Friday, July 29, 2005
OPINION :: Internet Explorer 7 is One More Case of "Too Little Too Late"
Hey! Microsoft just released their beta version of the long-awaited, much anticipated update of their Internet Explorer browser, which still commands (unjustly, in my opinion) a huge majority of the browser market.
So far in it's spotted history, IE has come under fire multiple times for lack of functionality when compared to other competing products, and more so recently with the full release of Mozilla's Firefox, not to mention that whole anti-trust fiasco contending Microsoft's right to ensure their customers used their (Microsoft's) browser by bundling it, and no others, with Windows. In light of all of the troubles that IE has wrought during my online journeys, I will withhold spewing any of my admittedly tainted judgements forth, at least for the moment, and simply present you, dear reader, with a short list of pros and cons about this new IE release, and let you make your own call.
Now, the first thing that I noticed when looking over screenshots and reading reviews for this product was that Microsoft seemed bent on playing dad to its customers. Once again, their obsession with anti-piracy features puts more of a burden on their customers than on their intended targets: owners of illegal copies of Windows XP. For example, to even install IE7 in the first place, you have to go through an authentication procedure, which re-verifies that your copy of Windows XP is legit. If you're not just skimming this, then you're probably thinking "but what about Windows 2000 or ME," and you'd be dead-on with my own line of thinking at this point. The answer? No matter how appealing the new IE looks to you, no matter how much you'd like to support Microsoft's latest venture, you simply won't be able to unless you buy Windows XP. Period. But wait, there's more. Even if you currently have a legit copy of Windows XP, if you don't have Service Pack 2 installed, you STILL can't get the new IE. Worse, if your machine just goes nuts whenever you try to install SP2, (thanks for THAT one Microsoft), then you are STILL stuck having to buy Windows all over again, with SP2 already embedded, JUST so you can upgrade your web browser?! Granted, this is what it's requiring in it's beta form, but I doubt that will change when it finally goes gold. Okay, on with that list I mentioned:
New Features
----------------
- Tabbed browsing : Microsoft's version of tabbed browsing is fairly close to the look and functionality of Firefox's tabs. Click with your wheel mouse on a link, and the new page opens in a new tab.
- Integrated search bar: About danged time too. We've been forced to install Google's searchbar if we wanted a decent quick-search method in IE. What's interesting is that even in beta, IE7's integrated search bar defaults to Google! It's also ready to work with a few other major search engines.
- Full .png image rendering support: Also about time. What with all these Linux nerds and their affinity for anything outside the lines, .png images have been making appearances all over the major websites lately. Well, to be fair, .png as a format has some hefty advantages over the old-and-busted .gif format. IE7 supports them now, but it's still very clunky and rough.
- Built-in phishing protection: An interesting addition. IE7 will actually allow the user to submit a suspected phishing site address to Microsoft for a little closer scrutiny. Sites that have already been identified as phishing sites will cause a small notification to show up in the browser status bar. Good idea, but this also gets the tin foil hat guy in me wondering what else MS is retrieving from us through the browser. Just saying...
- RSS newsfeed reader: This is one that a lot of IE fans were clamoring for. It seems to work pretty well, although it's evident that this feature still needs some tweaking before it's ready for the final release.
Okay, those were the major pros. Now it's time for, and you knew they were coming, The Cons.
- Forced authentication/conformity: Look, I'm all in favor of Microsoft making a buck or two off of their efforts, but when they go to the lengths of making me prove my legitimacy to them (again) for the sake of upgrading a freaking web browser, I start considering whether or not the problem is with their ability to trust my software installation, or ME personally. Not only that, but I haven't been exempt from those issues that many people were having with SP2. I couldn't install it unless I re-installed a new copy of Windows with SP2 already built-in. No way I'm going to let a browser dictate to me what I should be running for an OS.
- Excessive memory usage: Flexbeta's review went so far as to check the memory used by both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox, side by side. It turns out that IE was using 20MB MORE than Firefox for the same load. What?! Why so much guys? Well, then again, this IS still beta. IE fans will simply have to wait with bated breath to see if this particular con is a bug waiting to be squashed, or one more "unintended feature".
