Uncle Vlad Advises

 

April 2002 Review of Web Browsers

Please see my June 2002 recommendations on the use of Browsers here

This April I am reconsidering my previous advice on the use of the web browsers.

The advice, in agreement with the VCU Computing services, was:

  • you may continue using Netscape 4 with the latest security upgrade;
  • you should not upgrade to Netscape 6;
  • you should avoid using Microsoft IE.
Additionally I recommended using Opera 6 as your primary browser.

The situation is changing. Read a ZDNet review: Sick of IE? Why it's time to try a new Web browser

  1. Netscape 4 is unable to work with modern web pages because it is obsolete and out of compliance with the International Web Design Standards. Using Netscape 4 means that you cannot see the websites the way they are supposed to be seen.

     

  2. Now, AOL is going to stop supporting its competition, Microsoft, and in several months will start distributing its own browser, Netscape 6. This will add close to 30,000,000 members to the Netscape user community and will force the web site designers to comply with the International Web Design Standards.

     

  3. Netscape 6 is based on the Open Code Project Mozilla Gecko browser engine, and the Mozilla project in April is reaching its Version 1.0 phase. The current version of Netscape, the 6.21 uses Mozilla's version of 11/28/2001.

    The 6.21 proved to be a stable browser. It has the email program that is much similar to that of Version 4 but allows to have several different mail accounts. Netscape 6 seems to load longer and be slowish compared with MSIE but it is a false impression because MSIE does not load when you request it to be loaded--it is preloaded in your memory with the start of the computer even when you do not wish to use it.

    If you like how Netscape works and prefer the Netscape email program, you should install Version 6.21 and import all the information stored in your Version 4. Then Version 4 may be sent into oblivion.

     

  4. MS Internet Explorer 5 is not compliant with the International Web Design Standards and is a security risk.

    Unfortunately, it is impossible to simply uninstall MSIE, it has to be "exorcised", and exorcism, as you understand, is not a simple procedure :-) The exorcising makes the computer to run appreciably faster.

     

  5. MS Internet Explorer 6 may operate in the International Web Design Standards compliant mode but is a more serious security risk. Almost every day a security hole is discovered in this sloppy program. Microsoft regularly patches these defects. If you persist on using this Microsoft product, it is obligatory to check the Microsoft website once a week and download and install the current security patches.

    Here is the latest (3-28-2002) cumulative security update for MSIE.

     

  6. Opera 6 is a stable standards compliant browser with many features that make it very pleasing to use, downloading numerous webpages in the background, turning off image display and reversing atrociously designed web sites to the readable default appearance.

    Opera 6 turns off the annoying commercial popups with a single key stroke.

    Opera 6 has a convenient email client that is able to easily replace the Netscape email client.

    Opera 6 is the fastest browser in the 6th Generation. The use of Opera browser is strongly encouraged. Download from "http://www.opera.com"

     

return to Uncle Vlad Advises

4/8/2002; 8/19/2002