View Full Version : RFF MUCH faster with FireFox than Explorer
CameraQuest
03-30-2009, 11:56
I was very surprised to find out in a not so scientific experiment that RFF can load MUCH faster -- 3x or more -- with the Firefox browser over the Internet Explorer browser. Same machine.
So if you are using Internet Explorer and RFF seems as bit slow to you, try it with FireFox, which you can download for free from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html
Stephen
rogue_designer
03-30-2009, 12:03
It has rarely surprised me to find Explorer not doing something as well as the other options on the market. ;)
I've heard good things about Chrome for PC as well, but have not tested it.
On MAC - RFF seems to perform about equally well for me on Firefox or Safari. Opera is a bit dicey, but no surprises there either.
ray*j*gun
03-30-2009, 12:11
Firefox is better at all applications than Explorer! My young daughter clued me in a couple of years ago...kind of laughed at my still using the old IE.
Beemermark
03-30-2009, 12:15
I've used Firefox for quite awhile and like it a lot. One thing you have to watch out for is that some web pages will not work with Firefox. For example I used to log onto my utility web page to view my bill and I would get to a certain point and nothing would happen. Scottrades works 98% of the time and then I'll hit a page that will give some strange message.
Michiel Fokkema
03-30-2009, 12:16
Apart from being faster it also has much more features and is highly customisable with all the add-ons. And it's open source.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
laptoprob
03-30-2009, 12:18
who cares about exploder? It has the dreaded 'M' word in front of it...
Al Patterson
03-30-2009, 12:22
I've played a lot recently with both Chrome and Firefox, and while I found Chrome even faster than Firefox, Firefox appears to be a more stable platform. I don't miss IE, and haven't even bothered to look at the new version yet.
I've always had better luck with Firefox on my machines....
I just figured I'd try to surf RFF on IE when I saw this thread, reminds me of my dial-up days!! :)
I heard Safari4 is even faster...I wonder if it has focus shift at maximum aper...Nevermind, long day!
:D
Michael Markey
03-30-2009, 12:47
Well I have just tried it now. It was much faster. Thankyou.
FrozenInTime
03-30-2009, 13:00
The Safari 4β is the winner for me - fast and stable
visiondr
03-30-2009, 13:19
Camino (Mozilla) for the Mac seems the fastest for me.
But, right now the current speed champ is one of the nightly Firefox builds a.k.a. "Minefield" (3.6a1pre).
It's probably because vBulletin has a table-heavy page layout, and IE (at least through IE7) tends to slow down quite a bit when rendering pages with lots of tables. The difference can be pretty dramatic sometimes. I use Firefox for almost everything these days myself, though I still have to use IE for testing the sites I manage.
Morca007
03-30-2009, 14:58
And even faster with Opera. ;-)
Leighgion
03-30-2009, 16:00
So... you're admitting you were actually using Explorer? Of your own free will? :)
I'll definitely be giving this a go ... I'm sick of shouting at my computer! :p
Warren T.
03-30-2009, 16:10
i've been using Chrome for the last few months for most of my browsing, and I've found it to be very fast and stable.
--W
Our local systems geek has turned me on to Seamonkey. It's Firefox on steroids! :)
visiondr
03-30-2009, 19:43
Seamonkey uses the same rendering engine as Firefox. It is, however, useful in that it includes an IRC client, newsgroup reader, and other things in addition to its browser capabilities.
There is also Flock that has some nice features and a Firefox engine (?) works pretty fast on a mac.
Tuolumne
03-30-2009, 20:41
Which version of IE are you talking about? After 15 years of shunning IE, I find that the new Version 8 is the best browser on the market. It loads RFF super fast on my computer - after a brief pause when the headers appear, the posts load instantly for all intents and purposes. Chrome is too bare bones for my tastes and shows edits bizzarely here; also shows alot of broken image links, whether thay are or aren't. Firefox had been my favorite browser for over a decade, but the new version crashes continually on my computer, so f**k them.
/T
LOL @ Tuolumne...great to see some emotion comming out! :D
i have the latest explorer (8) and when RFF changed servers or whatever it did a while back it was a real problem loading ..give up was the best option, but over the past few weeks it has gotten much better, but does drag out a bit. i am just starting to use my mac though that has safari 4 on it and it loads very quick (not sure how much quicker but guessing 2-4x quicker [edit, i have to revise that, i just tested again and took notice RFF loaded in under half a second on my mac and on my explorer took more than 4 seconds). i have no idea if its the browser or machine, although my laptop works very well with everything else.
one anoying thing with safari is it underlines in red every spelling mistake, which with me is about every second word :p so all my typing has red marks through it, that i cant fix :rolleyes:
I'm a network admin and frequently have to help people out at their workstations. I can't help but feel crestfallen when they launch IE.
shadowfox
03-31-2009, 07:24
And... for those of you who can't get enough of the social-networking stuff (twit, facespace, mybook, digg, stumble, flickr, bla.... bla bla..), try this one:
Flock.