- Still no true CSS2 support: Yes, Microsoft continues to deny that there even EXISTS such a thing as CSS2, except for their own version of it, of course. Also of course, IE7 will continue the longstanding MS tradition of supporting its own unique suite of commands while completely ignoring the really neat things that everybody else's browsers are capable of rendering under CSS2.
All in all and in the end, IE7 IS Microsoft's product, and so is the operating system under which it was intended to run. However, I really have a problem with the fact that Microsoft is going out on a limb this far regarding a pair of products that are simply dominating the markets for which they were intended. Their current authentication scheme is unfair to their customers, as is the practice of forcing upgrades. Sure, some people simply need to get with the times, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest hardware. If Microsoft is truly envisioning a computer in every home, then they really need to mellow out and start working on making their product a little cheaper and more accessible to the masses. Let's face it: they have every right in the world when it comes to casting the ole fish eye on folks trying to activate a new Windows install, who may or may not have obtained their installation keys legally. But when they start burdening their legit customers this way, what's to keep them from moving to an alternative OS the moment something viable comes along?
I firmly believe that the only reason Windows has such a stranglehold on the market is because there are no other products allowed to compete with it. If somebody comes up with a potential solution that may be a threat, Microsoft simply throws so much money at them that they can't resist selling out. Hey, I know I would if I were offered a cool couple million to knock it off. There's money now, and there's potential bigger money later. I admit it: I'm all about the instant gratification. Like you aren't? Please...
So anyhow, like I was saying, if someone were to successfully release a solid-completing product to Windows, there would likely be a mass exodus to their camp. One such potential is next year's hotly-anticipated OSX86 (Apple OSX for Intel architecture).
It's okay if you don't think this is so. We'll see who's right when Apple cries "havoc," and lets slip the dogs of war. Sides will be chosen very quickly, and I know that given the choice, for my part, I would choose the stable OS that doesn't watch over my shoulder and restrict what I do with my own computer in my own home. Whoops, that's OSX, isn't it?! Heh.
Listen, you don't have to take my third word for it. Check out these links to check out some reviews from the folks that have already pushed IE7 to its current limits, and found it lacking.
http://www.flexbeta.net/main/articles.php?action=show&id=102&perpage=1&pagenum=3
http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/internet/0,39024165,39210992,00.htm
http://slashdot.org/articles/05/07/29/0618205.shtml?tid=154&tid=95&tid=185&tid=1
Deadweasel is dreaming of a Mac Christmas.
Read more!
So far in it's spotted history, IE has come under fire multiple times for lack of functionality when compared to other competing products, and more so recently with the full release of Mozilla's Firefox, not to mention that whole anti-trust fiasco contending Microsoft's right to ensure their customers used their (Microsoft's) browser by bundling it, and no others, with Windows. In light of all of the troubles that IE has wrought during my online journeys, I will withhold spewing any of my admittedly tainted judgements forth, at least for the moment, and simply present you, dear reader, with a short list of pros and cons about this new IE release, and let you make your own call.
Now, the first thing that I noticed when looking over screenshots and reading reviews for this product was that Microsoft seemed bent on playing dad to its customers. Once again, their obsession with anti-piracy features puts more of a burden on their customers than on their intended targets: owners of illegal copies of Windows XP. For example, to even install IE7 in the first place, you have to go through an authentication procedure, which re-verifies that your copy of Windows XP is legit. If you're not just skimming this, then you're probably thinking "but what about Windows 2000 or ME," and you'd be dead-on with my own line of thinking at this point. The answer? No matter how appealing the new IE looks to you, no matter how much you'd like to support Microsoft's latest venture, you simply won't be able to unless you buy Windows XP. Period. But wait, there's more. Even if you currently have a legit copy of Windows XP, if you don't have Service Pack 2 installed, you STILL can't get the new IE. Worse, if your machine just goes nuts whenever you try to install SP2, (thanks for THAT one Microsoft), then you are STILL stuck having to buy Windows all over again, with SP2 already embedded, JUST so you can upgrade your web browser?! Granted, this is what it's requiring in it's beta form, but I doubt that will change when it finally goes gold. Okay, on with that list I mentioned:
New Features
----------------
- Tabbed browsing : Microsoft's version of tabbed browsing is fairly close to the look and functionality of Firefox's tabs. Click with your wheel mouse on a link, and the new page opens in a new tab.
