Microsoft is bleeding web browser users, data shows

[pencea]

Gave up on MS browsers ever since Chrome came out ...... not looking backwards either!

I stopped using internet explorer once Firefox came out.

 

[J spot]

I've always preferred Firefox. I like Chrome, but I hated the advantage they had over Firefox in the marketing department. When it came out, people who didn't follow computer news, or knew anything about it where all ready using it because Google bundled it with everything. Yesterday I download Google Earth for my cousin, and I as a habit when to uncheck the download Chrome along with Google Earth. Surprisingly it wasn't there. Probably because it was already installed. So it's hard to measuer which browser is truly the one that the masses would prefer.

 

[Jibberish18]

I'm kind of offended the way Microsoft has been trying for force Edge on everyone, if I can go so far as to use that word without receiving backlash, lol. But, when I switch it from default it says something like, "Are you sure you want to do this without trying Edge first?" I'm like b*tch windows stfu and do what I want.

This is funny ^^^^

 

[OortCloud]

I used Firefox for years but it lost its way a bit, then Chrome for years but since the anniversary update I'm now using Edge. I'm not sure what all the hate for Windows 10 and Edge is. Once they sorted out the woeful favourites bar in the initial release and added plugins so I could turn adblock back on its fine. Fast, minimalist uses less battery life works with every site I use.
The perception that MS is bad and Google is some kind of good guy is so misguided. Just search for 'Customer Match' to find out just how much of your personal information and even email address Google is happy to hawk to the highest bidder it makes Win 10 (even with all the easily disabled privacy settings disabled) look mild. Their whole business model is based on giving stuff away for free then making money by surreptitiously snooping on what you do with it. As for their tax avoidance schemes... Be less evil my arse.

If you don't believe me read this...
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news...address-is-now-for-sale-to-the-highest-bidder

I think the final line in their article sums it up...

'It seems there are few places left to hide from Google on the internet'

 

[hahahanoobs]

-I went from IE to FF to Chrome. Chrome ftw.
-Windows 10 is the most stable Windows OS I've ever used.
-M$ and Google can have my information and sell it to whoever they want. I am getting two great products I use everyday - for free....

That is all.

 

[captaincranky]

-I went from IE to FF to Chrome. Chrome ftw.
-Windows 10 is the most stable Windows OS I've ever used.
-M$ and Google can have my information and sell it to whoever they want. I am getting two great products I use everyday - for free....

That is all. At least from my singular perspective.

Fixed!

You know, I have a copy of Win XP SP 2, which never BSOD's, and it's in constant use, and has been, since 2005.

So, I could also, in good conscience make the same claim of it, as you are with Win 10. Not to mention a P-4 powers it admirably. I'm not expecting it to render 4K video, but what the hell, it is what it is. To pinch a phrase from Apple, "it just works".

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]....I also rarely use Gagme, and therefore have little to no reason to use Chrome. My bet is that even though gagme gives the impression that Chrome does not spy on people, it really does for the same reasons that I gave for M$. Sorry, but I just do not trust gagme.

Well, given the fact that Amazon expects you to log in to read a complete version of their ad spam, I have, and I suggest everyone does, resigned myself to the fact I'm going to be tracked.

What I like to do most on the web though, is visit sites which are begging for donations, and not do so. I wonder if that screws up my consumer profile....

Well, say somebody goes to Ubuntu, and downloads a copy without donating. How does anyone's tracking software interpret that, in the regard of what OS they're going to try and sell that person next?

 

[MarkHughes]

Too involved with Chrome to let it go. I don't see Edge as a bad browser but there is just no reason to switch. That goes for all browsers.

I thought I was too, But I recently went from Chrome to Firefox and it's proven to be no problem at all. It's worth setting an evening aside and giving the other browsers a chance

 

[captaincranky]

I thought I was too, But I recently went from Chrome to Firefox and it's proven to be no problem at all. It's worth setting an evening aside and giving the other browsers a chance

The learning curve probably isn't too steep switching browsers, but it is somewhat annoying. I've used Firefox for the past 10 years, and I'm very comfortable with it, and the "NoScript" extension for it, which I, "don't leave home without it".

Google's Gmail has gotten to the point where you now have 3 obligatory spam ads at the top of your "Promotions" column, instead of the former meager 2.

Any of that notwithstanding, Google had the ballz, poor taste, and lack of common sense, to ask me to take a survey as to, "why I clicked away those ads". I'm sitting there thinking, "is this a practical joke, or do they think I'm stupid enough to participate in a social engineering experiment fabricated by imbeciles"? So, as much as I think what you're saying makes sense, I'm going to demure from trying Chrome.....for like forever!

EDIT: Using Firefox with NoScript, and then cleaning the system with "CCleaner" tells quite a tale. When I close FF, a cookie or 2 might have slipped by. A simple visit to Redbox (*) with IE, might leave you with a hundred cookies.

(*) Redbox is the only site I can't get my configuration of Firefox to work with. Even banking sites with staged scripting per screen, can be made to work, but not Redbox.

 

[MarkHughes]

The learning curve probably isn't too steep switching browsers, but it is somewhat annoying. I've used Firefox for the past 10 years, and I'm very comfortable with it, and the "NoScript" extension for it, which I, "don't leave home without it".

Google's Gmail has gotten to the point where you now have 3 obligatory spam at the top of your "Promotions" column, instead of the former meager 2.

Any of that notwithstanding, Google had the ballz, poor taste, and lack of common sense, to ask me to take a survey as to, "why I clicked away those ads". So, as much as I think what you're saying makes sense, I'm going to demure from trying Chrome.....for like ever!

One of the reasons I gave Firefox a go was me getting sick of Google and its recent ways. The search engine especially only ever wants me to use US sites despite telling it I'm in the UK, Putting UK in every search result just gets tiresome (I now use DuckDuckGo which is working well). I got rid of windows at the same time too as it recently spent an hour updating then installed a load of stuff I didn't want, couldn't remove and in one case didn't even work. I'm enjoying my Firefox/Linux/DDG combo a lot right now. Glad I gave them all a shot

 

[captaincranky]

One of the reasons I gave Firefox a go was me getting sick of Google and its recent ways.

Really... You've noticed that too.

I'm enjoying my Firefox/Linux/DDG combo a lot right now. Glad I gave them all a shot

If you're settled into Firefox, (and you haven't tried it already), could I suggest you install the "NoScript" extension? Most people run "Ad Block Plus", but they've started to let advertisers, "buy their way past it", by shipping it with a lot of default white listings. The NoScript stops about as many ads, and also cross site scripting, which is a favorite way both advertisers and hackers use to inject ads and malware. Coupled with a good AV solution, it's like having your browser security on steroids. https://noscript.net/

 

[MarkHughes]

Really... You've noticed that too. If you're settled into Firefox, (and you haven't tried it already), could I suggest you install the "NoScript" extension? Most people run "Ad Block Plus", but they've started to let advertisers, "buy their way past it", by shipping it with a lot of default white listings. The NoScript stops about as many ads, and also cross site scripting, which is a favorite way both advertisers and hackers use to inject ads and malware. Coupled with a good AV solution, it's like having your browser security on steroids. https://noscript.net/

Thanks for the input, I'm using uBlock Origin currently because as you rightly say Adblock sold out. Ill get noscript and see how it compares.

 

[poohbear]

MS did this to themselves. Win 10 had Edge released and it wasn't fully ready. This made both it and IE obsolete for a lot of users. So they just switched to Chrome to avoid all the hassle.

 

[Joe Marshall]

Well, Microsoft stopped updating Explorer and introduced Edge, which has yet to become as good a browser as Explorer was. So, MS's offerings are doubly behind the competition, mostly from their own doings.

 

[Phr3d]

!

You know, I have a copy of Win XP SP 2, which never BSOD's, and it's in constant use, and has been, since 2005.
... "it just works".

ayep, specifically XP-TWO, not the supposedly Required "let's throw in random loops for every action to slow XP down, or no one in their right mind is gonna buy Vista [aka Win7 beta]. Every update after XP2 continued this process, so bad that it is easily measured, side by side.
My XP-deuce is long gone, but as my-forced-upon-me Win7 slides toward XP-standard-accellerated-decrepitude via-Critical-updates process, I may finally hafta' try MarkHughes' experiment.

 

[MarkHughes]

ayep, specifically XP-TWO, not the supposedly Required "let's throw in random loops for every action to slow XP down, or no one in their right mind is gonna buy Vista [aka Win7 beta]. Every update after XP2 continued this process, so bad that it is easily measured, side by side.
My XP-deuce is long gone, but as my-forced-upon-me Win7 slides toward XP-standard-accellerated-decrepitude via-Critical-updates process, I may finally hafta' try MarkHughes' experiment.

It's all going great so far. Just have windows on a partition so I can play WoW when the mood takes me otherwise it's been linux, Firefox and duckduckgo. I'm surprised by how quickly I took to DDG for searches and how relevant the results have been. Its been eye opening . Not even missing visual studio.....

 

[SNGX1275]

MS did this to themselves. Win 10 had Edge released and it wasn't fully ready. This made both it and IE obsolete for a lot of users. So they just switched to Chrome to avoid all the hassle.

I'm actually going the opposite direction. I have Chrome on Windows 10 and have been trying to find out (on and off) for weeks what causes it to intermittently hang. It is particularly noticeable when playing streaming video from legit sites (like usanetwork.com) or when typing responses on forums or emails. I've not been able to pin point what it is, but it ONLY seems to happen in Chrome. So instead of switching to Firefox I'm giving Edge an honest shot. I'm about an hour into my trial and so far its not bad.

 

[captaincranky]

I'm actually going the opposite direction. I have Chrome on Windows 10 and have been trying to find out (on and off) for weeks what causes it to intermittently hang. It is particularly noticeable when playing streaming video from legit sites (like usanetwork.com) or when typing responses on forums or emails. I've not been able to pin point what it is, but it ONLY seems to happen in Chrome. So instead of switching to Firefox I'm giving Edge an honest shot. I'm about an hour into my trial and so far its not bad.

Well, given the current climate and new management at M$, and considering their new impetus to close their system up along the lines of the Apple, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if good ole M$, planned to have Chrome hang, to herd users to "Edge". Jus' sayin'!

Much in the same way it is alleged the "iTunes" has excess processes contained to bog down a Windows computer, when installed thereupon.

 

[Phr3d]

I'm actually going the opposite direction. I have Chrome on Windows 10 ... I'm giving Edge an honest shot. I'm about an hour into my trial and so far its not bad.

I'll give Edge another 'honest shot' (my Third) if you find it improved, please follow up and thanks in advance.

 

[SNGX1275]

Well, given the current climate and new management at M$, and considering their new impetus to close their system up along the lines of the Apple, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if good ole M$, planned to have Chrome hang, to herd users to "Edge". Jus' sayin'!

Much in the same way it is alleged the "iTunes" has excess processes contained to bog down a Windows computer, when installed thereupon.

I'll give Edge another 'honest shot' (my Third) if you find it improved, please follow up and thanks in advance.

Unfortunately it isn't very good. Tabs don't resize if you open more than can fit across the top - so you have to click an over arrow. The browser seems to randomly "disappear", no warning, no crash box, nothing, just gone. However, when it is working I do not experience the same hangs that I was in Chrome so that is a plus.