My experiment with browsers

Somes days ago (Feb 1, 05), I wrote an email to my ex-classmates about browsers. I guess I first got the idea of creating my blog after this email. Here it is:

I was always looking for a good browser. In IIT, mostly I used IE (some experiments with Netscape but switched back to IE). Main reason: Most of the pages are written for IE out there. Also, with things like google toolbar n all, IE was a natural choice for me then. Right after coming here, I tried a couple of other browsers. I again tried non IE browsers like netscape but was quick to switch back. Then I tried this new browser - MyIE2 (now its name is Maxthon). This browser was great, because in a sense it extends IE. So it uses IE core engine (that means the pages will show up exactly similar to what they show up in IE). Plus I can use all the IE juiced up apps like google toolbar n all.

I wasn't so excited about features like tabbed browsing and mouse gestures (etc. etc. etc.) until I used Maxthon. But after using Maxthon for couple of hours, I was not just excited but I cudn't live without these features now. For people out there who are still using IE and are really status quo above switching browsers, try maxthon (for atleast 1-2 days). You will never switch back to plain IE again. Yeah, but thats a personal opinion, like everything else in this mail.

Until recently, I was quite happy with Maxthon. Then one day I thought of giving Firefox a try. As most of you will know there is much hype about firefox. It has taken away some market share from IE (after almost 10 yrs of monopoly, yeah IE still has monopoly (>90%), but atleast its a start; also dont forget that firefox is not so old ... the stable version was released just a while ago). So after reading so many stories, I gave firefox a try - (4-5 days ago) and now I will never switch back to IE (or Maxthon for that matter).

So here is my religion conversion mail for you :-)

First, the best thing (according to most of the reviews abt firefox) about firefox is open source. Yeah, there is much debate about M$ vs open source etc. etc. and well frankly I dont give a s*** as long as I am getting "good stuff"

Most of the reviews on net give one reason why firefox is better than IE - security. Well, firefox does have more control over security policies then IE. But more secure ? I really dont know (or maybe I do, but just dont want to force my personal beliefs, I dont know it for a fact). But one thing is there -- as firefox has much much smaller market share then windows, the chances of somebody exploiting a security hole in firefox is very very very less ;) (and most of the "moms and dads" out there are using IE -- so easier to fool them, most of the virus/worm writters will target a browser which will spread maximum damage)

The best thing I like about firefox is the entensions part. The basic browser comes with the bare minimum features (no mouse gestures!! :O ).. But you can download and install extensions from net. And as its open source, the number of extensions are infinite (appox ;) ).. people are writting extensions for each and every thing. And writting an extension for it urself isn't tooo difficult either. If you ask me one reason why I use firefox - extensions will be it.

Here are the current extensions I have installed on firefox (so if you want to give firefox a try, atleast install some of these from http://update.mozilla.org/?application=firefox, there are other unofficial sites on net which has a lot more extensions for firefox)

First the most imporart extension:

• Bookmark Synchronizer: Dont you ever want that your bookmarks should be same on all machines that you use ? (office, home, friend ?, laptop, windows, mac, linux). Yeah! right ! This extension does exactly this. It can upload and download your bookmarks from a ftp/http/https server (manually with two clicks or automatically on change). There are couple of other nice features. Also, I like to keep a (updated) links page on my homepage. This software uploads the bookmarks in xml format, so boom! I wrote a xsl and stylesheet for this xml file and I have a webpage that is automatically updated using my browsers bookmarks!! (well, if you want to do the same for IE kind browser, use VB Bookmark Wizard -- really nice software, creats a html links page from the template you provide). You can goto my links page on my homepage. Also, I just tried out this whole xml, xsl thing so the page isn't very cute :). And because IE doesn't implement some css specifications, so this page doesn't look very pretty in IE. Try using firefox/mozilla/netscape to view it (yeah the fav icons ! they get updated automatically too!). So, now firefox on all my machines (my office windows machine, my mac laptop, my home windows machine) and my web page has one common folder which is always synchronized with each other. (yeah ofcourse, I have some "private" bookmark folders on my home computer which I dont want to appear in my office browser).
• All-in-one gestures: Allows you to use mouse gestures for common and some very very very advanced and useful commands. It also has rocket naviagation, I really liked this one, it was missing in Maxthon. Also the number of commands you can execute (even some hidden commands) are unbelievable. You have to check it out, and mouse gestures takes around day or two to get used to, but once you use them, there is no turning back.
  
• ForecastFox: Gets weather forecast from weather.com and display it any toolbar or status bar. The best thing is you can customize what is displayed and how it is displayed. (like I added "feels like" temp to display.. its chilly and windy out here in Indiana :) ).
  
• Foxytunes: Yeah everyone listens to music while surfing. and yes, you can switch to your fav music player and change songs n all. But this extension adds a toolbar in firefox which can control any (ok ok.. most of) player from firefox. Also, displays the song title in firefox. Yeah, I agree this is a bit of luxury, but if some of you are using iTunes (in windows), you will really like this. (Why I use iTunes is completely different story -- I bought a iPod :) )
  
• SessionSaver: Saves your sessions (tabs, history). So when you close your browser and reopen it. EVrything is exactly the same -- the tabs that were open and even the history inside them (back/forward wali history :) ).. Maxthon also has similar option, but it doesn't save history.
  
• Other things that I currently have on my browser: Linky, Tab clicking options, ... etc try them out.. some really nice and handy features.
  

Other than extension they have theme (skin) support too. Try out Noia 2 theme atleast. Its cool! Maxthon also has skin support.

[There are lots of other good things about it (RSS etc. etc.) But, I dont think I have enthu to write about them now :-)]

Ok, I think thats it. Was really excited. Just completed modifying the xsl/stylesheet for the links xml file (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~singh35/xbel.xml .. try using some good css compliant browser to view it, not IE, IE doesn't show up xml embedded fav-icons). So just wanted to share my excitement with you guys. I am even thinking of writting one extension for firefox myself.

One small thing: I did have problems with some (very few.. I think just 1) IE-only pages. Had to use IE to open those. But, with firefox's growing popularity, I think people will start paying more attention on "industry standands" and not on "ok this somehow works in IE, good, put it on".