5 ms·

I don't like to use Chrome. Updates for IE are not available because I am still on XP. Safari is also not updating itself for Windows. So what are the options

I don't like to use Chrome. Updates for IE are not available because I am still on XP. Safari is also not updating itself for Windows. So what are the options left any more? It seems things are getting pathetic in the browser market.

gue5t 14y ago
Presumably, and topically, you might try Firefox. Alternatively, you could try to rally developers to write a native-behaving browser based on the Cairo webkit port. It needs substantial love but it would be a project that would really better the options for a modern browser on Windows. Writing a new web rendering engine is, of course, both virtually impossible and foolish.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  Or role your own off QtWebKit, which is surprisingly full featured and works mostly pretty well.
josteink 14y ago
When you chose to stay on a decade old OS, 3 major revisions behind what is currently out there, you sort of chose what sort of support you were going to get. Nobody is supporting Ubuntu 6, yet you seem to expect people to support the Windows equivalent. I know XPers refuse to admit it, but they run an antiquated OS, and if you insist on running antiquated operating system software, don't be surprised when the rest of the software you can run starts rusting as well. Sorry.
- webwanderings 14y ago
  Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? I made my hardware compatible by upgrading the memory to the max and my computer (browser in fact) runs as good as any Windows 7 or anything else "new" out there. I simply see these OS upgrades as marketing ploy to generate more income (nothing wrong with that but I have to have my choices too). People are simply being suckered in to buying newer hardware which they don't really need.
  - alttab 14y ago
    Don't want to pay for an upgrade? Get Ubuntu. If 99% of your use is through the browser then this choice shouldn't effect you much. Its just as easy to install as Windows for most OEM's as well.
  - wbkang 14y ago
    A web browser is easily one of the most complex software out there today. Not "just a browser"
  - peblos 14y ago
    I guess one reason would be that you struggle to find a browser
  - wtetzner 14y ago
    > Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? How about so you can use browsers that are supported on your OS?
  - drivebyacct2 14y ago
    >Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? That's a perfect reason to get off that OS. Or, you know, you could use Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc rather than whine non-specifically.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    Newer OS versions aren't just marketing ploy, they also include major security features. This is very important if everything you do is in the browser. There are a world of browser exploits that can compromise your system, and the majority of them target Windows XP due to its security holes (some of which cannot be patched without moving to 7 or 8). You can continue to make your stand against Microsoft's evil plans, but saving yourself $100 by not upgrading could end up costing you everything in your bank account when you end up with a rootkit that steals your account information.
- Silhouette 14y ago
  Firstly, Windows XP isn't three generations behind, it's two. The current version of Windows is Windows 7, and if you buy a new computer today, that's what you're going to get. Secondly, Vista doesn't count. Microsoft screwed up severely, and now they have to pay the price for it in terms of PR and market attitude. Windows 7 has been out for just over 3 years, and anyone technically literate who bought a PC 3.5 years ago probably had Windows XP installed on it (and with Microsoft's blessing). I know XP bashers refuse to admit it, but XP was installed, legitimately and with Microsoft's support (and to their profit), well within the useful lifetime of a typical home PC that is still running today. If MS choose to end support in an attempt to push people onto newer software platforms, that's up to them, and either the market will accept it or it won't. But calling XP antiquated is just denial. Sorry, but we don't just throw away working systems after a couple of years and climb back on the upgrade treadmill any more.
  - webwanderings 14y ago
    Totally agree. As an OS itself, let's just look at it objectively first. Without Internet, you can keep using your OS for a very long time if your usage of daily software doesn't change a whole lot. What could be the basic functions? Writing, printing, maintaining files. All this can be achieved without worrying too much about upgrades. So just on this account, there is no need to disregard XP. However, we cannot divorce Internet from the OS, and consequently you need necessary updates to keep up with the changing time. You make a good argument that XP is not really that old (it isn't as old as Win95/98/Win2K) and honestly speaking, from my experience, if you are a owner of a reasonable processor (Pentium 4 and above) and if max out on your memory slots (4 Gigs is relatively possible) than I really don't see a reason to buy a new PC if I can hold on to what I have as long as I technically can.
  - snowwrestler 14y ago
    XP is antiquated in terms of its technology, in particular its security model. Vista, while not a hit with consumers, was a major step forward in security for Microsoft. In fact the massive improvements in security were part of the reason it was a flop, as it suddenly started throwing warnings on all the terrible application security practices that XP tolerated. If you can upgrade from XP, you should.
CrazedGeek 14y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers There are plenty! If you want a specific one, Midori's pretty good.
wisty 14y ago
Opera, Chromium, WebKit (yes, there's a Windows build ... no idea if it's OK on XP). Plus derivatives of the popular browsers. Safari. What are you looking for?
- webwanderings 14y ago