Personally, I can't stand those sites (except flickr).
I use plain vanilla Firefox for work and home, greasemonkey and firebug are very useful.
My sympathy for those who still have to use Explorer for their jobs. ;)
Uncle Bill
03-31-2009, 08:59
I just switched over to Google Chrome and I am very impressed at how fast it is compared to Internet Explorer.
I was trying to sign up for a networking event and IE kept crashing on me and that was the tipping point.
I am now trying out FireFox [based on this thread].
Al Patterson
03-31-2009, 13:04
Which version of IE are you talking about? After 15 years of shunning IE, I find that the new Version 8 is the best browser on the market. It loads RFF super fast on my computer - after a brief pause when the headers appear, the posts load instantly for all intents and purposes. Chrome is too bare bones for my tastes and shows edits bizzarely here; also shows alot of broken image links, whether thay are or aren't. Firefox had been my favorite browser for over a decade, but the new version crashes continually on my computer, so f**k them.
/T
I had a similar problem and found that a Google product caused a problem when I upgraded to version 3. I un-installed Google Toolbar and Google Desktop Search, then re-installed Firefox and it then behaved as expected.
But I have heard good things (relatively) about IE8, so I'll definately give it a try at some point.
charjohncarter
03-31-2009, 13:29
Yep, FireFox is faster on my computer, I also have IB on the same computer.
buzzardkid
03-31-2009, 13:34
I've played a lot recently with both Chrome and Firefox, and while I found Chrome even faster than Firefox, Firefox appears to be a more stable platform. I don't miss IE, and haven't even bothered to look at the new version yet.
Oh, there's a new version? :p I left it at IE 5.5 or so if I recall correctly
when Chrome gets all cool add-ons that are available for Firefox, like Ad-block plus I might switch to it after many many years with FF. been reading about good things Google is baking into Chrome :)
charjohncarter
03-31-2009, 13:40
Yes, can anyone tell me how to get FireFox to scroll with the knob in the center of the mouse? I use FireFox with Linux by way of Vitual Machine on my PC which uses IB on the Windows side.
Yes, can anyone tell me how to get FireFox to scroll with the knob in the center of the mouse? I use FireFox with Linux by way of Vitual Machine on my PC which uses IB on the Windows side.
it might have more todo with Linux rather than the Firefox, wether certain buttons in mouse are recognized or not. all modern distributions recognize least the mouse wheel nowadays.
Al Patterson
03-31-2009, 14:26
Yes, can anyone tell me how to get FireFox to scroll with the knob in the center of the mouse? I use FireFox with Linux by way of Vitual Machine on my PC which uses IB on the Windows side.
I use FireFox with XP, and my center scroll wheel works fine.
Al Patterson
03-31-2009, 14:28
Oh, there's a new version? :p I left it at IE 5.5 or so if I recall correctly
I know you are being funny, so I'll state that I keep up with what MicroSoft is doing because I tend to work at places where that's the only choice.
When I get to choose, it isn't the default browser.
Chrome's speed advantage largely comes from its great Javascript engine. Since javascript is used on many websites and especially sophisticated web-apps like Google Docs and Flickr, many people will see a speed increase over Firefox.
Wait until Firefox 3.1 becomes available. It will have a new Javascript engine called TraceMonkey. The Firefox developers are claiming that it will be faster than Chrome.
I have a Mac so IE is not an option (thankfully) but unfortunately neither is Chrome. Personally, I use Firefox mainly because I like the extensions. Safari is an excellent browser too but I prefer the Firefox because its more customizable.
Michael Da Re
03-31-2009, 15:02
Yes, can anyone tell me how to get FireFox to scroll with the knob in the center of the mouse? I use FireFox with Linux by way of Vitual Machine on my PC which uses IB on the Windows side.
I've been using Linux for years now and I have never had any problems with my mouse and Firefox. But I use Linux only. So I'm not sure if it reacts differently when you use it through a virtual setting.
Mike D.
charjohncarter
03-31-2009, 15:22
Thanks for the information everyone about the mouse. I'll fool around and see if i can get it to work.
