Is Internet Explorer Really All That Bad?

[Inception]

I get alot of people telling me that Internet Explorer is "absolutely awful" or that it is a "lame excuse for a web browser" but I'm not sure what to believe really, I have used IE in the past and though I can't say I'd use it as a primary browser I definitely wouldn't mind using it, if I were forced to use it I would probably be happy with what I could do to be honest, it comes pre-installed with Windows so it's not a hassle at all and there are many other positives to it as well. I am currently running Google Chrome but am actually considering IE as a full time browser... Call me crazy but I don't see too many downsides. We know it won't die because Microsoft will probably always be with us, and it is a fast browser from my experience, any input? I'm guessing it's bad rep comes from past experiences...

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

In the past, IE really was terrible. However, the past two or three versions are actually pretty good. People who knock IE usually are basing their opinion on past experience.

 

[4wd]

All the latest IE iterations have been good, stable & fast IMO (apart from it's fonts looking muddy on all my laptops, one reason for not using it much). Am on Firefox, fonts looks sharp and got some add-ons I don't want to be without, apart from that could use IE anytime.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...(apart from it's fonts looking muddy on all my laptops, one reason for not using it much)...

Curious. I'm not saying your fonts don't look muddy but the fonts on both of my notebooks (both 15" Lenovos) and all three of my old, retired netbooks (two Acers and one Asus) were nice and sharp. Do you have ClearType enabled and set properly?

 

[oneeyed]

As said before the latest IE (since IE 9 or 10) are much better than previous versions.

When talking about IE though you have to understand than in the past, it was the defacto dominant browser. But it was based on it being shipped with windows not on its qualities as a browser.
IE was also the worst at following W3C web standards and web sites usually had to hack their pages to render them properly in IE. Which in turn caused problems in browsers which themselves followed the standards more closely. This non-adherence to standards of old IE still haunts the modern versions, hence the Compatibility view found since IE 8 which tries to solve that.

Today IE is mostly on par with FF and Chrome, on features and adherence to W3C standards (see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid3). FF is better on extensions but still relies on a single process (less secure: no sandboxing, less stable: crash in one tab crashes the whole browser), Chrome feels more polished overall for normal users but lacks customizability.

One thing that you might lack on IE is that you don't have as much control on options per-page or per-website. You can place websites in the old concept of IE security zones but it doesn't allow as much freedom as FF or Chrome. You can't for example disable activeX only for one site in your Trusted Zone, you'll have to disable it for the whole zone. This can be very annoying.

 

[Tookeri]

With ActiveX filtering enabled you should be able to disable ActiveX for any site

 

[oneeyed]

You missed my point Tookeri. I was choosing ActiveX as an example. What about Javascript ? Java applets ? Animated GIFs ? Iframes ? Access to the clipboard via script ? etc.. These can be configured with the Security Zones. You can't choose options for a very specific page that won't affect the zone it's in.

This kind of granularity of control over options on a per-site basis has been found in FF (sometimes via about:config but still accessible) Presto Opera (Site preferences) and even Chrome although to a lesser degree (via the exceptions system) for years.

 

[Tookeri]

Oh, read to fast, sorry. I think the concept of Security Zones is a good one, and I guess you could use the Restricted Sites zone as a semi-trusted one with more restrictions than the Trusted sites zone, but I haven't tried that.

However, to control a specific page that's not enough, as you say. I find FF with NoScript the best option for me for that, but I still use IEs Trusted sites a lot and I have the Internet zone set to High = appropriate for websites that might have harmful content. I think that's the best you can do with IE.

 

[whs]

The current IE is the best browser of all. Don't have people tell you otherwise.

 

[ThrashZone]

Third party security suites do effect the way ie works
Often security features of ie conflict with third party security suites features,
Otherwise ie works very well ie11 has gotten better with each new version,

All new browser version have bugs which Chrome has recently experienced and so has Firefox so it's normal to be buggy in the first few months after a new release,

People have an uncanny ability to download more crap than can be believed

 

[oneeyed]

Oh, read to fast, sorry. I think the concept of Security Zones is a good one, and I guess you could use the Restricted Sites zone as a semi-trusted one with more restrictions than the Trusted sites zone, but I haven't tried that.

Oh I agree with you it's not a bad system. For normal use it's great.

I think my complaints is mostly for power users who sometimes want something a bit more complex.
FF's Noscript is a good example of an extension giving the users more control, although IMHO it's become too bloated to my tastes.
I was recently looking for a similar extension on IE, and couldn't find one (admittedly I didn't spend much time on it)... I guess that like in Chrome the extension framework isn't as good as in FF and doesn't allow something as powerful as NoScript (although on Chrome there are subpar equivalents).