  Safari is not supporting latest version on Windows, and if they were to support, I'd assume they'd also want people to have the latest OS. I have not gone the Opera route yet in a substantive way. People above seem upset that there are still people out there using XP. My main point is that there should be multiple choices of reasonable browsers including even for older hardware. The way I have seen things move, the Firefox is as same as anything else when it comes to utilizing a whole lot of memory.
sandGorgon 14y ago
Why dont you consider installing Ubuntu for a change ? I'm not sure if antivirus/firewall vendors are even supporting XP and you really dont want to be running XP without protection. Perhaps you use a lot of Microsoft Word - Google Docs is a fine replacement. For basic Excel use, Openoffice/Google Docs is good enough (problem happens when you are doing advanced macros). Perhaps you use Photoshop - Gimp is a fine replacement unless you are using it professionally. Why dont you mention your specific OS software needs and we will be happy to suggest alternatives. FYI, my entire family (wife, parents) use Linux and are pretty happy with it.
- webwanderings 14y ago
  Nothing wrong with Ubuntu and I'd use it eventually if I really have to. But in order to just use a browser (which is what I use mainly) I don't have a great need to move to Ubuntu from XP.
  - fayden 14y ago
    You seem to do, considering you cannot find an up to date browser to your liking. It also seems to be a valid alternative considering you do not want to buy software upgrades (OS).
eli 14y ago
Opera is a pretty decent browser, and it runs particularly well on older hardware (which, if you're running XP, may be relevant). I think a lot of people are still on Windows XP because it was the first version of Windows that was really "good enough" for most needs. That said, Win 7 really is better and is totally worth the ~$100.
- webwanderings 14y ago
  I don't really have a clunker, so I upgraded the memory to 3Gigs and my XP is using the least minimum services and startup EXEs, hence I am really happy with the host OS to run my browser which is what I use all the time anyway. The bare bone XP with least minimum running services is as good as Windows 7. But if only people could see.
  - RobAtticus 14y ago
    It might be "as good as" if you're just using it to run a browser. But in my experience Win7 has been snappier to use than XP on the same machine, software vendors are starting to stop supporting XP, the UI is more pleasant (subjective), and the 64-bit support is much better. Just a few things.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    It's really not. You seem to be hiding behind the browser, thinking that as long as you have a secure browser, your OS is secure as well. This isn't the case. Windows XP is a major nightmare, especially if "minimum services" doesn't include an active firewall, AV, anti-spyware, and anti-rootkit tool. If you're running XP without all of that (as well as occasional one-off, offline scans with a different AV tool), you're asking for trouble. Windows XP is seriously bad news when it comes to being online, with any browser.
    - webwanderings 14y ago
      I think you've been drinking kool-Aid, or you don't know how keep the running OS secured with the least minimum requirements (assuming you are talking about a home PC which is mainly used for leisure and sometime typical banking needs). You can very well (still) run Microsoft's security software which has virus scan. You can occasionally run (still) freely available good spyware scanners. The firewall that came with the XP does its job. The point I am making, which seem to be lost on everyone here, is that, if you upgrade your relatively decent hardware with enough RAM, and if you remove all the crappy services and EXEs from the startup, you can have a reasonable experience with older OSs and there is no need to go buy new PCs every other year from Walmarts. But Microsoft is in the business of selling OSs and they knew what they were doing by removing IE9 from XP and they also know what they sell with every new updates of Office (go back to Office97 or 2003 and you can still use the basic function as same as today's Office). So when it comes to the browsers in today's time, it really does look pathetic with very few choices on hand. You have a corporation owned Chrome which wants to know when did you pee in the morning and what did you eat last night and where. Then you have a decently run Firefox but that is the only choice right now and it is troubling that it is the only choice right now.
zobzu 14y ago
Firefox ESR
ck2 14y ago
All browsers except IE9/IE10 work on XP, I am not sure what on earth your complaint is about. I use XP exclusively too, I only fireup vmware to test IE9/10
- webwanderings 14y ago
  I am debating this notion of all browsers. There is Chrome, there is Firefox, there is IE and there is Safari. Chrome is a marketplace, so they'll be there selling you products (and yourself to the products) as long as they can. Microsoft doesn't want you to use XP anymore, so they are not providing you updates. Safari for Windows is pretty much the same story now. Which practically leaves Firefox and Opera. Two choices. I am arguing for more credible and substantive choices. I have not used Opera substantively but Firefox to me seems stuck in the past. If I were to add further thoughts, I see that the basic use and function of browser has remained the same for very long time. Just look at the bookmarks manager. Have you seen any browser provide native innovation to their bookmarks manager? The last upgrade in Firefox was several years ago when they introduced Live Bookmarks, but things have gone quiet. This is just one example of basic functions of everyday use of browser. Has anyone seen any innovation in browser functionality in a long time? It used to render HTML websites in the beginning, and it is still rendering websites (so what if the websites have evolved - the browser has practically not evolved for the daily usage of average users).

