🚀 go-pugleaf

Sent to both Nettrain and ISIG-Boston:

I am so fed up with Netscape crashing a dozen times a day
that I am finally switching to Internet Explorer and may soon start
teaching IE instead of Communicator. Losing about 1 1/2 hrs.
work a day (not only rebooting but also having to refind web
pages that were lost in a crash) isn't worth the satisfaction
of NOT supporting Bill Gates any more than I have to.

Students often ask: What is the advantage of Netscape
Communicator 4 over IE4 or vice versa? I'm not sure, except for
my own personal experience on a Micron 400 pentium and
Acer 150 pentiums (all pertain to the 4 versions of the browsers -
and particularly IE 4.01 and Netscape 4.5)

a) IE crashes less frequently. Visiting a website with Netscape which
 uses java ALWAYS leads to a total system freeze on all computers
 I've used (with an AWTOOKIT error message, which is NOT solved by
 the Sun Java Plugin, although that's Netscape's solution for the
 problem), requiring rebooting. I find that on the average Netscape
 crashes once an  hour (every 1/2 hour if using the editor),  disabling
 control/alt/delete and requiring total rebooting, whereas IE crashes
 about every 3 hours, but doesn't freeze the entire system in the
  process. IE however consistently shows error messages which
  keep pages (such as java) from loading properly.

b) Netscape's bookmark mgmt filing scheme is superior -
    If one has THOUSANDS of bookmarks, keeping several large
    bookmarks files is often preferable to thousands of individual
    bookmark files (Note however that bookmark managers such
    as Compass and PowerMarks do work with both browsers)

c) IE's bookmark ACCESS scheme is superior (with all bookmark
    folders visible at left, and opening across the screen), though
    Netscape's personal toolbar is useful for about 15 priority urls

d) IE has bookmark alphabetization which Communicator sadly
    lacks (a ridiculous absence; just try to navigate through 6000
    bookmarks all day long when you can't alphabetize them!)

e) Netscape can reliably open new windows by right clicking and
    choose open in a new window, whereas I have never yet used a
    computer upon which right clicking and choosing open in new
    window works in IE (some people say it works on their computers
    but I have no idea what their solution is; meanwhile the only way
    to open a link in a new window is to open another window with
    the same web page and then click on the link on the second
    page, and to keep doing this repeatedly)

f) Netscape has a better FIND feature for searching web pages
   for a particular word ;

g) Making even the smallest mistake typing on a web message
    board or editing on a web page can prevent the entire page from
    showing in Netscape, whereas it is visible (with errors) in IE.

What I'd like to know, is those of you who've used both extensively
(preferably versions 4), WHAT DO YOU consider to be the
advantages or disadvantages of each.....specifically. (And if you
have  solutions for any of the above issues, PLEASE share them)

I realize that individual experiences differ, and some people do not
experience Netscape crashes as frequently as I do on my
temperamental Micron 400pentium with all sorts of hightech
new hardware in it and the Acer 150 pentiums where I teach (which
crash less frequently with Netscape, but which still each crash
about every 1 1/2 hours).

Nettrainers - you can either post to the list....or send your responses
to me and I'll summarize.....

(Also I'm hearing that IE 5 beta is VERY STABLE. Further
feedback appreciated, since betas generally aren't reliable)

THANKS...
Tracy Marks

_________________________________________________________________
Tracy Marks, M.A.   tmar@tiac.net   http://www.windweaver.com/
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