Well, I've seen the discussions here for years but never got into
them. I'm an IE-convert and I just took care to keep my av software
up to date. Win98SE isn't supported anymore, as everyone knows, and
there will be no more updates for vulernabilities so due to the latest
problem from yesterday re IE, makes me think it is now definitely time
to switch. But which browser?
So I'd thought I'd take a poll, as it were, to get some pros and cons
for each before starting this whole evaluation, etc., process.
If anyone cares to comment on either, would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks.
I use both--- I like the possibilities show in Mozilla/Firefox with all
the phugins/extensions, but that process is still being developed and
does not always work like it is supposed to...and changes every update!
Opera has fewer 'gadgets', but is more stable. It does have features
Mozilla does NOT have yet, like keyboard shortcuts for almost
everything. In Opera, if I have gone several levels into a site, all I
need do is hit "z" and I back up a level.."x" goes forward again...(with
the 'back' and 'forward' menus still available for specific pages). When
confronted with a page with many URLs, such as thumbnailed images or
links to different threads in a forum, the keyboard use of 'Q' or 'A'
zips me up & down thru those links. (Note the placement of Q A Z X under
the left hand)...and 1 & 2 in the following
Also, Opera can be configured for single document interface or multiple
document interface...meaning what shows on my bar can be controlled more
easily. (This can help with privacy if someone is looking over you
shoulder...*grin*)
.... If I have 6 pages open in single document interface, I see only the
one in focus, and navigate thru the others using '1' and '2' on the
keyboard..(4 &5 will do other tricks like minimizing and cascading).
Now...some seldom mentioned points. In Mozilla, you hit 'tab' or click
with the mouse to give focus to the address bar, in Opera you hit
F8...but then!...hit left arrow (NOT the backspace key)...in Mozilla,
you go to the left-hand end of the address...NOT what I usually want. In
Opera, hitting the left arrow removes highlighting and backspaces one
position, so I can edit an address. Small point? Not if you spend a lot
of time trying to navigate around websites that don't make it easy...I
hate having to click back to the end of the address I am modifying and
either hit RIGHT arrow first or click twice.
To go on...people are always talking about how FAST a browser is..I
suppose they mean loading and rendering a web page. I see very little
difference in them between various browsers, and with broadband, this
become almost negligible.
The speed I do notice is internal....I post often to forums where I am
constantly reading a thread, then going back to the main page. Mozilla &
Firefox seem to 'hang' when going 'back'...as if they were
reloading----then there is a brief display of the page AT THE TOP--then
it returns to the spot I was at in the long list of threads. (I hope
that is clear)...in Opera, I hit back (or 'Z') and I am immediately
returned to EXACTLY where I was, as if each place is memorized in a temp
cache and reloaded with no delay. If you get used to Opera, you grit
your teeth at the 2-4 second delay in other browsers. To add to this,
Opera 6 had a feature that automatically saved your configuration in
case of a crash, and offered you choices when re-booting or reloading.
Opera 7 goes further and offers 'last session' or 'saved session' at
each signon.....(I think I saw that Firefox is beginning to offer some
similar extension)
Now, there are plenty of features that are (or will be) available in
Mozilla/Firefox that Opera does NOT seem to plan...all sorts of personal
configuration options of toolbars and search bars etc....which is why I
expect to keep both Opera and Mozilla (well...probably Firefox only)
for the foreseeable future. I even have no problem with having both open
at the same time and using the features I need. (I do right now, to
double check the behaviors I mentioned)
Opera and the various iterations of Mozilla/Firefox are simply different
beasts. One is open source and easily configurable, the other is built
in each release with the features the creators want....in the last
analysis, YOU will have to try them and see what suits you..............