 

[ThrashZone]

Good point,
Other browser add-ons effect ie as well even though it was never installed on ie

 

[Tookeri]

@oneeyed I agree. Well, I think you have to take advantage of each browsers specific security features. That's why I use 3 different browsers with different configurations

The most important thing is to keep the browser updated. A look at vulnerabilities in the 5 most popular browsers - Secunia Vulnerability Review 2014

An interesting fact: when there's a known vulnerability in IE, Microsoft's recommendation is to set the Security Level to High and/or use EMET so I figure why not use High all the time for the Internet zone, and use the concept of Trusted sites.
Other great features in IE are the protected modes(requires UAC to be enabled). And you could also uncheck "Enable third-party browser extensions*" (requires reboot) in the advanced settings. But that setting can be a tricky one since it still shows third-party extensions as enabled. You have to actually test and use an extension to find out for sure. My AV extension doesn't work with this disabled, but objects like Flash Player will since this settings is for Browser Helper Objects and not for ActiveX objects.

Another thing with configuring Trusted sites is that it can be difficult as many sites use JavaScripts etc from others sites too. NoScript for FF is simple to use that way but in IE I have to use Developer Tools(F12) to find out what sites to allow. Or I could just load the site in FF and see what NoScript says

 

[4wd]

...(apart from it's fonts looking muddy on all my laptops, one reason for not using it much)...

Curious. I'm not saying your fonts don't look muddy but the fonts on both of my notebooks (both 15" Lenovos) and all three of my old, retired netbooks (two Acers and one Asus) were nice and sharp. Do you have ClearType enabled and set properly?

Hello, clear type does it's job normal job, but MS is using a new rendering technology for IE and (most parts of) W8. Here's some reading (refers to 8, but the latest IE's are affected in 7), many posts in the forums here & a zillion more posts about it to be found on Google. Some don't have (or don't see) it, those who have it are in no doubt, it's clear as ...mud. Got it on Tosh, Compaq & HP's, newer and older. Have just accepted it, maybe some future laptop will display IE fine.

 

[ThrashZone]

...(apart from it's fonts looking muddy on all my laptops, one reason for not using it much)...

Curious. I'm not saying your fonts don't look muddy but the fonts on both of my notebooks (both 15" Lenovos) and all three of my old, retired netbooks (two Acers and one Asus) were nice and sharp. Do you have ClearType enabled and set properly?

Hello, clear type does it's job normal job, but MS is using a new rendering technology for IE and (most parts of) W8. Here's some reading (refers to 8, but the latest IE's are affected in 7), many posts in the forums here & a zillion more posts about it to be found on Google. Some don't have (or don't see) it, those who have it are in no doubt, it's clear as ...mud. Got it on Tosh, Compaq & HP's, newer and older. Have just accepted it, maybe some future laptop will display IE fine.

Fill in your system spec's with our free utility otherwise I'll assume you have HD.... graphics

 

[4wd]

I'll assume you have HD.... graphics

Hello, am using lots of different laptops, at work & home. Am recommending to read the posts in Poor font rendering in Windows 8 (blurry text) - Microsoft Community to get an overview, am just one among a vast amount of users experiencing the artifacts of the newer IE's font rendering.

No big deal here in practice, am using other browsers (FF, Pale Moon, Chrome & Opera all got sharp fonts in whatever condition of use).

 

[ThrashZone]

Without system specs on many of those posts at answers it's useless to trouble shoot,
Hybird cards radion espesailly it seems are the most effected but with no details ?

Laptops traditionally would only have builtin graphics which would point to a perticular motherboard series issue ?

I'm a member at answers already and it's a frustrating forum with no easy way to post system spec's,
This forum is different in that we have a free utility to do it for users but often people fail to Use it

 

[Inception]

Re:

I have decided not to full-time switch to it but if I were forced to I can say now that I wouldn't make too much of a fuss, I tried IE for a day or two and I like it but it just doesn't provide the features I love in Google Chrome and there are some problems I ran into and noticed them right away, overall it's a great browser and I'd used it anyday but right now I'm good with my Chrome!

 

[ThrashZone]

I have decided not to full-time switch to it but if I were forced to I can say now that I wouldn't make too much of a fuss, I tried IE for a day or two and I like it but it just doesn't provide the features I love in Google Chrome and there are some problems I ran into and noticed them right away, overall it's a great browser and I'd used it anyday but right now I'm good with my Chrome!

Thanks for Filling in your system spec's page