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Tuesday, November 09, 2004 2:21 PM PT Posted by Andrew Brandt
Two Microsoft Software Alternatives Launch Today
It's a big day for downloads. The big story is that it's Patch Tuesday, Microsoft's monthly delivery day for Windows updates and security fixes. No matter which version of Windows you're running, head over to Windows Update today or tomorrow to check which patches you can download.Despite the patches, however, Microsoft's various programs continue to be plagued with security weaknesses for which there are no patches. One way to get around these problems is to download and install alternative programs that perform the same functions as the vulnerable Microsoft applications.
One alternative program that's getting a lot of attention is Mozilla Firefox 1.0, which was released today after being in beta for some time. A lot of people are switching to Firefox not only because of the security benefits it provides (for example, it doesn't suffer from the many scripting holes that Internet Explorer does), but also because it's just one slick little browser with a passel of cool features.
Another Microsoft-alternative program also out today is Eudora 6.2, which you can use instead of Outlook Express for e-mail. The new point-release delivers a few more features, such as support for OpenSSL encryption, better IMAP email support, as well as a phishing-prevention tool called ScamWatch, which alerts you when a URL in an email message points to somewhere that might not be the Web site it purports to link to.
Eudora's free version gives you two options: A fully-feature application that also displays banner ads in the program's user interface (but isn't a spyware installer), or a Light version with fewer features. The paid version ($40 for upgrades, $50 for new users) removes the ads and permits you to use all of its advanced features.
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Don't forget Mozilla's Thunderbird email client also in beta, but stable enough for a lot of folks, including me, to be using as their sole email client. And Mozilla's Mozilla suite that puts browser and email and newsgroups together in one package. The Mozilla suite is the descendant of the Netscape package that a lot of us started with many moons ago.
If Firefox had not come along; using a computer online is likely to have been an impossibility for me and computers would be abandoned.
I downloaded Firefox 1.0 Beta and LOVED it for the security of my computer. I will NEVER go back to IE and its holy hell as I like to call it. Firefox is fast, secure, the pop up blocker is amazing and better than most paid for blockers. The only complaint: Active X is not compatible so Corporate Websites (such as Microsoft) will not load on Firefox, which is fine with me.
I have been using Firefox in Beta for the past few months and LOVE it. I've even recommended it to all my friends. If Mozilla ever comes out with a mail client as fully featured as MS Outlook (not Outlook Express), they'd have a loyal user in me for life!
I must admit to being more impressed with Firefox this time than in previous releases over the past 1+ year. It appears a number of little irritations have been remedied. So far, I've found only one page it does not render properly--and it has nothing to do with Microsoft. Howwever, tabs are still far too big, and I'll have to search my mind for how to [again] decrease their size. Given all the problems I've seen with Firefox before, I'll not abandon Maxthon just yet. And, there's still "about:config" with which to deal. I don't understand why Firefox continues to hide options there that users sorely need. The big test will be the plug-ins where most problems tend to reside. Still, congrats Mozilla and Firefox. I may just be able to leave I.E. behind yet.
Another browser alternative is Opera. You can open multiple web pages in a multi-tabbed interface with it as well. opera.com
A good alternative to Outlook is Barca or Pocomail. pocosystems.com
I downloaded Firefox 1.0 2 days ago. In my experience it is about 20-30% faster then Explorer. To measure that, I empties both browsercaches and visited 10 sites in Holland and the USA (before visiting the next site, I waited for a complete pageload). I have a 8064 kbit connection with Internet. Even then the difference is noticable.
I didn't like Firefox that much, Maxthon is just as fast, has more features, and is more stable and secure than Firefox. Go to http://www.maxthon.com to check it out. Eudora is a great alternative E-mail client too, better than Outlook Express by a mile.
For those who miss features in Outlook, like Calendar, and rendering of certain web pages, there are MANY extensions available to Firefox. "Calendar" and "view page as IE" are only two of the options you have. Go to Firefox home page and click on themes and extensions.
trying out eudora ..
firefox is far better than IE but i think the best browser ever made is Opera
but i still have IE as a backup for some pages designed for use with IE .. i hope this situation changes soon
Where do you guys get things like "better IMAP email support"? From the info on their website? Give it a try... it's utterly useless. Mozilla Thunderbird blows it away by a mile. An imap folder with a few thousand messages will completely and utterly choke Eudora, while a mailbox with 20,000 messages is no problem for Thunderbird.
Oh, yea... and Firefox is great. Tabbed browsing and the new RSS features are a real plus.
Just to add a point to that last post... I didn't really mean to sound too negative. I've been using Eudora for years and it is in fact quite a nice alternative to Outlook for pop3 mail. My main problem is that I now use imap and have migrated away from Eudora expressly for that reason. I will admit, the imap in 6.2 is better than it was up until now, but I'll still take Thunderbird.
I think that the hot chilis for racy messages are everyone's favorite feature!
Barca, http://www.pocosystems.com, is better alternative to Outlook. It offers an integrated e-mail client and personal information manager, and it does not have the weakness of Outlook.
This not giving me enough information on alternatives to microsoft software. i need more information on ALTERNATIVES TO MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
It's so interesting to read this gb)
What the hell is happening here?!
Nice resource, good colors& design) So, you are good ;)