i use opera and have been using it since 2004 both on Linux and on MS It has become better with time. FF is cool too, the problem is that most indian users and websites (including rediff) are not educated enough about making code compatible with other browsers. IE is the only browser that seems to work with Rediff. IE does screw up with banking sites though.
RE:RE:opera is cool
by Chachu on Mar 11, 2007 06:20 PM
In web browser, IE hold around 70% of share and Firefox is around 25%. Rediff works with both. As a businessman, Rediff is covering 95% of users. Why them should spend time, money, effort and resources for remaining 5% of end useres?
I think the article refers to M$ IE killer. I don't think any browser, however good it may be, cannot kill IE as long as Windows is main Desktop platform. The reason is, IE is bundled together with windows and for any body to use another software then they have to know the other software, download and install it. Likelihood to try out a different software(browser) requires more technical awareness, extra bandwidth to download and curosity to try out something new. These factors are higher in more developed regions with higher alternate browser market share like Germany (40%), finland (40%) , average europe & austrailia (20% plus) , US (15%) , asia (5%) and africa (3%).
I , due to my long exposure in technical area, have tried out various alternate technologies and I found that market share of a product is more driven by the way things are marketed. Firefox, the alternate browser while is a great browser , runs seamlessly on Windows & Linux, is getting popular because of the anti MS and pro open source sentiments. That doesn't mean that Firefox is pioneer of new things. It was opera which started most of the new features but left unnoticed because there was no major backing from any techi biggies and Firefox took all the credit.
Microsoft since they killed Netscape five years back with IE 5 bundling with windows, never improved IE for 5 long year, and taken everybody for granted, till firefox stole away significant market share. So competition is good.
The end result is that Mozilla Firefox pushed the lazy giant to improve on quality of the software and provide much better browsing experience to the end users. IE has improved by leaps and bounds since then for general users but for advanced and more demanding users like me, Firefox is the right choice baby.
If u are looking for some stats on browser share refer to http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
Thanks rediff for bring some useful techi articles on yr site.
RE:Not a killer but good alternate
by Rohit S on Mar 05, 2007 02:00 PM
Nice reply. However, there is little more to it. In Asia, due to rampant piracy, Microsoft does not get much money due to windows/IE or even other products. So even if people use IE more and more there, MS is still a loser. However, in developed countries, where piracy is not on such large scale, Firefox is being widely used and is hitting MS.
I like the article. The biggest takeaway for me is the concept of a business organization ecosystem. Till now, we are well familiar with open source s/w concept wherein a group of loosely coupled individuals (prosumers as Toffler would call them) who expend hours of unpaid work, all towards a specific cause. It is possible today, and possible on a world wide scale, because technology makes it possible. I see great possibilities for this paradigm in business as well as social realms going forward. This will be a force that economists will have to consider when they work out the future wealth models.
Firefox is good...i know that..but whenever i goto my online banking website i never use it..because, IE is good & highly supportive! But saying Firefox will KILL microsoft is really a BAD HEADLINE in tech article. Hire some good people in your rediff.com, otherwise, just dont Copy & paste information. Worthless article!
RE:Rediff.com!...are you a kid?
by Pratip Biswas on Mar 05, 2007 12:04 PM
I agree that the headline is bad. I also use IE whenever I goto my online banking website. This is NOT because "IE is good & highly supportive", this is because website designer of some banks use some MS specific (non-standard) stuffs that will work only on IE.
RE:Rediff.com!...are you a kid?
by nishant patil on Mar 05, 2007 12:01 PM
Dont use IE atleast for your banking purpose. Instead use Firefox. Just google for safe web browser for financial transactions you'll find that IE is THE WORST :-) .
RE:Rediff.com!...are you a kid?
by anil raj on Mar 05, 2007 04:31 PM
Its only supportive because most of the code is written to support IE and not firefox...though it opens in firefox it may not be good enough...and do you know that you can open IE in firefox with an extra add-in which is also FREE to install. IE can also be opened in firefox window or tab...but you cant open firefox in one of IE tabs
Prashant said: Well let me ask Rediff.com if it does have even a single person with a science degree let alone a engineering degree. The technical articles in rediff are biggest jokes. Now this portrays Mozilla as Microsoft killer. Guys... do u understand difference between a web browser and an operating system. Seriously, Microsoft's main product is OS, along with productivity tools like Visual studio, office. Now do u ocnsider a small company centred around a web brwoser could kill of a company like Microsoft. Well this is same as rediff comparing itself with yahoo, although former su cks big time. Guys, i think u need to start re-hiring people. and please go to some engg. colleges for tech people. Dont let all those foolish b.a's and b.com's get into this world. I think they are better working in call center's. thats where their place is and thats what they are meant for.... being cyber coolies.
My comments Very true! Thanks Prashant, for your invaluable attempt at educating the folks at Rediff. To call Firefox (a browser that survives more or less on support) a Microsoft killer (a company with a market capitalization of around US $ 300 billion) is not only foolish but also stinks of ignorance. You've kinda hit the nail on the head. While Opera still struggles to increase its market share to 15%, Firefox still faces problems with its memory footprint. Though I personally prefer Firefox to IE (Opera is way behind to be even considered), Firefox is a bad choice for any operating business model. After years of attempting to make their LMSs compatible with Firefox and Opera, scores of frustrated LMS developers will tell you why IE is more often than not the *only* choice for developers and end users.
RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by aditya maheshwari on Mar 05, 2007 12:03 PM
Dear Technological Gods of the 21 century... Mr. Prashant and Mr. Vikram....
Your comments shows how badly u guys need to have some information about the work the so called Foolish BA's and B.Com's..... but basically u guys are nothing but geeks sitting in front of the comp whole day and night.... dont even get time to go out and enjoy the world..... so u wouldnot know about the wrk these guys do....
Do u get ur income tax returns filed by a Mech Engg....
Understand that every feild is important.... Ur comments do not show well for educated people like u....
Guys grow up get a life.... and stop posting such rubbish.....
RE:RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by Vikram Tayde on Mar 05, 2007 12:45 PM
Hi Aditya, I'm a BA myself. And I too 'enjoy the world' as anyone else does. I also am pretty well informed about the technological innovations being carried out by folks without an engineering degree, and I probably am one of them. Though I file my tax returns myself, I truly believe that every field of work is important. However, I fail to understand what all this has to do with the discussion we%u2019re having on the erroneous headline Rediff has employed.
You have even asked us to grow up, we will. But I presume you already have, and so has everyone around you. You time may be up. Start packing your bags then. But before you leave, you may want to let everyone know what offended you. Seems you haven%u2019t made up your mind.
Anyway, though I myself prefer Firefox over IE, there is no way Firefox volunteers can %u2018kill%u2019 a giant like Microsoft. I think Google has a much better approach and business model than Mozilla. I hope Microsoft faces some solid and tough competition from entites like Google, Linux, and Mozilla. I don%u2019t care if Microsoft is killed. What I am looking for is a good range of products at reasonable prices. And that%u2019s what competition does for all of us. Again, though the headline is a good hook, it reeks of yellow journalism. The article is informative, and a good attempt at garnering support.
RE:RE:RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by aditya maheshwari on Mar 05, 2007 02:08 PM
Hey Vikram....
Nice to know that even u are a member of the 'Cyber Coolie' gang, as we have been labelled by ur frnd, Prashant.
Well there was only one part offending in that, and that was the cyber coolie... and for the article yeh sure mozilla can never 'Kill a Giant like Microsoft' with one product like web browser. But atleast it has made a start.... Its very simple... when u battle a giant u dont take him head on.... but you try to take him down slowly and part by part....
We have seen what has happened when other companies have tried to take on Microsofts Windows.... There is no way in Hell that we would see some othe OS displacing windows in the next 10-15 Years..... By sheer volumes Windows is miles ahead of the competition.... and it would take any other OS atleast 15 years to have any chance of seriously challenging MS Win... Mozilla should not be stuck at a Web browser but it should start eating into MS share in other stand alone softwares, Leaving aside MS Office and Windows at the Moment... .These are the core areas for MS.... Or better would be Creating something different that would complement Microsoft's Win at the moment... becoz what they require rightnow is that their name is recognised and spread accross the globe.... making it familiar to every one... they can do this by creating a prodcut that even Microsoft would have to club with its Windows....
So i feel to take a Giant apart u need to make a start.... take him down slowly... And to survive one should never challenge a giant in his strong areas....
RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by venkatesh babu on Mar 05, 2007 11:36 AM
I have read this article some place else.. (techdirt?? wired??) These guys surely either "bought" the article from that site or lifted it.. not sure.. Anyways.. AFAIK, firefox posts a serious threat to IE but not to microsoft on the whole!! Maybe google would hae been a better choice to kill microsoft under the given circumstances
RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by Rainbow Walker on Mar 05, 2007 11:34 AM
Mr Vikram, I think you are very right in every word you said. I have a gut feel Google will be much bigger than Microsoft in maybe 10 years.
RE:RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by Vikram Tayde on Mar 05, 2007 11:51 AM
Thanks Rainbow Walker. Well, I'm sure Google will grow. But I'm not sure what 'Google being bigger than Microsoft' means for us. I don't care. All I want is good, solid competition for Microsoft and its products (from entities like Google and Mozilla). This will ensure that Microsoft enhances its product range and starts selling its products at reasonable rates.
RE:RePosting a rightly written (but deleted) message..
by anuj agarwal on Mar 05, 2007 11:48 AM
Dear ,
Pl remember in the tech world, degree is no value but the intellect. Top innovative tech CEO do not have degrees. You seems to have got a degree and must be working as a cyber coolie and will always remain so. You lack innovative ideas.
Stop abusing some body who are out to change things. Hopefully you will see things changed in coolie days.
A long article and deserved to be so. (Although some paragraphs are repeated!!).
Eclectic, pathbreaking and complex. It has some unusual elements that are not found in conventional business: Passion harping on rebellion against a single co. dominance,volunteers as serious business component,not-for-profit motive,de-centarlization and a trapeze loving CEO.
It gives us a glimpse of the shape of things to come in the near future.