CameraQuest
03-31-2009, 15:38
As far as I know, there is NO Firefox in Korea (unless LG or Samsung,etc. makes/ licenses it) so I'm stuck with a really slow speed RFF. It sucks!
unless the site is blocked,
you should be able to download firefox from the link in the 1st post.
Stephen
I'm amazed at how much better this site works now that I've switched to Mozilla ... I really was starting to get peeved with waiting for up to thirty seconds for pages to load and posts to upload.
Apparently for anyone thinking of using Internet Explorer 8 ... be sure that your version of Winows XP or whatever is licensed ... and I know we all like to be legitimate, especially where Microsoft are involved! :rolleyes:
Attach Explorer 8 to an unlicensed version of Windows and it can get very messy ... so my son tells me! :eek:
another good way to improve your browsing, especially if your connection isn't the greatest, is to reconfigure your computer or router to use the opendns dns servers. just do a google for opendns. it is super easy to do, and has made a world of difference for me.
One can Firefox to be faster by tweaking its settings to better match your computer and connection.
Here's a guide:
http://www.tweakfactor.com/articles/tweaks/firefoxtweak/4.html
This is bit complicated for many people but luckily there is a Firefox Addon called FasterFox that makes it easier:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9037
Since FasterFox is classified as an 'experimental' addon, one must create an account on Firefox Addons website to download it.
As Explorer is the most popular, it bugs me that it messes up my web site. The last gallery splits. I can't figure it out. It works perfectly with Safri and Firefox. Parade says the site is optomized for Safari, but I would think it would be ok with Explorer. As I have to use Explorer at work, I find it doesn't always display other sites properly either. Glad we have the other choices!
Chrome's speed advantage largely comes from its great Javascript engine. Since javascript is used on many websites and especially sophisticated web-apps like Google Docs and Flickr, many people will see a speed increase over Firefox.
Wait until Firefox 3.1 becomes available. It will have a new Javascript engine called TraceMonkey. The Firefox developers are claiming that it will be faster than Chrome.
I've currently got Chrome, Safari 4 (Beta), IE 8, Opera 9.64 and Firefox 3.1 beta 3 on my computer here for development purposes. Out of the IE alternatives, Firefox 3.1 subjectively seems the slowest, Safari 4 is a bit unstable, and Chrome generates user-specific identifiers and sends them to Google (there's a version called SRWare Iron (http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php) that has this patched out).
Firefox has an outdated codebase that is increasingly difficult to maintain. It's made up for somewhat by the enthusiasm of third-party plugin developers, but as far as the core is concerned, in many ways even IE8 is probably technologically more advanced nowadays. I'm mostly browsing with Opera.
Regarding IE 8 on unlicensed Windows: the problem is not the licensing, it's the product activation. It depends on how your particular cracked copy of Windows has been activated. If it's installed using an activation-less volume license key, it's unlikely that much is going to happen. If the activation has been disabled with a crack, IE8 may not work. In general, if you can run Windows Update without problems, you should be able to install IE8. If you can't run Windows Update, in all probability your computer already is a worm-ridden, remote-controlled, spam-sending zombie liability that should be taken off the Internet.
All of those are better than IE 6 or 7, though.
I think I've installed FireFox and deleted Explorer at the control panel, BUT Explorer is still in operation instead of FireFox. What do I do now?
Obviously I'm no techie, sorry.
I think I've installed FireFox and deleted Explorer at the control panel, BUT Explorer is still in operation instead of FireFox. What do I do now?
You normally can't (easily) delete the Internet Explorer completely, because Windows still needs it (to display system help, for example). Also Explorer and Internet Explorer are not the same thing - well technically they pretty much are, but they serve different functions. Explorer (the "non-Internet" Explorer, that is) is used to browse the file system, display folders and so on, so you can't easily delete it and it will still be running. Never mind though, because it's for the file system and not for the Internet.
In order to use Firefox to browse the WWW, just open the Firefox icon you just installed (there's normally one on the Desktop and one in the Start menu). You get a browser window - it looks similar to the Internet Explorer, but that's because there's not much variation in how browsers look, they all have a big empty area for the web page, an address bar, buttons for back, forward and stop operations etc. When you're browsing, just look at the title bar of your window. Mine currently says "Rangefinderforum.com - Reply to topic - Mozilla Firefox 3.1 Beta 3" and has the red-and-blue Firefox icon. If yours says something similar, you're using Firefox to browse.
