First off let me just say that it angers me that I have to install Microsoft's annoying browser just because I need the scripting engine that comes with it. What in the world is the point of that? It's a Win95/98 feature, not a browser feature. God, I -really- hope the Feds stick it to Ol' Bill till he yells.

Just for the record, I am running Win95 SR1, internet via a LAN at home. I spent well over 30 hours trying to get either IE4 or IE5 to upgrade from IE3. I decided after the first several tries to not bother with 4 since the newer version was already out. So the story goes like this... I am onine trying to download IE5 to install it, and it is was a little file. So I thought that it must be one of those online installation things of MS's (Another !!!! job from Bill) and activated it. It downloaded this simply huge file. I was hoping the whole while that my net connection wouldn't die, 'cuz who knows if resume is supported on this thing.

After downloading a 22meg file, one would think that all I had to do was run it and it would install itself and all would be well. Yah, right. When I ran the setup file I was told I needed to be connected to the internet, so I put in the proxy settings and watched in dismay as it told me that it needed to download another approx. 20meg of files. But I had it do it... except it kept rejecting the proxy settings, so I had to keep retrying, even though the settings were correct. After many days of repeating the sames steps over and over, it spontaneously worked one day.

Hooray!

So now I have IE5... and yah know what, suddenly Netscape is locking a lot more than it used to... Wonder why?

I find having the radio toolbar to be annoying, thankfully it can be removed. I don't like the way the history opens up within the browser window, wasting valuable space. I -don't- like the auto form filler. When I want my forms filled, I'll use Gator. Until till then I want IE to back off. I hate the fact that if I decided I wanted it off my machine, I know full well, I am not gonna be able to, short of a hard drive format. I totally don't like the permission levels that are built into IE. I don't want my machine to go sunbathe naked on the internet, thank you very much.

(Someone was mentioning that IE is better for developers because it recognizes more Java... Wake up, you are -supposed- to be building for the lowest denominator, so all can play in your virtual garden. Someone else like IE over Netscape for the file bookmarks abilitie. That has been a part of Netscape for a while now. Hit the bookmarks button on the toolbar, mouseover "file" mouseover the folder you want it in and click. Ta-da!)



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