- Integrated search bar: About danged time too. We've been forced to install Google's searchbar if we wanted a decent quick-search method in IE. What's interesting is that even in beta, IE7's integrated search bar defaults to Google! It's also ready to work with a few other major search engines.
- Full .png image rendering support: Also about time. What with all these Linux nerds and their affinity for anything outside the lines, .png images have been making appearances all over the major websites lately. Well, to be fair, .png as a format has some hefty advantages over the old-and-busted .gif format. IE7 supports them now, but it's still very clunky and rough.
- Built-in phishing protection: An interesting addition. IE7 will actually allow the user to submit a suspected phishing site address to Microsoft for a little closer scrutiny. Sites that have already been identified as phishing sites will cause a small notification to show up in the browser status bar. Good idea, but this also gets the tin foil hat guy in me wondering what else MS is retrieving from us through the browser. Just saying...
- RSS newsfeed reader: This is one that a lot of IE fans were clamoring for. It seems to work pretty well, although it's evident that this feature still needs some tweaking before it's ready for the final release.
Okay, those were the major pros. Now it's time for, and you knew they were coming, The Cons.
- Forced authentication/conformity: Look, I'm all in favor of Microsoft making a buck or two off of their efforts, but when they go to the lengths of making me prove my legitimacy to them (again) for the sake of upgrading a freaking web browser, I start considering whether or not the problem is with their ability to trust my software installation, or ME personally. Not only that, but I haven't been exempt from those issues that many people were having with SP2. I couldn't install it unless I re-installed a new copy of Windows with SP2 already built-in. No way I'm going to let a browser dictate to me what I should be running for an OS.
- Excessive memory usage: Flexbeta's review went so far as to check the memory used by both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox, side by side. It turns out that IE was using 20MB MORE than Firefox for the same load. What?! Why so much guys? Well, then again, this IS still beta. IE fans will simply have to wait with bated breath to see if this particular con is a bug waiting to be squashed, or one more "unintended feature".
- Still no true CSS2 support: Yes, Microsoft continues to deny that there even EXISTS such a thing as CSS2, except for their own version of it, of course. Also of course, IE7 will continue the longstanding MS tradition of supporting its own unique suite of commands while completely ignoring the really neat things that everybody else's browsers are capable of rendering under CSS2.
All in all and in the end, IE7 IS Microsoft's product, and so is the operating system under which it was intended to run. However, I really have a problem with the fact that Microsoft is going out on a limb this far regarding a pair of products that are simply dominating the markets for which they were intended. Their current authentication scheme is unfair to their customers, as is the practice of forcing upgrades. Sure, some people simply need to get with the times, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest hardware. If Microsoft is truly envisioning a computer in every home, then they really need to mellow out and start working on making their product a little cheaper and more accessible to the masses. Let's face it: they have every right in the world when it comes to casting the ole fish eye on folks trying to activate a new Windows install, who may or may not have obtained their installation keys legally. But when they start burdening their legit customers this way, what's to keep them from moving to an alternative OS the moment something viable comes along?
I firmly believe that the only reason Windows has such a stranglehold on the market is because there are no other products allowed to compete with it. If somebody comes up with a potential solution that may be a threat, Microsoft simply throws so much money at them that they can't resist selling out. Hey, I know I would if I were offered a cool couple million to knock it off. There's money now, and there's potential bigger money later. I admit it: I'm all about the instant gratification. Like you aren't? Please...
So anyhow, like I was saying, if someone were to successfully release a solid-completing product to Windows, there would likely be a mass exodus to their camp. One such potential is next year's hotly-anticipated OSX86 (Apple OSX for Intel architecture).
It's okay if you don't think this is so. We'll see who's right when Apple cries "havoc," and lets slip the dogs of war. Sides will be chosen very quickly, and I know that given the choice, for my part, I would choose the stable OS that doesn't watch over my shoulder and restrict what I do with my own computer in my own home. Whoops, that's OSX, isn't it?! Heh.
Listen, you don't have to take my third word for it. Check out these links to check out some reviews from the folks that have already pushed IE7 to its current limits, and found it lacking.
http://www.flexbeta.net/main/articles.php?action=show&id=102&perpage=1&pagenum=3
http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/internet/0,39024165,39210992,00.htm
http://slashdot.org/articles/05/07/29/0618205.shtml?tid=154&tid=95&tid=185&tid=1
Deadweasel is dreaming of a Mac Christmas.
Read more!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
COOL TIPS :: Hacking Firefox
THERE is one thing that is a universal constant in the Linux users' universe: ALL Linux/Unix nerds will tout their beloved operating system's versatility and ability to be configured at the core level. This is the single most powerful argument they have in support of Linux, and it's quite valid.
Many seasoned Windows users have complained more than a few times about the lack of configuration capabilities in many Windows programs, including the OS itself. We Microsoft whores uttered a collective groan when our Lord and Master, Microsoft, announced that they were pulling a critical important component out of their next release of Windows: the ability to control EVERY TINY aspect of the operating system from the command line level. This was slated to be a component of the highly-touted Microsoft Services For Unix, or MSFU (swear to God). Windows was finally going to allow us to mold its deepest tiniest options to our liking, all while maintaining that stranglehold on the closed-source code model that Microsoft has embraced for so long.
Well, that's now gone. At least, the configuration of Windows at the command line level is gone. MSFU is now available for sale separately for like $80. Thanks, guys. We were just starting to think you were trying to make the price of ANOTHER upgrade finally worthwhile. Guess we should have seen that coming.
Contrary to what you might be thinking right now, this is not a Microsoft-bashing article. Rather, it's a shining ray of hope for all you Windows-loving tinkerers out there. You folks already recognized the shortcomings of Windows and the tools that are bundled with it. One such flawed tool is Internet Explorer; in my opinion, the largest corporate-developed-and-backed virus/trojan distribution application on the planet. The flaw is largely thanks to Microsoft's continued reliance on ActiveX, a technology that is natively-embedded in the browser, and one which lets a sneaky programmer create a small program that peruses the Web, looking for computers running IE and connected to the Internet, which then infect those machines on the sneak and from that point on have complete and total access and control of those machines.
Most unimaginative script kiddies simply send out bugs that turn unsuspecting users' computers into spam zombies, which send out insane masses of junk email at an alarming rate. This problem has grown so bad that many Internet Service Providers are actively cutting off their users from the Internet until they get their computer cleaned up. Other folks aren't so amateur in their code-writing. Some of the more sinister folks can create a script that sits on a victim's hard drive, running in the background, and waiting for the user to do a Google search for "chocolate chip cookie recipes", at which point it flash-formats the hard drive, destroying all data and programs on it in seconds. Now, what I've just described are technically worms that aren't themselves written using ActiveX, but ActiveX does allow those worms to have direct access to computers on the sneak, without the user's knowledge.
Microsoft's Service Pack 2 patch to Windows XP attempts to address this issue, with some pretty noticeable success. However, there are still a zillion people out there who refuse to upgrade, or are running versions of Windows previous to XP like 2000, ME, 98 or, God help us, Windows 95. Those folks continue to offer a lucrative target base for spammers and malicious 'kiddies alike. In the end, you can hardly hold Microsoft at fault for sticking with ActiveX. I mean their entire business model is built around and dedicated to the technology. Their Passport service is based on it (or at least it was until recently), as is the crucial meetingplace of all Windows users at one point or another: WindowsUpdate. Without the ability to download and run a small (and safe) ActiveX control, Microsoft's website is unable to determine which updates you actually need to download. Bummer.
