When IE 7.0 was first announced I’d heard a number of credible reports that it was as buggy as any new MS product usually was, and so I decided to wait.
Then, I did something smart and got an alternate browser installed. (Firefox, if it matters.)
Which is fine for most things, but some things including, especially, Windows Update must be run using some version of IE. So, basically - I’d like to hear the Straight Dope from the Teeming Millions, is IE 7.0 ready for being installed for rare use, or should I keep ignoring that update until MS finally stops worrying about backwards compatibility? (Which I estimate will be either next year, or when they finally get Vista running well. Given the way that they’re prone to changing definitions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see both those occur at the same time.)
I did a quick GQ search, but it seems to have been at least 6 six months since anyone’s asked this question, so it seems that it’s reasonable to bring it up again, even if there is a definitive answer from some previous time.
In my experience, IE 7 isn’t as “buggy” as it is, well, different. I mean, it doesn’t crash all the time or anything, again IME. If you just want to use it for Windows Update or for the few sites that don’t work (or refuse to even try) with Firefox, and then use Firefox the rest of the time, I’d say go for it.
Plus, you could install the Firefox IE View or IE Tab extensions, and then you never have to deal with the new IE 7 UI, which is where a lot of the changes are that people don’t like.
I really don’t like IE7. It’s slow and still rather buggy. Unfortunately some brilliant minds at two of the major manufacturers with whom I deal with on a daily basis saw fit to equip their distributor websites with non-IE filters that force you to use IE to visit their pages, so I am forced to use it in those two instances. For everything else I use Firefox.
I would, with some reservation, say that it is adequate for occasional use, but I’d sooner jump off a bridge with a bungee tied to my junk than make it my everyday browser.
I don’t use IE at all anymore so I figured why not do the update.
The first BIG thing I noticed is that (AFAICT) you can’t rearrange the [DEL]toolbars[/DEL] sorry Command Bar to the same way you could in IE 6. Things like the back/forward, favorites, etc buttons seem to be locked in place.
For the most part it looks like someone wanted to turn IE into Firefox, and didn’t do a very good job!
That was the thing that turned me into a Firefox user for good - the ugly pudding of a control interface that IE7 has - the controls are all different sizes, a number of different styles, they’re scattered across the toolbar haphazardly with little regard for alignment or scaling. It’s a bloody mess.
Silly objection, but there you go. IMO, IE7 won’t be ready for proper use until they make the UI configurable.
I’m a Firefox fan but I have to use IE for several sites at work. There’s a registry entry that you can add to put the menu bar back where it should be.
Unfortunately, I’ve found nothing to let you move the refresh and stop buttons back to their proper position.
I have been hearing numerous recent reports that IE6 is starting to crash more frequently as PCs start receiving their regular Windows updates. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but is this Microsoft’s way of encouraging people to upgrade to IE7?
Not saying that MS is going to directly sabotage IE6 by way of a Windows update, but surely they’re not going to be too concerned about patch & update compatibility with “older” versions of IE?
meh, I got no beef with it. Took a little bit of getting used to it, but I don’t have any problems with it. Never ran into any bugs that stand out in my mind. I do love the tabs though, I just wish you could merge two instances of IE (is there a way?).
Install the Mozbackup extension. It backs up all your settings, including bookmarks, each time you close Firefox. In the unlikely event that FF does trash your bookmarks they can be restored in an instant.
I’m a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Firefox user, but I have to say that I find IE7 nice enough to use. Middle-clicking loads pages in the background, which is the main thing. The other thing, though, is extensions. Firefox has a bit of a lock-in there, which makes it hard for other browsers to compare. Once you are used to, say, Tab Mix Plus, using browsers that don’t have those features is painful.
