that someone offers a plugin feature that adds several nifty extensions to the browser tabs. Among those is what he calls "Single Window Mode", which is described as opening all links as new tabs for the browser. Perhaps this might be the answer you've been desiring Brass? I'll probably download it later and test it out. Right now tho, beddy bye.

your folder's and normal websites are mixed? My folders are all above all of my links, and both are in alphabetical order... there's 2 horizontal bar's separating the 2 sections as well. I dunno that just seems weird, maybe you don't have the most updated version, or maybe I'm completely misunderstanding the problem.

Thanks, Spear, I'll check it out.

Archon, so you have your folders in a different section! Smart.

Firefox is cool!

I'm really liking it. I had the same problem with organising bookmarks, but I just physically move the folders together.

Personally I use Neoplanet

lol Thanks Elsa, got my hopes up for nothing.

Me: Ooooooh, a new browser to play around with. Hooray! *click*

Neoplanet site: The NeoPlanet browser is currently not available for download. Please check back in the future for more information.

Me: Awwwwwwwww.

Just installed the adblock extension for firefox 1.0 - it blocks geocities ads!!!! YAY! (Thanks, Maiandra!)

Just a note, you should stick with Firefox 9.0 for awhile longer before getting 1.0. The 1.0 version isn't stable yet.

I've been using 1.0 for a few weeks and I haven't had any problems with it. *shrug*

I'm glad you got Ad-block to work, Brassfire. I'm so used to it now that I can't stand to surf with browsers that don't block ads.

PW, I wasn't questioning anyone's computer proficiency. However, I don't think it's appropriate to give the impression that the new version of Firefox doesn't work for anyone, which you did with your previous post, when it does. My statement was in response to that alone and it didn't have any hidden criticisms in it. I hardly consider myself in a position to criticise others' computer skills when my own are only at an intermediate level, if that.

I just deleted that last post of mine since it's coming off rude when I had not intended too. I'll leave it at this:

Firefox 1.0 was not tested as much as the previous versions, so it doesn't work right on all computers, yet. So it will work for a lot of people but not everyone. The next release will have all the minor bugs fixed, so it should work for everyone.

So Microsoft will have to keep improveing IE due to the competition.

Firefox 1.0 is working fine for me, and has done so since I found out that it came out. Hopefully they'll fix the problems that other people are having fairly quickly.

Firefox is... well... my favourite browser... And I hate it when some site's don't show due to IE Only.... GYAH!

Well I think those sites are humorous. I've been to sites that give you all kinds of nasty messages if you're using IE. So it's give and take.

Re: IE only sites:

Just get the User Agent Switcher extension from the mozilla website. A feature that's quite popular in Linux-based browsers, it allows you to mask the identity of your browser and send info to whatever site you're viewing to fool it into thinking that you have another browser instead. i.e. IE, Opera, Netscape, etc.

Just beware tho, that even though you identify your browser as IE to a website, some elements may not show up properly due to non-standard HTML usage. The stinkin' cheaters.