Philipp
wolves3012
04-02-2009, 11:14
I've been using Mozilla/Firefox for years. I dumped IE quite a few years back on Windoze but now use Linux anyway (except at work, where I have no choice but XP and IE). Firefox is a lot faster for me and I have always liked the tabs feature which IE has never had (until now, I believe). I used to use Netscape in preference to IE anyway, before Firefox came along.
I too find Firefox much faster than IE (Being (actually) connected via MODEM (!) it's even more noticeable!)
I have IE 6 - IE 7 is the worst I've ever seen and I've never seen IE8 (I guess it's standard with Vista that I don't have)
Nigel Meaby
04-02-2009, 11:28
unless I'm mistaken I think Bill is saying that IE is still operating as the default browser. If that is the case go to preferences on the browser and click on General and you can change your choice of Default browser.
I have IE 6 - IE 7 is the worst I've ever seen and I've never seen IE8 (I guess it's standard with Vista that I don't have)
No, Vista comes with IE 7. IE 8 just came out a few days ago, it's (still) an optional installation.
Reading RFF via modem is a pain!
I switched to the Mac last year and use Firefox (3.08) and Safari (4 beta). I don't see much difference in speed between the two. I like FF because of the available add-ons. Auto Pager, Adblock Plus and Zotero. Zotero is just awesome!! I already used FF on Windows and it was MUCH faster than IE 7. What also irritated me was the amount of real estate that IE claimed for its menu bars, button bars etc.
What also irritated me was the amount of real estate that IE claimed for its menu bars, button bars etc.
Well to be honest FF isn't that much better in the out-of-the-box configuration (menu bar, address bar, bookmarks bar, tab bar, status bar). The nice thing is that it's much more configurable; I've now disabled everything except the address bar, the menu is on a button thanks to an extension, and the tab bar only appears when there's more than one tab open.
Firefox and Opera (not the current version of Opera, the earlier one) are both excellent browsers. I especially like Opera Speak, where you can let the computer read text to you. Why in the world anyone would use Explorer is a mystery to me. It's a virus trap, bloated, and slow.
Why in the world anyone would use Explorer is a mystery to me. It's a virus trap, bloated, and slow.
I know quite a few people who make 1:1 linkage from that "IE" icon in their Windows desktop, to "Internet" that everyone knows. if no "IE" icon, no "Internet". sad but true :(
Firefox with firegestures, adblock and download statusbar ftw! Switch to Chrome when there found those addones
At present Chrome generates a user-specific ID, tracks much of what you do and synchronises it with Google's servers. Google thus gets a very detailed profile of your internet usage and search behaviour. I wouldn't want to use it until it stops doing that.
At present Chrome generates a user-specific ID, tracks much of what you do and synchronises it with Google's servers. Google thus gets a very detailed profile of your internet usage and search behaviour. I wouldn't want to use it until it stops doing that.
This is one major turn-off to me about trying this. The hardcore geeks tell me that you can't opt out of much of the user tracking, and that it's even difficult for a savvy user to disable it. :(
I really don't like the "phone home" feature of this and I hope the trend does not continue. :(
Safari4 beta. Now that it has automatic checks for updates, it is much easier to deal with the beta. Rarely have there been any bugs, especially now that it is in late stages of development.
I am surprised that photographers would use any browser that is not color profile aware. Safari automatically reads embedded color profiles and Firefox can also do this if settings are changed (though perhaps now it does it automatically too - not sure as I don't use Firefox.) AFAIK, Explorer still doesn't do this.
If you don't think this makes a difference (i.e. everything on the web is sRGB anyway, isn't it?) then load Safari and load Explorer, and then go look at Flickr and compare.
Saft (http://haoli.dnsalias.com/Saft/) is also a good addition for Safari.
amateriat
04-15-2009, 12:07
Not that i have a dog in this fight (I use Macs), but I wonder how the latest build of IE (8) for Windows would shape up in comparison.
On both my Macs, Firefox 3 is quite peppy loading RFf. I might try the Safari 4 beta and see how that fares.
- Barrett
Florian1234
04-20-2009, 03:48
Is it just me or is there something wrong with the forum quick finder side-bar in the "VBP Graphite Xpand white font" style using Firefox?
It comes in a different style than usual and lists all the forum sections, but in another sequence.
mike goldberg
05-03-2009, 21:29
Hi All... Firefox is great; have been using it for several years. Also, security is supposed to be good in Firefox. And Google's Chrome is fast, too. As for IE, I have IE8, and haven't even tried it yet ;)
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