What about these IE "replacement front end" browsers?

letterman · External Since: Feb 17, 2009 Posts: 16

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philo1 · External Since: May 08, 2004 Posts: 70

letterman.DeleteThis@invalid.com wrote:
> With all this talk about vunerable browsers, malware, and all of that.
> I have one question. IE has always been known as the most dangerous
> browser, until recently when Firefox seems to have taken priority.
> Now, I know IE has it's flaws, but at the same time I know a lot of
> people hate Microsoft so I have always wondered if some of this was
> exaggerated as just a way to attack MS.
>
> I dont like MS either, but I want to judge the software fairly. I
> have used IE5 and later, IE5.5 for years and have never gotten a
> virus. Yes, I have gotten some spyware, but who hasn't. Of all my
> six installed browsers, I use IE about 50% of the time, use Firefox as
> the second most used, and on occasion I use Opera and OB1.
>
> But I also have two other browsers installed. Avant, and Slim
> Browser. These two are both "replacement front ends" for IE, and I am
> starting to like Avant quite a bit, whereas Slim B... is not as good.
> My question is whether these are as unsafe as IE is supposed to be, or
> is the safety factor (or lack of it), in the "front end" and not in
> the "base" portion of the program itself?
> Does anyone know?
>
> Thanks
>
> LM
>
> ----
> Every important thing I know about life I learned from a Shetland
> Pony!
>

That's right...as you said they are simply "front-ends" so not likely to
offer any better security than IE.

I use this one on my win98 machine

http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/

Saucy · External Since: Mar 30, 2009 Posts: 1

INLINE:

wrote in message

> With all this talk about vunerable browsers, malware, and all of that.
> I have one question. IE has always been known as the most dangerous
> browser, until recently when Firefox seems to have taken priority.

Well, IE has been through the fires of the forge for years when it comes to
security. Firefox's hardly been tested as it's not eally been targeted by
the malware writers. Firefox is now showing that it has more holes than
Swiss cheese and the type of exploits available to malware writers are more
raw and basic when it comes to FF.

> Now, I know IE has it's flaws,
> but at the same time I know a lot of
> people hate Microsoft so I have always wondered if some of this was
> exaggerated as just a way to attack MS.

LOL duh .. you think? Yup, that's reality - there are Microsoft haters out
there. I also think that there are people who are payed by Microsoft's
competitors [and there are many] to diss Microsoft and its products in
public forums and outlets.

> I dont like MS either, but I want to judge the software fairly. I
> have used IE5 and later, IE5.5 for years and have never gotten a
> virus. Yes, I have gotten some spyware, but who hasn't. Of all my
> six installed browsers, I use IE about 50% of the time, use Firefox as
> the second most used, and on occasion I use Opera and OB1.

I got a virus once, back in the year 2000. Microsoft offered a patch for
Windows 2000 which I didn't bother to apply and so I got one while surfing.
But I considered it my fault because I ignored the warning.

> But I also have two other browsers installed. Avant, and Slim
> Browser. These two are both "replacement front ends" for IE, and I am
> starting to like Avant quite a bit, whereas Slim B... is not as good.
> My question is whether these are as unsafe as IE is supposed to be, or
> is the safety factor (or lack of it), in the "front end" and not in
> the "base" portion of the program itself?
> Does anyone know?

For the most part, they will be as safe as your habits. It is entirely
possible that there may be holes in these third party browsers that IE does
not have. But in the same vein, it is less likely that there will be
exploits written against niche browsers [security through obscurity]. I
cannot comment on the architecture of these browers, but they do employ the
Microsoft web browser "Trident" engine [and may entirely run without
Protected Mode (?)]. You will have to check with the author of the
particular browser as to what considerations they have given to security
etc. etc.

Here's a discussion on the topic:

[Avant Browser Security]
http://forum.avantbrowser.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21850

Saucy

thanatoid · External Since: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 384

letterman RemoveThis @invalid.com wrote in

<SNIP>

>I've
> learned to save it every few minutes just in case. Agent is
> a lot more stable but then there are powert outages !!!

A UPS is a must, no matter where you live.

> I wish I was still 43 ...... I got almost 20 years on you
> !!!!

Typo. 53.

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