Microsoft – what chunk of hair do you want to pull out today?

Microsoft are a much maligned company. Their software’s got better over the years. And I’m sure this won’t happen to everyone, but I just downloaded Microsoft Internet Explorer 7. It took a long time to install as it installed about four other pieces of software.

Then it asked if I wanted it to be my default browser. I said no. I then loaded it up and it crashed. I checked ‘no’ when Microsoft asked if it could send itself some information on its own handiwork in crashing my computer and thought no more about it.

Then I clicked on an email link and IE7 loaded and managed the biggest crash of my computer’s two or three year life. It loaded two copies of IE7, wouldn’t function. Wouldn’t close even when I went through the full control + alt + delete routine.

So after rebooting I did a system restore to uninstall IE7. Then the system told me it had recovered from a major system error and asked if it could send Microsoft the details. I said yes, and was sent to these two sites. It seems to work OK now, and I am always amazed at how many small computer glitches fix themselves or somehow allow you to get by if you ignore them or work around them – so that’s what I’m doing. Perhaps it is this approach which leads my system (XP Home with all the updates loaded) to be a bit temperamental.

But beware. IE7 may not be worth your while!

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Cam
Cam
18 years ago

I like this quote about software development which Rusty Elliote Harold pooled;

That reminds me of when I started out as a programmer and I was very intimidated by the fact that I knew so little and everyone else must know so much. After a while I got some experience but it was not “real” experience, we didn’t have really good control over what we were doing so I dreamt of working on a “real” team, you know the kind they must have in banks and when developing medical equipment and such… Later I have been working at a bank and I know more than I would like to know about development of medical equipment.

–Joakim Ohlrogge on the junit mailing list, Friday, 4 Aug 2006 12:54:46

I agree with him.

vee
vee
18 years ago

I’m yet to hear a good word about the new OS Vista too. Its reportedly a memory and system resources hog.

Ron
Ron
18 years ago

I downloaded both IE7 and the beta Firefox 2.00 last week: Firefox is so far in front, I’m not sure IE even got out of the starting box.

Ron
Ron
18 years ago

Here you go Nicholas:

Firefox 2 release notes

Ron
Ron
18 years ago

By the way, one of the big pluses for me with FF are the addons:

https://addons.mozilla.org/

fatfingers
fatfingers
18 years ago

Nicholas, what’s not to like about Firefox? Pop-up blocking, tabs, easier to configure and use – I’ve never looked back.

Ron
Ron
18 years ago

After leaving the addons link above, I went to have a look at the latest and found this handy one if you’re into YouTube etc.

Video Downloader

You could start with this interesting number:

Alan Jones chucks a tizzy or two

saint
18 years ago

Sounds like you need this Microsoft product instead.
Firefox rocks.

Richard Phillipps
Richard Phillipps
18 years ago

Yeh I got ie7 yesterday and now I cant play the julian griffin 500 game. Something about a runtime error. There goes any chance of happiness. btw I get that quicktime aqua coloured “q” logo, and when I click on it I dont get the video. What gives? is there some quicktime secret? Should I chant or hold my nose or something?

Patrick
Patrick
18 years ago

Firstly, you need XP Pro.

vee
vee
18 years ago

I’m afraid I don’t know the URL offhand but I can recommend the Session Saver Addon for firefox.

Your system crashes or you accidentally close your browser. You can open it right back up with the same tabs and so on that you left it on.

Ron
Ron
18 years ago

“Session Saver Addon for firefox”

I think this is standard in FF2 because I experienced it yesterday for the first time and it is really handy.

paul
paul
18 years ago

microsoft don’t really care about browser wars anymore. ms are becoming supportive of firefox, assisting their developers, because browsers are old hat and fixing ie’s bugs is expensive. ms are focusing on wpf tech and preparing to battle against adobe with their flex/apollo set. which adobe will undoubtedly win the next couple of years, but once vista’s numbers grow – wpf might dominate because wpf is actually amazing.

anyway, back to ie7. i like the “reset settings” feature, or whatever it is called, which cleans ie of any spyware/toolbars which may have found themselves on there, and i like the feature where you can browse all your tabbed pages with thumbnails of each tab’s page. i assume neither features are revolutionary and there is no way i use it as my primary browser, ew.