This lengthy lead-in was written to help you understand better the wild popularity of an alternative browser: Firefox. Mozilla's little brainstorm has created a huge fanbase almost overnight. Why? Well, how about tabbed browsing? Microsoft is already attempting to claim that they invented it, and will be including it in the coming Internet Explorer 7. Firefox also does NOT use ActiveX, which is bad news if you are a WindowsUpdate Frequent Flyer(tm), but is absolutely beautiful music to the ears of anyone who is sick and tired of all the homepage hijackers and endless repetitive popups that some websites create.
Now for the REAL reason you are reading this. Firefox, unlike it's big city cousin IE, can be configured, by the user, at the smallest level of detail. It's SO easy too, but if you aren't careful, it's also easy to screw up and make a mess of your browser. If nothing else, it's interesting to check out the settings that are available for you to mess with.
Open an instance of the Firefox browser, and type the following into your address bar:
about:config
Hit enter, (or middle-click on the link above), and you'll be presented with an auto-generated page that gives you instant access to every little possible setting that Firefox can possibly offer to its user. There's so much you can change in there! From the ability to use the browser on a Braille display to syntax highlighting in the webpage source code window, it's all completely accessible and configurable! You can read more about what the entries in the config page actually represent here.
This level of accessibility and configuration is exactly the kind of thing that Linux users get excited about. It's part of what makes them so fanatic about their OS while they sneer heartily at Windows. Unfortunately, it's doubtful Microsoft will ever bow to the open source code movement in any way, since they have a huge list of patents, both granted and pending, much of it related to their own web browser technology, whether they legitimately developed it themselves or not.
Firefox also takes care of popups all by itself. Some nefarious pain-in-the-ass advertisers have found a way around the way Firefox does its thing, using Flash and Java, but there's still a defense against even these ad-whores. This site outlines how you can do a little hacking to the browser's configuration to deny these popups, while keeping your web surfing experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Try doing a quick Google search for "Firefox about:config", and you'll be treated to a veritable plethora of helpful tips and tricks that will make you feel so much better about taking the ultimate control of "your" Internet.
At least we Windows users can finally get a taste of that which makes actually using your computer a little more like fun and a lot less like doing what the computer forces you to conform to instead. Granted, Windows works for most folks as it is. However, if you fingd that Firefox configuration page as interesting as I do, stop and think for a moment about what Microsoft made you miss out on when they pulled THAT potential level of control from the next version of Windows.
- Deadweasel plays with a Linux computer when nobody's looking.
Read more!
Many seasoned Windows users have complained more than a few times about the lack of configuration capabilities in many Windows programs, including the OS itself. We Microsoft whores uttered a collective groan when our Lord and Master, Microsoft, announced that they were pulling a critical important component out of their next release of Windows: the ability to control EVERY TINY aspect of the operating system from the command line level. This was slated to be a component of the highly-touted Microsoft Services For Unix, or MSFU (swear to God). Windows was finally going to allow us to mold its deepest tiniest options to our liking, all while maintaining that stranglehold on the closed-source code model that Microsoft has embraced for so long.
Well, that's now gone. At least, the configuration of Windows at the command line level is gone. MSFU is now available for sale separately for like $80. Thanks, guys. We were just starting to think you were trying to make the price of ANOTHER upgrade finally worthwhile. Guess we should have seen that coming.
Contrary to what you might be thinking right now, this is not a Microsoft-bashing article. Rather, it's a shining ray of hope for all you Windows-loving tinkerers out there. You folks already recognized the shortcomings of Windows and the tools that are bundled with it. One such flawed tool is Internet Explorer; in my opinion, the largest corporate-developed-and-backed virus/trojan distribution application on the planet. The flaw is largely thanks to Microsoft's continued reliance on ActiveX, a technology that is natively-embedded in the browser, and one which lets a sneaky programmer create a small program that peruses the Web, looking for computers running IE and connected to the Internet, which then infect those machines on the sneak and from that point on have complete and total access and control of those machines.
