Friday, July 28, 2006

Web Browser Updates

On the web browser front, there are a few updates you need to be aware of. First, for the Firefox user’s version 1.5.0.5 is now available. This update fixes a few security holes. I’m a big Firefox fan, but it sure seems to me that they have released a lot of updates lately. Are the hacker kiddies finally getting bored with Microsoft and going after someone else?

For you Internet Explorer users – this is a biggie. Internet Explorer 7 will be hitting the streets sometime this coming fall. The thing to be aware of is that IE7 will come to you as part of the regular Windows Updates in whatever month it is released. But even if you have your automatic updates set to auto/auto, you will be getting an IE7 prompt, with the choice of whether or not to install it. I am telling you this now because IE7 is a completely different looking creature than your present IE6. It will feature tabbed browsing, anti-phishing filters, the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds (no separate reader required), and a whole new look and feel. I have been using the beta version of IE7 for quite some time now – and it is pretty cool looking. I would just warn you that you need to make sure it will work with all of your web applications. The learning curve will be slightly higher on this new browser.

More Information Here

For you corporate folks (and even home users), if you don’t want IE7 even offered to you, Microsoft plans to provide a blocking tool that you can apply to keep your computer from getting IE7 automatically.

The new Firefox version looks and feels the same, just has a few security holes plugged. Hmmm…. Firefox - security holes? Could it be? The new IE7 will be very different, however. You will need a little time to get used to it and get used to where all the buttons have moved, but you will be very pleased with the new browser.

No comments: