XP service pack 3??

[Lindley]

The important thing isn't to use Firefox. Use it or not, doesn't matter.

The important thing is to prevent Microsoft from gaining more of a stranglehold on software than it already has. To that end, people should be encouraged to know the alternatives to IE. Even if at the end of the day they find IE to be the best option for their situation, it should be an informed decision.

 

[Tim]

Back on topic, after three attempts, I was able to download and install SP3 through the Windows Update website. After rebooting, all network connectivity was lost; I'm guessing all the driver changes from SP3 don't play nicely with IBM Access Connections (I have a ThinkPad T42, heavily upgraded). I've also read that there is a known issue with SP3 and ATI video drivers.

I reverted to SP2 from a recent backup and will hold off on SP3 for the time being. I don't need the "excitement."

 

[Oso Blanco]

I really don't know why "tabbed browsing" is supposed to be such an advantage. Personally, I hate it. I guess I've just gotten too used to the "ALT+TAB" function when browsing on different websites simultaniously.

Use CTRL+TAB then...

Don't tell me that you can change between tabs with CTRL+TAB! I had to use Firefox for one year at work, but I never figured that out!

 

[Oso Blanco]

When I hear an IE supporter sneer at tabbed browsing I chalk it up to the typical MS drone jealousy.

I'm by no means a M$ defender. I just don't like tabbed browsing that much, that's all. XP already contains IE6, so I really don't see a good reason to use Firefox. The same goes for IE7.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I really don't know why "tabbed browsing" is supposed to be such an advantage. Personally, I hate it. I guess I've just gotten too used to the "ALT+TAB" function when browsing on different websites simultaniously.

Use CTRL+TAB then...

Don't tell me that you can change between tabs with CTRL+TAB! I had to use Firefox for one year at work, but I never figured that out!

Yep, CTRL+TAB switches tabs, on Firefox, and IE7.

When I hear an IE supporter sneer at tabbed browsing I chalk it up to the typical MS drone jealousy.

I'm by no means a M$ defender. I just don't like tabbed browsing that much, that's all. XP already contains IE6, so I really don't see a good reason to use Firefox. The same goes for IE7.

More secure, different features, or the ability to add different features that you want.

 

[B.J.]

Personally, I like the fact that IE7 finally supports full alpha transparency on PNGs. Case in point, my avatar over there. <----- If you're on Firefox or IE7, you'll see the cartoon with a dropshadow over the forum's background color. On IE6, you'll see it on a white rectangle.

 

[ATimson]

I am on dial-up (28.8) and have never had Firefox hang.

Then you're lucky. In FF2, Ctrl+Shift+Tab while a tab was loading a new page was more or less guaranteed to get it to hang for me. It's much less common for me in FF3; on the other hand, when it does hang, it goes into an infinite loop consuming 100% CPU and ever-increasing amounts of memory instead of being content with 0% CPU and its current memory resources like FF2 did.

 

[John Picard]

I prefer Firefox to IE, but I do find it take up about 50-25% more memory than IE.

Not enough to make a big difference, but there it is.

FF3 is supposed to consume less memory.

I am on dial-up (28.8) and have never had Firefox hang. Can't say that with IE, even on my high speed connection at work, where we have to use that turd to log our time.

Boy who did you piss off to end up with such a poor internet service? You've obviously got more patience than the rest of us.

I live on the edge of civilization. AT&T alleges that I can get a wireless card that will allow me to pick up a wireless signal since I can receive a cell phone signal. They call it "Wireless DSL". I just have to be willing to plunk down the $$ for it.

 

[USS KG5]

The important thing isn't to use Firefox. Use it or not, doesn't matter.

The important thing is to prevent Microsoft from gaining more of a stranglehold on software than it already has. To that end, people should be encouraged to know the alternatives to IE. Even if at the end of the day they find IE to be the best option for their situation, it should be an informed decision.

Worth a QFT this post...

 

[Crewman47]

Back on topic, after three attempts, I was able to download and install SP3 through the Windows Update website. After rebooting, all network connectivity was lost; I'm guessing all the driver changes from SP3 don't play nicely with IBM Access Connections (I have a ThinkPad T42, heavily upgraded). I've also read that there is a known issue with SP3 and ATI video drivers.

I reverted to SP2 from a recent backup and will hold off on SP3 for the time being. I don't need the "excitement."

What kind of problems? I've got an ATI Radeon 9550 and tonight I just upgraded to XP SP3 then decided later on to upgrade my video drivers to the latest version and so far everything is working just the same, though I'm not that good on PC detail to notice much of a difference.

Is it something I should be worried about later on or I am okay as I am?

 

[Jedi Marso]

I actually UN-installed SP2 off my desktop a few weeks ago because the system had gotten so bogged down with something that it would barely run. I spent two weeks with anti-virus software, anti-spyware stuff, registry cleaners, uninstalling old programs, etc. Nothing worked. IE7 wouldn't load images and it was taking whole minutes to load a web page without them. I uninstalled IE and SP2 and now the thing is running at lightspeed again with Firefox- no problems. Go figure.

 

[ATimson]

Is it something I should be worried about later on or I am okay as I am?

While my ATI card is significantly newer, I had no problems with the upgrade.

 

[GMac]

Back on topic, after three attempts, I was able to download and install SP3 through the Windows Update website. After rebooting, all network connectivity was lost; I'm guessing all the driver changes from SP3 don't play nicely with IBM Access Connections (I have a ThinkPad T42, heavily upgraded). I've also read that there is a known issue with SP3 and ATI video drivers.

I reverted to SP2 from a recent backup and will hold off on SP3 for the time being. I don't need the "excitement."

Yep, noticed the same thing with 2 of the test installs I've done. Putting it on clean (i.e straight after the base OS) worked fine, but the both upgrades required the re-installation of various drivers afterwards. I'll also be hanging fire for a while until the glitches are sorted out.

GM