File this in the "Yeah, Right" category: CNET and ZDNET are reporting that Microsoft is officially "not worried" about Firefox and totally unconcerned about all the publicity Firefox 1.0 is getting. (I just installed it on my machine, by the way--so many people were downloading it yesterday that I just decided to wait for it). I just have to share a few tidbits from the article. However, I advise you not to read this in a location where a sudden and violent laughing spasm might draw undesirable attention:
Ben English, Microsoft's security and management product manager, told attendees that IE undergoes "rigorous code reviews" and is no less secure than any other browser.
Oh, geez, my eyes are watering. Okay, let's move on:
English reiterated that features such as tabbed browsing are not important to IE users. "I don't believe it is a true statement that IE doesn't have the features that our customers want," he said.
Oh, yes, OF COURSE that would explain it. It's not that most IE users are just ignorant people who aren't aware of Firefox; no, these are people that think the added performance, security, and features just aren't desirable. It makes sense now.
By the way, how many people here are using 1.0 now?
gets even better
"Vamos, who admitted he has never used Firefox, said there is a lot of hype surrounding the open-source movement and that if Microsoft's customers wanted new features, they would have told the company about it."
Anyone who starts using Firefox for any length of time doesn't need to tell Microsoft. They are already using the better browser. Interesting, too, that Vamos can talk so much about something he has never used.
"I'm Not Worried about IE"
I've been using Firefox for a while now and it's so dramatically better than IE--especially so if you teach any kind of Web design--that it's ridiculous. I was an IE user for quite a while before this switch. The Web Developer extension for Firefox is a really valuable tool for checking usability, but also for teaching some of the more complex but important aspects of Web development and design. So, for me anyway, I'm not worried about IE. It's not even on the radar anymore! (Well, except for checking out when IE won't respond well to clean code.)
Dave
Firefox
I have tested it on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux and it is consistent across platforms.
A few months back a secretary at our school was having a problem with popups and trash coming through IE. I told her how to download Firefox and a week later she was thanking me for solving her problem.
I am using it now and have three tabs active. Its so convenient to switch between them, copy from one, paste into another, etc.
I never was a fan of IE and have been using alternative browsers all along. Safari is pretty good on the Mac but I must confess I prefer Firefox.
Micro$oft sure spends alotta
Micro$oft sure spends alotta time talking about something they're not concerned about...