Would You Use Ie Explorer Even If It Wasn't Bundled With Windows?

[The Simpleton 2]

Netscape Navigator was the leading browser in the market before Internet Explorer (IE) was forced onto people who bought the Windows operating system. If I'm not wrong, Bill Gates didn't believe in the potential of the internet at first and that's why Microsoft didn't release any mainstream products relating to the internet in the early days. However, when they saw how successful other companies became due to the net, they hurriedly put together the clumsy browser called IE, bundled it together with a new Windows version (I believe it was 95?) and threw it out into the open.At that time Windows' popularity was only increasing, so it was only natural that people who bought the OS used the browser readily since they weren't required to download and install a new one. This is the secret behind IE's "success". Anyway, that was a long time ago and now many people are ditching the browser for better ones. What about you? Are you one of those who still uses IE because it's ready-to-use or do you take the trouble t install a better browser?

[mahesh2k 0]

I stopped using IE few years ago. Don't know when exactly. These days i open IE only to check the CSS/Site design. Also when i go to cyber cafe while traveling i gotta use IE. Why ? Many Cyber cafe owners think that they know it all but don't install alternate browsers. They have no idea about Browser hijacker scripts for IE. And still we've to manage with such cafes who use IE 5/6. Some spywares are such horrible for IE5/6 that they restart Internet explorer and after penetration into browser they get into disk as well. Restarting explorer.exe most of the time. IE 8 did have option of sandbox browsing for security but is that working at all ? We're discovering security flaws every now and then from IE bandwagon. So no point in sticking with IE.On my personal computer, i switched my default browser to firefox. Opera is also good option for default browser. But i can't live without some of the add-ons on firefox. So i have no option other than firefox as of now. But i'm comfortable with chrome, opera. I'll not use IE even if it is bundled with newer version of windows. So i'll go with installing better browser than that.

[dangerdan 0]

If IE wasn't bundled with Windows there is no way I would even consider it. As soon as I heard Google were releasing a browser (Chrome) I switched to it and haven't looked back. Sleek. Stylish. Secure.

[kobra500 1]

I don't use it anyway however, I disagree that microsoft should not be allowed to bundle them together, it's their product what they do with it is there problem, OSX give you safari, most linux distro's come with firefox, so you can't complain. Forcing an update to IE 6 would be good though, because the recent IE is quite good, though I preger firefox, and even that has problems.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Hmm... I would choose FireFox over Internet Explorer except for the fact that FF seems to use Java. I've noticed the ram taken up by the browser is huge compared to that of IE.I would much rather have a FF but without the Java. Something more lightweight.My issue with IE is that most of the exploits on websites work on IE as that's what they're designed for...TBH it's kind of like a Linux Vs. Windows question. Both have their positives, both have their negatives.

[SaraInWasteland 0]

I quit using Internet Explorer years ago when I discovered Firefox. I know everyone has their preferences - mine is Firefox. Basically, Internet Explorer takes up space on my computer and that's about it. I'm not sure why I haven't removed it yet. Either way, bundled or not, I don't use Internet Explorer.

[The Simpleton 2]

I think IE's days are numbered now. It has the most number of loopholes than any other browser and no matter how much MS says its safe, the damage is done now. And all those users lazy enough to switch to another browser better be careful because you never know how smart the cracker is, who's using the loopholes to gain access to your system!

[rpgsearcherz 5]

I think IE's days are numbered now. It has the most number of loopholes than any other browser and no matter how much MS says its safe, the damage is done now. And all those users lazy enough to switch to another browser better be careful because you never know how smart the cracker is, who's using the loopholes to gain access to your system!

The issue is, like I posted in another thread, cracking/hacking is a cat-and-mouse game. No matter how smart you are, someone is always smarter.

The reason there are more exploits/etc. on IE is because more people use it than anything else. There's no point in "cracking/hacking" something most people don't use anyways.

I'm sure if FireFox ever gets to become the more mainstream browser there will be a lot more exploits being hunted/found.

[TheDisturbedOne 1]

I don't use it even though it is bundled with Windows. In fact, if Internet Explorer wasn't bundled with Windows, I'd bet that it would go the same way that Netscape went. In fact, most people that I know that still use Internet Explorer only use it because they didn't know that anything else existed to browse the internet.

[shangshaptak 0]

No way man. IE is the worst browser out there. Ony reason it's the market leader because it's a bundled software.

[mahesh2k 0]

Hmm... I would choose FireFox over Internet Explorer except for the fact that FF seems to use Java. I've noticed the ram taken up by the browser is huge compared to that of IE.

Firefox doesn't use java. You've to install java add-ons only if you wish to view browser contents. So that makes it browser runtime. Firefox is not written in java and it is not using java for it's underlying operation. If you check the Help > About Mozzila Firefox you'll find following details. Atleast i got this from my Mozilla.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.12; .NET CLR 1.1.4322) Gecko/20080201 Firefox/2.0.0.12

From this information i can say that it is not built on java. But it is built on .NET. As .NET is also like java i.e it uses VM. So expect similar performance from it. If you compare FF with chrome then you'll find boost in performance. Why ? Cause Chrome on windows is written on ATL. For more information about ATL/WTL you can check chromium developement site. I used to think that opera is written in java, but i was wrong on that. None of leading browsers are written using java. C++ is used for developing browsers. Variations in C++ could be there but atleast there is C++ behind it.

[truefusion 3]

If Windows didn't come bundled with a browser, how would i be able to download other browsers? I would at least require it to download other browsers on Windows, since there's no such thing as a repository, like in Linux, where i can search and download all kinds of browsers from. It doesn't matter if it were Internet Explorer or something else, i would still require a browser with download capabilities to be able to navigate to the website of my favorite browser and download it from there. So, in other words, yes, i would still use it, but not for anything other than what is "necessary."

[anwiii 17]

that's why have firfox AND the firfox installation program on my usb drive. i have never used ie on a new install. sometime a website will require ie. that's the only time i will use it....usually it's a microsoft website haha

If Windows didn't come bundled with a browser, how would i be able to download other browsers? I would at least require it to download other browsers on Windows, since there's no such thing as a repository, like in Linux, where i can search and download all kinds of browsers from. It doesn't matter if it were Internet Explorer or something else, i would still require a browser with download capabilities to be able to navigate to the website of my favorite browser and download it from there. So, in other words, yes, i would still use it, but not for anything other than what is "necessary."

[networker 0]

I stopped using Internet Explorer so long ago it isn't funny.It is a virus trap as well as prone to crashing constantly.While Firefox is not perfect, it is certainly better than InternetExplorer. I don't know why Microsoft doesn't just bundle it(Firefox) with theirnew operating systems or just build an entirely new browser from scratch.

[The Simpleton 2]

If Windows didn't come bundled with a browser, how would i be able to download other browsers?

lol that's a good question, and while there is a sensible answer (i.e. getting the installation program from another source), one has to agree that it is convenient to download stuff like that instead of getting it from a cd or elsewhere. And I don't think one will get into trouble by using IE to download some other browser.