THERE ARE SOME REAL BROWSERS OUT THERE WAITING ON YOU

By John Abbott, Member Bentsen Grove Resort Computer Club

I am always a bit amazed with folks that are satisfied with the programs that come with their computer. And I am really amazed with those who have remained satisfied with Microsoft Internet Explorer; generally referred to as IE6 or IE7, along with some names that don't print well.

Microsoft IE came out of the original browser wars as the clear winner doing a broadside on Netscape by giving IE away; and it was worth everything we paid for it. It has always struck me as humorous the things that Microsoft has to say about FREE Linux (as in freedom) even after they used the free IE (as in free beer)to blow off all the competition. But like standards, Microsoft has always wanted the rules to just favor them.

Since that browser war, Internet Explorer has dominated and controlled the web. According to the Alternative Browser Alliance “The last few years have shown that domination by a single browser has harmed the Web. <ABA article>” That dominance begins to rear its ugly head when non-IE browsers are barred from sites. Many gullible webmasters actually believe that the modern browsers cannot do what IE does – which they can and then some.

But it is because of this same dominance that the new browsers have become so innovative that Microsoft openly admits that the upgrades on IE7 were mostly “borrowed” from them. There are a lot of alternatives out there to select from. The browser leading that group against IE is clearly Firefox. And if you are a Mac user you know how superior Safari has been from day one. And the European market is quietly turning to Opera because of its speed and innovations.

Here is the short list published by ABA of browsers available:

• Major Browsers: Opera, Firefox, Safari

• More Cross-Platform Browsers: Mozilla, Flock and Netscape

• Windows Browsers: K-Meleon

• Macintosh Browsers: Camino, OmniWeb and iCab

• Linux Browsers: Konqueror, Galeon and Epiphany

All of these browsers feature:

• Tabbed browsing

• Modern web pages with HTML, CSS, SSL, and JavaScript

• Cookies and cookie management

• Plugins and Java

• Ad blocking and/or pop-up blocking

• Download Managers

• Integrated Search

• Favorites/Bookmarks and import

There are many more web browsers available. These are the major options on the major platforms, and were chosen specifically from browsers that are actively developed or maintained and support modern web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).

I would like to take time to introduce you to the fastest browser on the Internet. Please meet Opera!

Opera, originally released in 1996 was touted as the only browser that would fit completely on a floppy. It was also touted and proved in trails that it was the fastest browser on the planet. Since its release Opera has been constantly innovating and now this browser is a full-fledged Internet suite with web, e-mail, news (usenet and RSS) and chat, along with a wealth of features for new users and power users alike.

Even if you are an old hand at Opera you might not be familiar with the new features of Opera 9.23. So here is a really brief overview of the added features.

Speed Dial™

Now you have a new way to access your favorite Web sites. Just open a new tab to get your Speed Dial. It's easy to populate and addictive to use. Nine thumbnail pictures of the current state of your top 9 web locations – or press “hide Speed Dial” and you will open new tabs to a blank page.

BitTorrent

You don't need a separate BitTorrent application to download large files. Simply click a torrent link and start the download. A growing number of software sites are turning to BitTorrent to relieve their servers of all that activity.

Content blocker

Remove ads or images - it's up to you. Right-click (CTRL-click on the Mac) on the Web page and choose "Block content". It is as good as any ad blocker I've run – and I have run most of them.

Widgets

Small Web applications (multimedia, newsfeeds, games and more) that make your desktop experience more fun. Use the Widgets menu to discover new widgets and access your favorites. Visit widgets.opera.com to learn more and to see my favorite – the clock (if you run Vista you'll swear you've seen it someplace else).

Thumbnail preview

It is easy to have many tabs open at once in Opera. But exactly which tab had that video you wanted? Hover your mouse on any tab to see a thumbnail preview.

Fraud Protection

Opera's advanced fraud protection protects you against web sites that try to steal your personal information. Watch the demo to learn how to enable this feature.

Add your favorite search engines

Right-click on the site's search field and select "Create search" from the menu. Or simply type the shortcut for it in the address window and go search. “g Opera Features” will return a Google page.

Site preferences

Want to view a site in a different way or deny certain cookies? Want to block pop-ups on certain sites only? Right click and select "Edit site preferences" I use it to block a proprietary company's ads on one of my favorite Linux sites – I couldn't live without it.

Improved rich text editing

Use advanced text editing features for today's most popular Web applications.

Fast Forward

Fast Forward will detect the most likely "next page" link and greatly simplify navigation in multi-page documents such as search results and image galleries.

Sessions

Save a collection of open tabs as a session, for later retrieval, or start with the pages you had open when Opera was last closed.

