Thinking Of Uninstalling Ie From Xp...


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generalnmx

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After a lot of discussion and thought, I am seriously considering using a program like "XPLite Pro" to uninstall Internet Explorer from XP Home and use various alternatives. So I ask you all...

- Is there any reason why I shouldn't get rid of buggy and crappy IE?

- What are good shell (command interface) substitutes for Windows Explorer (hopefully freeware)?

- What are good thumbnail viewing programs (hopefully freeware)?

- Many people suggest using Opera as my browser, what do you suggest?


Now don't tell me to use Linux, because there's a chance I'll get little to no support for my wireless adapter in Linux, for this is a laptop and I hate Intel. Hence why I need to keep using XP Home until I do a lot more research on whether or not I can get Linux running on this laptop with all the features I currently have.


Edit: Another security issue. I have an XP Pro server which I only access through Remote Desktop. It's mainly for downloading and PVR. Now I have two networks - one downstairs running DSL through a Linux Router using only standard ethernet cables, and one upstairs running Cable through a hardware router (Linksys) using wireless and standard ethernet. Usually I use it for downloading and PVR, but sometimes I use it for burning off stuff from my web server / file server, which is part of the downstairs network, which I try to keep as secure as possible. Because I don't trust Windows and especially not Remote Desktop, I always pull the plug to the downstairs network if I open the Remote Desktop port. I'm wondering, is there a better way? If I run a script on my Linux router which shuts off all ports to the XP Pro Server, would that be as secure as pulling the plug?


Final Edit: Another issue. 100MHz Compaq PC for a RH 9.0 Linux Router, could it work? This computer is so old it has a daughter board (seriously!). I'm not even sure it has PCI slots, I'd have to heck. Right now I have a 400MHz Celeron as my Linux Router, which is overkill in my mind.
 
I personally have to go with Firefox. Opera is nice and all but.. Firefox just has so many nice additions.

It is a Mozilla product, free, really secure (A hole was found and an update was immediatly made) and just plain awesome.

I have never had a pop up. Never had a problem. It is incredibly small to boot. Lots of extensions, ranging from real useful (Adblock - right click on an intrusive image and block it for good) to just nifty if you are lazy (Mouse gestures - Move your mouse a certain way plus the press of a button and viola, you never have to press the back button again)

Trust me... I have been through Opera, Avant, Mozilla, IE.... at least check it out.
 
I third it, even though I started it.

He raises a good point.

Though, if you are uncomfortable with that and want a install wizard to do all the work for you, they have that option open too.
 
Edit: Another security issue. I have an XP Pro server which I only access through Remote Desktop. It's mainly for downloading and PVR. Now I have two networks - one downstairs running DSL through a Linux Router using only standard ethernet cables, and one upstairs running Cable through a hardware router (Linksys) using wireless and standard ethernet. Usually I use it for downloading and PVR, but sometimes I use it for burning off stuff from my web server / file server, which is part of the downstairs network, which I try to keep as secure as possible. Because I don't trust Windows and especially not Remote Desktop, I always pull the plug to the downstairs network if I open the Remote Desktop port. I'm wondering, is there a better way? If I run a script on my Linux router which shuts off all ports to the XP Pro Server, would that be as secure as pulling the plug?
Click to expand...
The only thing as secure as pulling the nettwork cable is pulling the power cable..BUT just stop forwarding incoming traffic on the remote desktop port should do the trick nicely.

Final Edit: Another issue. 100MHz Compaq PC for a RH 9.0 Linux Router, could it work? This computer is so old it has a daughter board (seriously!). I'm not even sure it has PCI slots, I'd have to heck. Right now I have a 400MHz Celeron as my Linux Router, which is overkill in my mind.
Click to expand...
It really depends how much traffic you are trying to move and how much filtering you are doing. I have routed in filtered T1 traffic on a box like that successfully.( A Compaq deskpro actually) However, I was using openBSD which is a bit lighter than Linux.
 
The only thing as secure as pulling the nettwork cable is pulling the power cable..BUT just stop forwarding incoming traffic on the remote desktop port should do the trick nicely.
Click to expand...

True. I was hoping for a remote solution, as I don't want my Linksys hardware router (which governs whether the Remote Desktop connection is open the internet) accessible over the web. I'm not sure how secure it is.

I'd also like the beef up security on the wireless connection if I'm going to keep it plugged in to the downstairs network. Right now I just have it protected through the NAT Firewall on the Linksys router. I'm running XP Pro, any suggestions?
 
I cant be arsed anyways. I've got my hardware firewall on my router, and a software firewall running on machines in my DMZ, so gettin in shouldn't be that easy...

I use IE becasue it is the most compatible, simple as that. Firefox is nice, but I cant be arsed with Opera (have tried many-a-time)...

Just make sure your machine is nicely firewalled, and keep all the updates on, and use Firefox or something similar, and you should be fine. No need to strip out IE.
 
For your browser i'd suggest Firefox, it's fast and reliable, I used to use opera but i found its very cache heavy so decided to change, also in opera the pages didnt always update when viewing them again.
 
Firefox , Opera and Avant browser is probably the best substitutes for IE.
Most of the time i use Firefox , but in the spirit is being norwegian , i also use Opera.
Firefox got som nice extencions , but so do Opera , but even tough ; i like Firefox most.
Men bruk Opera da for helvete , din idiot :)
 
Axeman posted on Jul 31 2004 at 10:50 AM said:
I cant be arsed anyways. I've got my hardware firewall on my router, and a software firewall running on machines in my DMZ, so gettin in shouldn't be that easy...

I use IE becasue it is the most compatible, simple as that. Firefox is nice, but I cant be arsed with Opera (have tried many-a-time)...

Just make sure your machine is nicely firewalled, and keep all the updates on, and use Firefox or something similar, and you should be fine. No need to strip out IE.
Click to expand...
Your and matt's 'can't be assed-ness' are some of the primary motivating factors in making sites look crap on IE, because the more IE users there are the more people writing standards for it.

Result? We web designers/programmers can't use the advanced CSS2 features that would make our lives much easier, and have to stay up to ridiculous hours hacking around IE5's flawed box model which was inexplicably fixed in IE6 and only effects newer sites. The primary reason why I still use tables, even though CSS is more elegant and flexible.

Mozilla jumped to 5% not counting those who spoof their user agent. I know one online bank that actually advises people not to use IE on their login page due to security bugs, and online banks that didn't work on Firefox a year ago work now. The 'minority' is beginning to actually matter enough for people like me to bother with, and sooner or later sites that don't work on Firefox will simply lose up to 50% of their audience, simple as that. A site like Slashdot, for example, is about 50% non-IE even though many are forced to use IE at work.

So if you used IE only for the sites that didn't work, or better yet ignore them altogether (because there are almost always alternatives), or just complain, you could make a lot of jobs a lot easier in the long run. It's going to happen anyway, it would just be nice for you to help accelerate it.
 
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