I guess it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten on the Firefox versus Internet Explorer subject in my newsletter. For a while last year, I beat it to death…

But, recently, in responding to a reader’s question, I mentioned that I recommended Firefox over IE for web browsing. His response was “You Do?”

The reason that I recommend Firefox over Internet Explorer boils down to security while web surfing.

First, there’s the ActiveX issue.

ActiveX is a proprietary Microsoft technology that allows a web site to download a program to your computer via Internet Explorer — and to automatically run that program.

While Microsoft uses the innocuous term “ActiveX Control” for the program, you need to understand that this is a full-fledged program that can do anything on your computer — just like any other program can.

Unlike Java and JavaScript, ActiveX doesn’t run with any special security controls.

Read more in Why I Recommend Firefox.

My weekly email and on-line newsletters are now available:

• free weekly Terry”s Computer Tips email newsletter
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This week’s online articles include:

• Software Registration and Activation
• Updates Last Week discusses updates from Microsoft and other software publishers whom I track
• Printing Problems with the Print Spooler Service
• Finding the Outlook Express Address Book
• ZoneAlarm Upgrade Problems
• My Computer Security Software Recommendations updated.
• HOWTO: Searching using Windows Explorer’s Search Functions

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My weekly email and on-line newsletters are now available:

• free weekly Terry”s Computer Tips email newsletter
• weekly on-line Terry”s Computer Tips newsletter

This week’s online articles include:

• Beware of the Fake News Story Emails
• Updates Last Week discusses updates from Microsoft and other software publishers whom I track
• Windows Defender Problem
• CounterSpy versus “something else”
• Sound Card Toolbar Problems
• My Computer Security Software Recommendations updated.
• Print Problems from Web Browser

If you subscribe to the email newsletter now, you will get instructions on how to request automatic free copies of the two most recent issues.

Comment about these articles using the “leave a response” link below…

I had a recent experience of the unfortunate kind — it ended happily, but was touch-and-go for a while.

You see, I managed to destroy my Creative Zen Xtra MP3 player. The Zen Xtra had a headphone jack problem, which seems to have been quite common based on reports I have seen, in which the left channel’s sound went out.

The problem actually goes back to the design of the player. Creative mounted the headphone jack on the motherboard, instead of using an adequately flexible connection for the mechanical connection.

Read more in my Terry’s Computer Tips article MP3 Players and MP3 Player Synchronization Software

I answered a question recently from someone who wondered whether a router was necessary with a cable Internet connection.

No if’s, and’s or but’s, I recommend a router for any cable or dsl connection.

Whether you intend to have multiple computers connected or not, the router will give you another layer of security. Most significantly, the router will actually gives your computer a “non-routable IP address”. The router isolates anything on the local area network (LAN) side of the router from the Internet (the Wide Area Network - WAN)

This isolation, and the “Network Address Translation” that the router does for your computers, means that you can access computers on the Internet, but no computer on the Internet side of the router can touch yours. All they can do is…

Read the full article

My weekly email and on-line newsletters are now available:

• free weekly Terry”s Computer Tips email newsletter
• weekly on-line Terry”s Computer Tips newsletter

This week’s online articles include:

• Outlook Express Emails Going into Deleted Items Folder
• Updates Last Week discusses updates from Microsoft and other software publishers whom I track
• Creating an Email Folder in Outlook Express
• Windows XP Password Problem
• Creating Email Rules in Outlook Express
• My Computer Security Software Recommendations updated.
• Several Windows Challenges & Tips

If you subscribe to the email newsletter now, you will get instructions on how to request automatic copies of the two most recent issues.

Comment about these articles using the “leave a response” link below…