Slashdot Mirror

I've switched to Palemoon portable, http://www.palemoon.org/

o It's noticeably quicker than Mozilla Firefox.
o It comes with proper StatusBar by default.
o It has a few improved default settings, less memory bloat.
o No silent, forced, auto-updates that may suddenly brake things.

Drawbacks,
- It's Windows only. No native version for Linux, BSD, Mac etc.

I also have Opera USB portable ready in case i get bored.
http://opera-usb.com/

Which I really like and would use also at work, if there was a portable version (so I can run it without installing it).

If you mean Portable Firefox, it's here. If you mean Portable Chrome, it's here. If you want to try Portable Opera, it's here.

And Portable IE7, though I believe you need IE6 installed, which isn't very portable at all, but it's here.

On version 8 of any software, this is alarming. Considering that IE8 is not rewriten from scrach, they will have to work hard to convince.

No they won't. They'll do it just like they got versions 4, 5, 6, and 7 out there: bundling and forced upgrades.

Fortunately, there are portable Opera and portable Firefox... at least until some "security" "upgrade" blocks them permanently or something.

MSIE is one of the ongoing embarrassments for MSFTers. If quality were an issue, it would make since to send MSIE to the bit bucket and skin Opera or FF, but lock-in trumps function so it won't happen.

I guess a small, good effect is that to get rid of MSIE, you do have to leave Windows behind completely.

Pretty sure they use some other closed-source stuff. Like a Tardis. Opera DOES allow at least one third-party modification: Opera@USB. Using it right now. It's really good.

If you're using Windows, and curious about Opera, I'd suggest either OperaUSB ( http://www.opera-usb.com/ ) or Portable Opera ( http://www.kejut.com/operaportable ). Both are portable versions of Opera, and as portable software they leave no trace on the host system, something that can be very convenient for testing a piece of software. Furthermore, I don't know what you're talking about with Gmail problem, either Opera rendering issues OR Firefox 'clear private data' issues. I've used both Opera and Firefox for years, on at least 3 different PCs that I've owned, and I've never had any such issue whatsoever! I'm not sure what in the world you're talking about, and certainly not with any new versions!

Bully for you. Did you want a Blue Peter badge? I have Opera 9.5 and it is the only one I will ever allow in my house and I even have the thumb drive version. http://www.opera-usb.com/operausben.htm

Not everyone who uses IE6 does so by choice. The admins at my last workplace refuse to upgrade, install an alternate browser, or allow users to install an alternate browser.

I can't speak for GP, but I just looked at opera since I'm getting tired of FF's crap performance. The two deal-breakers.

1. No extensions means no Password Maker . The non-integrated versions don't work so well in comparison.

2. Opera9's "content" blocking sucks. No way I could find to block iFrames, for example, other than reading the source and manually trying to enter it.

If not for those two issues, I'd switch now. Hell, Opera even has a portable app version now.

User javascript in Firefox runs via a dodgy extension. In Opera, the same scripts can run direct from the main application.

Mouse gestures: again, in FF via a extension - in Opera built-in. The capability for Mouseless browsing is also built-in.

Content blocking. In FF, via an extension - in Opera built-in.

Built-in mail, news, chat, RSS, and now BitTorrent. (But only if you want them.)

Custom searches that can be added with a couple of mouse clicks.

Menus, toolbars, themes, all very easily customised.

I'm finding Opera's widgets to be almost superfluous, because of the range of things the main browser can already be set up to do.

Oh, and it's portable too: http://www.opera-usb.com/operausben.htm/

http://www.opera-usb.com/