Advice

ERIC SPELLMANN

Surfing - or flying? Why I switched from Internet Explorer to Firebird

In his latest column, ERIC SPELLMANN explains why he's now using a different web browser

For the most part I'm a Microsoft fan. After all, I use Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Windows 2000, and XP.

But today I'm making a switch. And for me, that's a big deal. Today I changed my "default browser" from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firebird (http://www.mozilla.org).

The last time I made such a major switch was four years ago, when I moved from Netscape to Internet Explorer. So, why did I change? Well, let me start at the beginning:

A little history

The first web browser was created by a group of guys at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications. They called it NCSA Mosaic. It represented a major shift of the internet from the domain of geeks to normal people. As "dotcom fever" started to spread, this development team left NCSA to start a company called Netscape. Around this time, Microsoft realized they were missing out on a profitable opportunity, so they copied (like they so often do) the concept of Netscape and branded it "Internet Explorer".

Netscape, which was charging for use of its browser suddenly couldn't compete. After all, Microsoft was giving away Internet Explorer with every new version of Windows. Microsoft quickly gained marketshare, and today commands 96% of the browser software market.

Well, the guys at Netscape never really went away. Many of them started an "open source project" (free software made by dedicated volunteers) called Mozilla. After a couple of years, this software is finally, in my opinion, ready for public use. "Mozilla" is actually the name of a software suite, consisting of:

Firebird - the browser (and my new best friend)
Thunderbird - E-mail program and news reader

While the Thunderbird program is great, I will stick with Outlook as my e-mail program for now. So, I opted to download Firebird. This program plays well with Internet Explorer, so you don't need to un-install the Microsoft product to test Firebird.

Why I switched

Many of my "techie" friends had switched long ago and continually harped on me to give it a try. I finally gave in and downloaded the relatively small (6 MB) file. Installation was a breeze. It even automatically imported all of my Internet Explorer Favorites. But my real conversion began once I started using Firebird ...

Faster

If not for any other reason, I would switch to Firebird because of its speed. Web pages pull up instantaneously. I guess I had got used to the "pokey pace" of Internet Explorer, because I was truly blown away by Firebird's performance. I'm not sure what to attribute this feature to, but it must have something to do with tighter code (better programming).

With all of its patches and updates, Internet Explorer was quickly becoming what we call "bloatware," slowing its performance on all but the fastest computers. Firebird, however, is lean and mean, as I first noted with the small file download size.

Tabbed browsing

Instead of having multiple Internet Explorer windows open, hogging your taskbar, you can have them stacked very neatly within the Firebird program itself. Clicking on one of the tabs brings that window to the foreground. This feature allows you to open multiple windows simultaneously. While you are reading one, the others are downloading in the background.

It's a big timesaver, especially for those of you with slow connections. In addition, you can set your homepage to be a group of tabbed pages, so that every time you launch Firebird, ALL of your favourite sites are loaded automatically!

Pop-up blocking

Show of hands - how many of you hate pop-up ads? OK, I see that forest of arms. Internet Explorer does not have a built-in pop-up blocker. In the past, I've recommended the add-on Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com) as a free, effective solution. However, Firebird has this feature built-in. And based on my tests, it's 99% effective. Truth be told, I haven't seen ANY pop-ups, but I can't guarantee any software has a 100% solution.

Better bookmarks

Sure you have a five-foot list of Favorites, but WHY did you bookmark them? Firebird's bookmark section allows you to enter notes next to each entry. That way, you can erase temporary bookmarks whose purpose was long forgotten.

As with Internet Explorer, you can create folders and subfolders to help organize them, but with Firebird, you can right-click on a folder and have ALL of the bookmarked sites open simultaneously in Tabs. Firebird also lets you associate a Keyword with any bookmark so you can open it by simply typing its keyword in the Location bar of the browser.

Search tricks

Firebird's toolbar has a dedicated "search" blank that will send any keywords you type to Google. If you type your search terms in the Location Bar, your request is sent to Google, but you are instantly taken to the most relevant page. Google calls this the "I'm Feeling Lucky" feature.

Firebird also takes advantage of "Smart Keywords". By typing in special, reserved words into the Location Bar, your browser can do some pretty amazing things. For instance, the keyword, "dict" followed by a word will search Dictionary.com for the meaning of the word.

Any way you cut it, Firebird is an improvement over Internet Explorer.

A couple of words of caution, though: It's current version is 0.7, making it "beta software." They call it a "Technology Preview," but in my opinion it's safe enough for the general public to try. Be careful, though. Once you try it, you won't go back to IE!

I'll see you in Cyberspace!

* Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to nl@ericspellmann.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at his website http://www.EricSpellmann.com

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		ERIC SPELLMANN Surfing - or flying? Why I switched from Internet Explorer to Firebird In his latest column, ERIC SPELLMANN explains why he's now using a different web browser For the most part I'm a Microsoft fan. After all, I use Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Windows 2000, and XP. But today I'm making a switch. And for me, that's a big deal. Today I changed my "default browser" from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firebird (http://www.mozilla.org). The last time I made such a major switch was four years ago, when I moved from Netscape to Internet Explorer. So, why did I change? Well, let me start at the beginning: A little history The first web browser was created by a group of guys at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications. They called it NCSA Mosaic. It represented a major shift of the internet from the domain of geeks to normal people. As "dotcom fever" started to spread, this development team left NCSA to start a company called Netscape. Around this time, Microsoft realized they were missing out on a profitable opportunity, so they copied (like they so often do) the concept of Netscape and branded it "Internet Explorer". Netscape, which was charging for use of its browser suddenly couldn't compete. After all, Microsoft was giving away Internet Explorer with every new version of Windows. Microsoft quickly gained marketshare, and today commands 96% of the browser software market. Well, the guys at Netscape never really went away. Many of them started an "open source project" (free software made by dedicated volunteers) called Mozilla. After a couple of years, this software is finally, in my opinion, ready for public use. "Mozilla" is actually the name of a software suite, consisting of: Firebird - the browser (and my new best friend) Thunderbird - E-mail program and news reader While the Thunderbird program is great, I will stick with Outlook as my e-mail program for now. So, I opted to download Firebird. This program plays well with Internet Explorer, so you don't need to un-install the Microsoft product to test Firebird. Why I switched Many of my "techie" friends had switched long ago and continually harped on me to give it a try. I finally gave in and downloaded the relatively small (6 MB) file. Installation was a breeze. It even automatically imported all of my Internet Explorer Favorites. But my real conversion began once I started using Firebird ... Faster If not for any other reason, I would switch to Firebird because of its speed. Web pages pull up instantaneously. I guess I had got used to the "pokey pace" of Internet Explorer, because I was truly blown away by Firebird's performance. I'm not sure what to attribute this feature to, but it must have something to do with tighter code (better programming). With all of its patches and updates, Internet Explorer was quickly becoming what we call "bloatware," slowing its performance on all but the fastest computers. Firebird, however, is lean and mean, as I first noted with the small file download size. Tabbed browsing Instead of having multiple Internet Explorer windows open, hogging your taskbar, you can have them stacked very neatly within the Firebird program itself. Clicking on one of the tabs brings that window to the foreground. This feature allows you to open multiple windows simultaneously. While you are reading one, the others are downloading in the background. It's a big timesaver, especially for those of you with slow connections. In addition, you can set your homepage to be a group of tabbed pages, so that every time you launch Firebird, ALL of your favourite sites are loaded automatically! Pop-up blocking Show of hands - how many of you hate pop-up ads? OK, I see that forest of arms. Internet Explorer does not have a built-in pop-up blocker. In the past, I've recommended the add-on Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com) as a free, effective solution. However, Firebird has this feature built-in. And based on my tests, it's 99% effective. Truth be told, I haven't seen ANY pop-ups, but I can't guarantee any software has a 100% solution. Better bookmarks Sure you have a five-foot list of Favorites, but WHY did you bookmark them? Firebird's bookmark section allows you to enter notes next to each entry. That way, you can erase temporary bookmarks whose purpose was long forgotten. As with Internet Explorer, you can create folders and subfolders to help organize them, but with Firebird, you can right-click on a folder and have ALL of the bookmarked sites open simultaneously in Tabs. Firebird also lets you associate a Keyword with any bookmark so you can open it by simply typing its keyword in the Location bar of the browser. Search tricks Firebird's toolbar has a dedicated "search" blank that will send any keywords you type to Google. If you type your search terms in the Location Bar, your request is sent to Google, but you are instantly taken to the most relevant page. Google calls this the "I'm Feeling Lucky" feature. Firebird also takes advantage of "Smart Keywords". By typing in special, reserved words into the Location Bar, your browser can do some pretty amazing things. For instance, the keyword, "dict" followed by a word will search Dictionary.com for the meaning of the word. Any way you cut it, Firebird is an improvement over Internet Explorer. A couple of words of caution, though: It's current version is 0.7, making it "beta software." They call it a "Technology Preview," but in my opinion it's safe enough for the general public to try. Be careful, though. Once you try it, you won't go back to IE! I'll see you in Cyberspace! * Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to nl@ericspellmann.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at his website http://www.EricSpellmann.com © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.