Most unimaginative script kiddies simply send out bugs that turn unsuspecting users' computers into spam zombies, which send out insane masses of junk email at an alarming rate. This problem has grown so bad that many Internet Service Providers are actively cutting off their users from the Internet until they get their computer cleaned up. Other folks aren't so amateur in their code-writing. Some of the more sinister folks can create a script that sits on a victim's hard drive, running in the background, and waiting for the user to do a Google search for "chocolate chip cookie recipes", at which point it flash-formats the hard drive, destroying all data and programs on it in seconds. Now, what I've just described are technically worms that aren't themselves written using ActiveX, but ActiveX does allow those worms to have direct access to computers on the sneak, without the user's knowledge.
Microsoft's Service Pack 2 patch to Windows XP attempts to address this issue, with some pretty noticeable success. However, there are still a zillion people out there who refuse to upgrade, or are running versions of Windows previous to XP like 2000, ME, 98 or, God help us, Windows 95. Those folks continue to offer a lucrative target base for spammers and malicious 'kiddies alike. In the end, you can hardly hold Microsoft at fault for sticking with ActiveX. I mean their entire business model is built around and dedicated to the technology. Their Passport service is based on it (or at least it was until recently), as is the crucial meetingplace of all Windows users at one point or another: WindowsUpdate. Without the ability to download and run a small (and safe) ActiveX control, Microsoft's website is unable to determine which updates you actually need to download. Bummer.
This lengthy lead-in was written to help you understand better the wild popularity of an alternative browser: Firefox. Mozilla's little brainstorm has created a huge fanbase almost overnight. Why? Well, how about tabbed browsing? Microsoft is already attempting to claim that they invented it, and will be including it in the coming Internet Explorer 7. Firefox also does NOT use ActiveX, which is bad news if you are a WindowsUpdate Frequent Flyer(tm), but is absolutely beautiful music to the ears of anyone who is sick and tired of all the homepage hijackers and endless repetitive popups that some websites create.
Now for the REAL reason you are reading this. Firefox, unlike it's big city cousin IE, can be configured, by the user, at the smallest level of detail. It's SO easy too, but if you aren't careful, it's also easy to screw up and make a mess of your browser. If nothing else, it's interesting to check out the settings that are available for you to mess with.
Open an instance of the Firefox browser, and type the following into your address bar:
about:config
Hit enter, (or middle-click on the link above), and you'll be presented with an auto-generated page that gives you instant access to every little possible setting that Firefox can possibly offer to its user. There's so much you can change in there! From the ability to use the browser on a Braille display to syntax highlighting in the webpage source code window, it's all completely accessible and configurable! You can read more about what the entries in the config page actually represent here.
This level of accessibility and configuration is exactly the kind of thing that Linux users get excited about. It's part of what makes them so fanatic about their OS while they sneer heartily at Windows. Unfortunately, it's doubtful Microsoft will ever bow to the open source code movement in any way, since they have a huge list of patents, both granted and pending, much of it related to their own web browser technology, whether they legitimately developed it themselves or not.
Firefox also takes care of popups all by itself. Some nefarious pain-in-the-ass advertisers have found a way around the way Firefox does its thing, using Flash and Java, but there's still a defense against even these ad-whores. This site outlines how you can do a little hacking to the browser's configuration to deny these popups, while keeping your web surfing experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Try doing a quick Google search for "Firefox about:config", and you'll be treated to a veritable plethora of helpful tips and tricks that will make you feel so much better about taking the ultimate control of "your" Internet.
At least we Windows users can finally get a taste of that which makes actually using your computer a little more like fun and a lot less like doing what the computer forces you to conform to instead. Granted, Windows works for most folks as it is. However, if you fingd that Firefox configuration page as interesting as I do, stop and think for a moment about what Microsoft made you miss out on when they pulled THAT potential level of control from the next version of Windows.
- Deadweasel plays with a Linux computer when nobody's looking.
Read more!
