Laptop Computers

[shootingstar]

Who else does not use Internet Explorer?

Frankly I haven't taken time to look into all this but I know some of the big employers have IE enterprise-wide as the base and then layer their web-based, licensed tools on top.

[OakLeaf]

My DH doesn't use IE. Too many security holes and too few security add-ons.

The Mac-side equivalent is Safari. I will use that occasionally, but for the same reasons, I pretty much keep it to Firefox and allow a minimum of scripts and cookies; limiting them to temporary script permissions and session cookies as much as possible.

[emily_in_nc]

Who else does not use Internet Explorer?

I haven't used it for years, save for at work, where they still have a few dinosaur sites that need IE 6 (yes, IE 6, riddled with security holes!) to run properly.

I've been using Firefox for several years. I initially switched b/c of all the security holes in IE. Recently tried to make the switch to Google Chrome b/c I'd heard such good things about it, and Firefox has had more and more security patches lately, but had to go back to FF. Why? I could never get pdf files to display in Chrome, and that's a deal-breaker. I sell on ebay and have to print my shipping labels using pdf files. Read all sorts of online support tips for it, but nothing worked for me. Other than that, I really liked the simplicity and speed of Chrome. My DH uses it and loves it.

All that said, I read a couple of PC geeky newsletters, and it sounds like the latest versions of IE are much, much improved from IE 6 and 7. One testing lab did a head-to-head test between the latest IE (9, I think), FF, and Chrome, and each one did better in some areas, but overall, it was pretty much a draw, as I recall.

Go with what you like and feel comfortable with.

[OakLeaf]

Google by definition is spyware... the whole way they make their money is from data mining and selling the demographics.

Yeah, I have an Android phone. There's really no privacy with phones anyway, but it did give me pause to put my calendar onto Google. If I were working or getting any kind of serious medical treatment, I'd either have gone with a Blackberry, or just kept my calendar on a separate, non-networked device. And yeah, I use Facebook. There too, I weigh the benefit against the risk, keep my privacy settings fairly tight, use a minimum of FB apps.

Spyware - i.e. "legitimate" software - is a much greater threat in this day and age than non-corporate-sanctioned viruses and Trojans.

[Crankin]

I use Safari; never had a problem with it. Every time I try to switch to Firefox, something bad happens to my computer. I don't like change, anyway.
The clinic where I work uses Explorer. It's so old, you guys would laugh.

[badgercat]

The clinic where I work uses Explorer. It's so old, you guys would laugh.

I've done clinical rotations at two different hospitals that are still using Internet Explorer 6. It's shocking, considering that IE6 got a reputation back in the day as being about as secure as a piece of swiss cheese.

As far as the original topic goes, I have an almost-3-year-old MacBook. Before that I had a Dell laptop (Windows XP) that I got in early 2005 and still runs fine. That was back when Dell was still essentially direct-order. My mom has a Dell laptop that she bought at Best Buy last year and it just doesn't seem as "solid" as the old ones. I also have an Asus EEE Windows 7 netbook that I bought this past spring--I got in the habit of taking lecture notes on my computer last year, and I was getting nervous about schlepping my Mac (which is my primary computer) back and forth to campus every day. I call my netbook my MacBook insurance policy.

I guess what I'm getting at is I'm not a die-hard supporter of anything... I like all of my machines. Go with what feels good. If you're thinking about trying a Mac, now's as good a time as any. I'm glad I got mine and "expanded my horizons," so to speak, and if my MacBook dies I'll probably replace it with another Apple product (if I can afford to), but I'm not bonded for life.

ETA: if you do go with Mac, I also recommend the AppleCare... I took advantage of mine recently when my wi-fi card failed. I brought it in to my local Apple Store and they replaced it while I waited, no charge. It doesn't cover any kind of accidental damage, but it is a little extra peace of mind since it extends your warranty from one year to three.

[pll]

I've been using Firefox on Windows for years, and in the Mac, I am using Safari but a friend who's a Mac guru swears by OmniWeb. I have yet to give it a fair try.

Related to web browsers, did anyone read about how offers change depending on the web browser you use? See the blog entry here, on the Capital One interest rate offers.

[OakLeaf]

did anyone read about how offers change depending on the web browser you use?.

Not just your browser, but everything. Location (easy, from your IP address), content of your posts, everything they can correlate about your demographics from the above-referenced data mining. That's why Facebook and Google are worth so much money.

[Irulan]

Who else does not use Internet Explorer?

Frankly I haven't taken time to look into all this but I know some of the big employers have IE enterprise-wide as the base and then layer their web-based, licensed tools on top.

We don't, and it's annoying as hell to run into sites, all government, that still will only run IE. I mean, c'mon guys, get with the new millennium.

[jessmarimba]

Yep. I switch between Firefox and IE at work and use Safari at home - but I had to do an online file review with a gov't department the other day who sent an email stating that their system works on IE 6 (or whatever) and NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR!! Does that browser even exist anymore??

(And for what it's worth, their review system doesn't work on IE, either. The browser shuts it down instantly as malware, regardless of the security settings I choose)