Page created 25 April 2005, updated 13 June 2008. Web Browsers This article is about web browsers and the various problem that I have encountered while using them. This page contains many links to the Opera download page, but is only for your convenience, they are not sponsoring any of my web sites. INTERNET EXPLORER Microsoft have a monopoly, so other companies are being put at a disadvantage. However, there is a major problem with Internet Explorer. SECURITY Although Internet Explorer works better than any other browser, it poses a major security risk! So my personal recommendation is to only use it for sites that are absolutely trustworthy. Some people go as far as saying, "Delete it", but the other browsers that I have used have many limitations. ACTIVE X The problem with Internet Explorer is that Viruses and Spyware can get onto your computer through Active X. So the opinion of most people seems to be that it is better not to use Internet Explorer, so that you won't become infected. THE OTHERS Like most people, I looked for programs which were free of charge. The two that I found were Firefox and Opera. Of the two, I prefer Opera. So now I use Opera for surfing the Internet, and sites that use a password. JAVASCRIPT Many of my web pages use JavaScript. One of the problems with Firefox and Opera, is that many JavaScript commands don't work. If Microsoft were to make the specification available, one day the browsers would all work properly. So all I can say is that it is better to use Internet Explorer for any of my web pages. I keep a check on all my links, for viruses and spyware. Please use the Message Board, if you find a problem? FONTS One of the problems with Opera, is that it doesn't support the complete font set. For example, one font produces a picture of a house, but Opera displays 'BH' instead. FONT SIZE For the hard of seeing, there is an easy option to change the font size, on both Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is press Ctrl + either '+' or '-'. CACHE Web pages are stored in a Cache for a period of time, before it is updated. The problem that I am having with Opera, is that it is particularly slow to update. So in order to see the latest information, I have to use Internet Explorer. FRAMES Neither Firefox nor Opera support frames. PAGE DISPLAY Using either Firefox or Opera, you will see a slightly different page layout. For a start Opera has a display bar on the left hand side, but both of these browsers will display the page differently to Internet Explorer. WEB MASTER'S NIGHTMARE Having viewed my web pages, I have had to make many changes. For example, one of my banners moved from the centre, to the left hand side, making the page look ridiculous! DEFAULT BROWSER They all want to be the default browser, and keep pestering me about it. I set Firefox as the default, but it wouldn't display the off line web pages. WORKING OFF LINE Off line web pages with a URL of, for example, C:\Program Files\websites\newweb\ftp.htm will not work with Opera or Firefox. SPEED Maybe if I paid to upgrade my Opera browser it would speed up and stop asking me to upgrade. But at the moment, I am finding that it is a bit on the slow side. OPERA One feature which I find very useful with Opera, is that it stores user names and passwords. All you have to do, is click on the 'Wand' and it logs you in! MSN USER GROUPS I have used MSN Explorer, but I have uninstalled it, because it has too many faults. The Opera browser allows me easy access to MSN groups, but it won't allow me to edit pages, or post a message. THE VERDICT I prefer to use Internet Explorer for most things, but I use Opera for surfing unknown, or password protected sites. I also keep checking my computer for infections! Internet Explorer works off line, supports JavaScript and Frames, so it makes sense to keep it. However, you should never use Internet Explorer to surf unknown web pages. I have been infected with Spyware, from sites which claim to be helping to eliminate it.