Two less Microsoft Issues for me to deal with...

[dd74]

The spam mail was killing me, and I did install and run the suggested spyware software. But after some time I simply became fed up. Incidentally, I wasn't too happy about Microsoft Word, either.

So last night I downloaded the Avant browser. This thing is 'da bomb.' It's very fast at startup, refresh and surfing, but uses a very small hard drive footprint. One can tab surf and it has all the functionality (at least that I need) that Internet Explorer has. And it has true pop up blocking.

Then, to deal with my word processing software, I downloaded AbiWord version 2. It's straightforward and simple w/p software with none of the bells and whistles of Word. Yes, it doesn't have an auto spell checker like Word, but I figure for a nominal fee, Spell Catcher software can rectify that if I find I really need to automatically capitilize new sentences. There's also a nice host of plug-ins for AbiWord, so that one can transfer their document into Word for Windows, Mac and even Linux.

In all, these two softwares offer as much functionality as I.E. and Word. The best part is they're free.

If anyone's interested, here's the link for Avant Browser:

http://www.avantbrowser.com/

and AbiWord

http://www.abisource.com/

[DByers]

David I hear what your talking about. I went with open office. Works great and lets me do what I need to do and still work with files that are evil.

Open Office

Mozilla for my email and I am all sent. The less evil on my computer the better.

[turbocarrera]

Mozilla is great.. but if you want just a browser get their FireFox software.. just awesome.. you can cutomize anything..
most web virus scpits are writen for IE.. or so my comp guru buddy tells me..

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I'm a Mozilla Firefox / Thunderbird user. Thunderbird has some good spamcatching capabilities. For me, OpenOffice.org is the way to go because I need serious spreadsheet capability.

[djmcmath]

I've heard great things about Abi and Avant. Personally, I used Netscape and OpenOffice, though Opera's also excellent IMHO. OpenOffice is a full-fledged office suite, and it's totally free. Oh, and it interacts cleanly with my files from work, too. Anything but MS ...

BTW -- anybody else running non-MS OSes? Blue, I know you're running Gentoo. Anybody else running something funky that you're fond of?

Dan

[cowtown]

I just stumbled onto the FireFox browser three or four weeks ago, and I'll never go back to MS Internet Explorer. It was a real shock to see just how bad IE is from a functionality standpoint (let along the security issues).

I'll have to try out some of the other packages you guys are talking about.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I've got a laptop that boots Plan9, if that qualifies.

Notice I said "boots"--I haven't actually figured out how to do anything with it!

[dd74]

My next project is to get my old G3 Powerbook 3400 to run Linux. The Mac OS finally dumped, so now I have a good excuse to try something new on it. I think MkLinux is all that'll run on it though. If it works, I'm going to convert one of my IBM Thinkpads to a dual-boot Linux/XP setup.

[nostatic]

Chimera for browser, mail.app for mail (Thunderbird isn't quite there yet). Still use Word and Excel, but I'm going to give OpenOffice a go. I end up exchanging a lot of files with office users, so I need compatibility. Although I'm trying to use wikis for more and more document prep.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

If I knew what a wiki was I would twy one.

[Doug Zielke]

It was here (on the Pelican BBS) that I learned about OpenOffice.
What a great program! I never use MSWord anymore.

[Shuie]

I ditched IE for Mozilla. Open Office and a new mail client are next.

[}{arlequin]

What's Plan9?

I use Mozilla and/or Opera on my laptop.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Plan9 is an operating system that was intended to be the "next Unix" for research purposes.

http://www.cs.bell-labs.com/plan9dist/

From their wiki (http://www.cs.bell-labs.com/wiki/plan9/plan_9_wiki/index.html):

Developed by the people who devised UNIX, i.e. Bell Labs, Plan 9 takes OS development back into the realm of research. While UNIX can be said to be a research tool the OS principles remain largely the same throughout all developments. Plan 9 (the name is taken from the title of the Worst Film Ever Made, Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space) is an attempt to work on the concept of operating system from the ground up, reworking the whole idea using modern concepts and technology.

[RickM]

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many alternatives to IE Explorer.

Which one is most likely to be around in the next 2-5 years? Which one puts the most effort into updates and patches? Which is best protected against attack?

Reason I ask is that I've been holding off on Internet enabling the latest PC in the house. I'm completely paranoid of crippling this machine with Dialers, Trojan horses, Spyware, Malware and the rest of the sewage out there.

BTW, I'm happy with MS office so I'm just interested in browsers.

Thanks for opinions.

[}{arlequin]

well, I haven't tried avantbrowser yet, but I'll give it a shot when I get home.

Opera worked great for me, very "customizable" and it had no problem recognizing and copying my IE bookmarks/favorites. For whatever reason, the latest version I grabbed does not support my Thinkpad's "nipple" scrolling feature (hold button down and pull/push nipple for up/down scrolling) I have to use arrow keys. Kinda frustrating. I don't think it's a problem w/ a regular mouse. It has an extensive forum/chat for support and patches, I just don't know enough to apply them.

I also use Mozilla, but I don't think it's the FireFox version. It has very similar features to Opera, but it did not import ANY favorites from IE, and it has not allowed me to do it manually, either. The tab browsing is not as user friendly, but the "nipple" scroll feature works like it should.

Both are very lightweight/streamlined programs that really do block the pop ups. Once you play w/ all the features and set your preferences, you'll wonder how did you ever do w/o them.

[}{arlequin]

I get a few calls a month from people I know asking me to fix their Windows machines. Invariably, they are infested with viruses. I have no idea how these people are getting all these viruses and I’m not.

I am definitely one of those people. I only open mail from people/places I know. Never download unknown content etc etc. Yet I would get weird error messages every couple of months. Where else could it be from? Porn? I don't use a firewall, b/c I never think I "go into" virulent sites, and I'm not sure I would even know how to set one up. How big of a difference does that make? I see people struggling w/ installs and set ups, doing the "trial and error" thing, having their computers down for a few days and I just couldn't be bothered. If someone else set it up... that would be different. If you are not using the machine for business etc. is a firewall a necessity?

[RickM]

Billy,

I'd submit that you're in the minority. Viruses are one thing but all the other crap can be acquired through normal surfing habits. Many of the subversive infections are not detectable through use of a combination of Spyware, Adware, Virus protection programs. Legitimate businesses install crap on your macines as well.

Additionally, many worms or viruses are acquired from familiar email adresses as they propogate through address books.

The bottom line is that my wife and daughter are going to use the machine I want to protect best. They won't fair well utilizing five products to scan, remove, quarantine the PC.

If switching to another browser alleviates 80% of my problem I'm all ears.

[lendaddy]

"Invariably, they are infested with viruses. I have no idea how these people are getting all these viruses and I’m not."

I hear ya! I don't even use AV software (it has caused more problems than it ever cured) and I too have NEVER had a virus. I use online checking and run AdAware every now and then. I also never open unknown attachments and I don't vist "fileswapping" sites. Maybe I'm just lucky?

[Shuie]

Billy, I think there is something wrong with your machine. Are you sure your ethernet cable is plugged in and you are working online?

I agree with Rick. Viruses are not a big deal as long as you keep your virus defs up to date and have some common sense about what you look at in the email. The spybot crap and the hotbar/weatherbug programs are the type of things that are out of control.

I think there are still a lot of people that are truely clueless as to what they are doing with a computer. Its not atypical for us to get a call from a user who cant figure out why nothing is happening when he tries to open an attachment in an email that came from someone he doesnt even know. No matter how many times he clicks it, it just wont do anything.

FWIW, Mozilla, Ad-aware, and Spybot S&D have solved all of my popup problems currently.