Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mark B
I am not sure if I have mentioned how brilliant Firefox is in this thread, so I'll do it now.
If you are still using Internet Explorer....
WHY?
|
But then again why use Firefox ?
I still can't understand this forums love affair with Firefox. Seems to me the only complaint about the free version of
Opera is the Ads thing.
To put this into perspective - Opera is just a better browser and some things are worth paying for.
The main benefit of Opera is the time you can save due to the fact it is an integrated product, apart from the fact Opera is much prettier (well OK maybe not the default UI), not like the IE lookalike FF UI and it can be customised to look pretty much how you want with stuff where you want.
Download time: Opera's 3.4MB vs Firefox+Thunderbird's 10.3MB. Plus the time needed to locate, download and install the FF/TB extensions needed to make them nice to work with.
Then when the browser updates, Opera is still a nice small download. In the past FF upgrades have typically broken most extensions. Problem is, extensions are often release-dependent. Upgrading Firefox often means hunting for new versions of the extension. (new versions are not always at the extension site. Some times you have to hunt through the dev's site). So you get to choose between an up-to-date minimally functional browser, or an out-of-date, possibly insecure, but fully functional browser. At least until the extension authors catch up. Remember, extension authors are just individuals working in their own time. There is only limited coordination between the main FF browser development and their own. It's not unknown for extensions to be weeks behind the main FF browser. It's funny how many hate the ads in the unregistered version of Opera, but have no problem dealing with extension-hell. Plus many extensions require you to restart Firefox each time you make a setting change. (not even touching on the conflicts).
The Firefox UI requires several extensions installed to behave more like Opera. Having said that I never did manage to get half the extensions to work anyway ! The only separate d/l I need with Opera is an alternative 'skin' (theme to FF users) from a link on Opera's menu (no hunting for another web site). This takes about 30 seconds (150k) to d/l and installation is instant.
Then there's the integration of web browser and mail in Opera. If someone emails me a link I just click it and it opens, as near to instantaneous as you can get. If I was using FF+TB, that would only happen if FF was already running. Otherwise I'd have to wait for FF to start which is many seconds on my system. Similar if I click an email link on a website. No delay for Opera, ever. Potentially a long delay for FF+TB.
It's funny how Firefox users have no problems with startup times (especially when you have lots of extensions installed).
I paid about £25 a year ago for Opera. That's 2-3 hours work (after tax). If using Opera saves me just 3 hours over a year, it's paid for itself. With all of Opera's integrated ready-to-go features, I reckon I've saved much more than 3 hours! Ads seem like less of a problem than all that. Paying for Opera to get rid of extension hell is great.
And anyway I never did find the ads banner obtrusive, I lived with it for at least a year before I decided Opera should benefit from some cash !