Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007
posted November 25, 2013 05:59 AM
I had trouble with my Internet connection recently and used its helpline. The assistant asked if she could take over my computer to see exactly what the problem was.
Three times during the telephone conversation she asked if I would like her to download Google Chrome, twice I said no, but at the third time I said that as I had a computer operating on Microsoft I was using their supplied Internet Explorer. I asked if Google Chrome could offer anything better.
She declined to give an answer, so I said I would not accept the offer.
Do many members use Google Chrome? Is it any better than Internet Explorer? I read that it somehow sends data to Google of a user's activities. Would I be wise to change, or stay with Internet Explorer?
Posts: 540
From: Aldershot, Hampshire, UK
Registered: Nov 2013
posted November 25, 2013 07:13 AM
Maurice, I use Mozilla Firefox as my browser and have had no problems for the 4 years I have used it. I don't like the way Google push Chrome aggressively, however you may be able to change its settings to allow some privacy.
Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003
posted November 25, 2013 07:32 AM
This is about marketing and monopoly strategy.
Like it or not google has become the king.
If you use google service a lot such as google search, image, map or documents eventually you need to instal Chrome.
Google can modify anything in those services that let other browsers do not have compatibility with them.
For example long time ago, when we open google search on Mozilla, we did not any problem to open the cache (i.e previous version of a website that is stored on google server).
Now we cannot do that on mozilla and only Chrome can do it.
The cache is very important if you want to see a website that has been closed or modified. Or in a case when the website's server is down we can still read the articles through cache from google's server.
More from that if we are working on google documents some features are not compatible in other browsers.
So you see it now. I have to install Chrome eventually!
Posts: 1269
From: Thetford , Norfolk,England
Registered: May 2008
posted November 25, 2013 07:34 AM
Maurice, I concur with Paul. I find Mozilla Firefox brilliant after failing to get on with IE. Very intuitive, flexible and easily customized. I tried Google Chrome... and hated it from the word "Go"!' Martin
-------------------- Retired TV Service Engineer Ongoing interest in Telecine....
Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012
posted November 25, 2013 08:21 AM
Google! Do more Evil and steal Wifi information.
Just checked my browser (Firefox 25.0.1) and I can still see the cached pages. I would think if Google started down that road they would find the EU on their back.
I use all three
Firefox most of the time followed by Explorer only for a couple of sites it has improved of late, and Chrome as little as I can. If they have to push something that much I don't want it. Like the pre ticked box which you can miss sometimes.
-------------------- I love the smell of film in the morning.
Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007
posted November 25, 2013 10:17 AM
Thanks for the comments, folks. I read......"one site that doesn't work with Firefox is Microsoft Windows Update". Is this true?
Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006
posted November 26, 2013 12:52 AM
Chrome has proven to be unstable so if you are half way through booking your train tickets as it goes wonky you may find yourself in a spot.
In other words, if Google wants to give more works to Mozilla, it can easily change again the codes and Mozilla users will again face the same problem.
quote:I would think if Google started down that road they would find the EU on their back.
I don't think EU can do something about this. It is different case with IE bundled on Windows OS which EU fined Microsoft. In this case, people buy Windows OS and Microsoft pushed buyers to use IE browse, another product from Microsoft.
It seems that IE was given for free but no such a free lunch today. The bundled price contained the cost for IE to be there.
(ps: we remember the case of Kodak that was not allowed to bundle the processing fee on its film price. But that rule only applied in the USA not in other part of the world)
But on Google cache here, it is similar to a car manufacture (e.g) "Mercedes" who decides to have 7 bolts on every rim cover, while other car manufactures has only 4 or 6 bolts. This make all rim covers from "Mercedes" cannot be used by the other car manufactures.
I don't thing the other car manufactures can submit a complain to EU for this incompatibility so Mercedes has to change the number of bolts used.
Either the other manufacturers change their bolts or used their own.