Quick preferences

Pressing F12 displays the 'Quick preferences' menu to easily switch settings such as pop-up and cookie preferences and more.

Notes

Notes can be kept in conjunction with a Web site you want to refer to later, or remind you of any particular information you may like to review again. When you store a note it also stores the web URL for a quick return. You can search the notes for the right info, refresh your memory and go to the site.

Voice

The voice feature allows you to control Opera's interface by talking and to have documents read aloud. Voice is currently offered in English and runs on Windows 2000 and XP. Alas the Linux version is some distance away.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts - like mouse gestures (clicking and moving the mouse in a predetermined pattern will replace navigation commands - make your browsing faster and more efficient. Read more about all the keyboard shortcuts in Opera.

Trash can

This is one of the little details that makes me love Opera. If you accidentally close a tab, you can retrieve it from the trash can. This also works for blocked pop-ups that you may want.

There are a dozen more features like security, wed development tools, mail client, RSS reader, chat client, fit to screen, author mode – and so much more. You'll just have to go download it and play with it to get a feel for just how much more there is. OK just one more favorite:

Kiosk mode

Opera supports kiosk mode - a lock-down mode in which the browser can be used for unattended computers in public places.

OK that's it. I have 14 more things on my list -but I think you get the gist by now. Its small fast and really powerful. And it will joyfully coexist along side your current browser – even IE.

I'll close with my standard invitation. If you would like to see it in action, sit and play with it yourself you are always welcome at our home at A9 and of course – the coffee and espresso pot is always on and ready to please. Hey! Even if you don't want to play with Opera drop by anyway.

10 Steps to Safe Computing

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Unfortunately you must be proactive to protect yourself from today’s bad guys. Here is my down and dirty list for PC users.

1. Install a good anti-virus program and make sure that it is updated regularly. While most of today’s programs update automatically, you should check occasionally to make sure they are working properly.

2. Don’t open email attachments even if they are from someone you know. Open only if you are expecting them, you know the person sending them, and you know what the attachments contain.

3. Don’t fall for phishing schemes or other email where they try to get you to confirm or retype your personal information.

4. Update your operating system regularly. In Windows and Mac OS X you can turn on automatic updates, but you also need to download and install the updates as soon as possible. Often the bad guys take advantage of new operating system holes as soon as they are discovered. Companies like Microsoft, Apple, and others find a way to plug the whole and issue an update. If you wait a week or two to install the updates, you are giving the hackers and spammers time to attack your computer.

5. Be careful about the websites you visit. Don’t visit porn sites or other suspicious websites. Don’t download software from any website unless you are sure it is safe.

6. Use a firewall. As I stated in a previous column, a hardware router is a very good unobtrusive firewall. If you don’t have a router, turn on the firewall that comes with Windows. The Vista firewall is pretty good, and the XP firewall is better than nothing. If you are an expert user, you can use a software firewall like Zone Alarm, but for the uninitiated user, these complex software firewalls can be difficult to use.

7. If you are using Vista or Mac OSX, or even Linux you should create an account for daily use that does not have administrative rights. That way, if a piece of malware gets into your system during an average computing session, it will have restricted rights. Using an account with administrative rights, gives the malware administrative rights as well. While this is also a good practice with Windows XP, most users, including myself, find that because of the way XP is engineered, it is almost impossible to perform average tasks unless you are logged on as an administrator. Fortunately, with the Vista operating system, you can easily perform day-to-day operations when logged in as a non-Administrator.

8. Even with good habits, it can be useful to occasionally run a good anti-spyware program to scan and remove spyware from your computer.

9. Shop at Secure Sites. If you shop on the Internet, enter your personal information and credit card number only on a secure Web page. If you use Internet Explorer, a secure site will show a yellow padlock in a closed position on the toolbar at the bottom left-hand side of the screen. Netscape will show a closed darker colored padlock somewhere on the bottom toolbar. In both browsers, a secure site will have https: rather than http: in the Web site address at the top of the page.

10. Don’t give your Social Security number out on the Internet. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes because computers and the Internet make stealing an identity from an unsuspecting victim easy. So don’t be an unsuspecting victim! Your social security number is the golden key to your identity. Never keep your social security number anywhere in your computer. Never give it out over the Internet, even in a secure site. Some sites, like online banking, may require you to use your social security number as a password. Take a pass on any such site or service that makes you send your social security number over the Internet. Keep your identity secure by keeping your social security number as private as possible.

One more thing– don’t buy anything from spam or unsolicited email. While this won’t keep your computer any safer, it might help to lessen or eliminate spam. If no one bought anything from spam, it would take away the financial incentive to send spam and it would probably disappear.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

Open Source Software – Mostly Free to Use and Modify