gue5t 14y ago

Presumably, and topically, you might try Firefox. Alternatively, you could try to rally developers to write a native-behaving browser based on the Cairo webkit port. It needs substantial love but it would be a project that would really better the options for a modern browser on Windows. Writing a new web rendering engine is, of course, both virtually impossible and foolish.

nicholassmith 14y ago
Or role your own off QtWebKit, which is surprisingly full featured and works mostly pretty well.

josteink 14y ago

When you chose to stay on a decade old OS, 3 major revisions behind what is currently out there, you sort of chose what sort of support you were going to get. Nobody is supporting Ubuntu 6, yet you seem to expect people to support the Windows equivalent. I know XPers refuse to admit it, but they run an antiquated OS, and if you insist on running antiquated operating system software, don't be surprised when the rest of the software you can run starts rusting as well. Sorry.

webwanderings 14y ago
Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? I made my hardware compatible by upgrading the memory to the max and my computer (browser in fact) runs as good as any Windows 7 or anything else "new" out there. I simply see these OS upgrades as marketing ploy to generate more income (nothing wrong with that but I have to have my choices too). People are simply being suckered in to buying newer hardware which they don't really need.
- alttab 14y ago
  Don't want to pay for an upgrade? Get Ubuntu. If 99% of your use is through the browser then this choice shouldn't effect you much. Its just as easy to install as Windows for most OEM's as well.
- wbkang 14y ago
  A web browser is easily one of the most complex software out there today. Not "just a browser"
- peblos 14y ago
  I guess one reason would be that you struggle to find a browser
- wtetzner 14y ago
  > Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? How about so you can use browsers that are supported on your OS?
- drivebyacct2 14y ago
  >Can you give me one legitimate reason to move off of this OS when 99% of my use of this OS is only through the browser? That's a perfect reason to get off that OS. Or, you know, you could use Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc rather than whine non-specifically.
- freehunter 14y ago
  Newer OS versions aren't just marketing ploy, they also include major security features. This is very important if everything you do is in the browser. There are a world of browser exploits that can compromise your system, and the majority of them target Windows XP due to its security holes (some of which cannot be patched without moving to 7 or 8). You can continue to make your stand against Microsoft's evil plans, but saving yourself $100 by not upgrading could end up costing you everything in your bank account when you end up with a rootkit that steals your account information.
Silhouette 14y ago
Firstly, Windows XP isn't three generations behind, it's two. The current version of Windows is Windows 7, and if you buy a new computer today, that's what you're going to get. Secondly, Vista doesn't count. Microsoft screwed up severely, and now they have to pay the price for it in terms of PR and market attitude. Windows 7 has been out for just over 3 years, and anyone technically literate who bought a PC 3.5 years ago probably had Windows XP installed on it (and with Microsoft's blessing). I know XP bashers refuse to admit it, but XP was installed, legitimately and with Microsoft's support (and to their profit), well within the useful lifetime of a typical home PC that is still running today. If MS choose to end support in an attempt to push people onto newer software platforms, that's up to them, and either the market will accept it or it won't. But calling XP antiquated is just denial. Sorry, but we don't just throw away working systems after a couple of years and climb back on the upgrade treadmill any more.
- webwanderings 14y ago
  Totally agree. As an OS itself, let's just look at it objectively first. Without Internet, you can keep using your OS for a very long time if your usage of daily software doesn't change a whole lot. What could be the basic functions? Writing, printing, maintaining files. All this can be achieved without worrying too much about upgrades. So just on this account, there is no need to disregard XP. However, we cannot divorce Internet from the OS, and consequently you need necessary updates to keep up with the changing time. You make a good argument that XP is not really that old (it isn't as old as Win95/98/Win2K) and honestly speaking, from my experience, if you are a owner of a reasonable processor (Pentium 4 and above) and if max out on your memory slots (4 Gigs is relatively possible) than I really don't see a reason to buy a new PC if I can hold on to what I have as long as I technically can.
- snowwrestler 14y ago
  XP is antiquated in terms of its technology, in particular its security model. Vista, while not a hit with consumers, was a major step forward in security for Microsoft. In fact the massive improvements in security were part of the reason it was a flop, as it suddenly started throwing warnings on all the terrible application security practices that XP tolerated. If you can upgrade from XP, you should.

CrazedGeek 14y ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers There are plenty! If you want a specific one, Midori's pretty good.

wisty 14y ago

Opera, Chromium, WebKit (yes, there's a Windows build ... no idea if it's OK on XP). Plus derivatives of the popular browsers. Safari. What are you looking for?

webwanderings 14y ago
Safari is not supporting latest version on Windows, and if they were to support, I'd assume they'd also want people to have the latest OS. I have not gone the Opera route yet in a substantive way. People above seem upset that there are still people out there using XP. My main point is that there should be multiple choices of reasonable browsers including even for older hardware. The way I have seen things move, the Firefox is as same as anything else when it comes to utilizing a whole lot of memory.

sandGorgon 14y ago

Why dont you consider installing Ubuntu for a change ? I'm not sure if antivirus/firewall vendors are even supporting XP and you really dont want to be running XP without protection. Perhaps you use a lot of Microsoft Word - Google Docs is a fine replacement. For basic Excel use, Openoffice/Google Docs is good enough (problem happens when you are doing advanced macros). Perhaps you use Photoshop - Gimp is a fine replacement unless you are using it professionally. Why dont you mention your specific OS software needs and we will be happy to suggest alternatives. FYI, my entire family (wife, parents) use Linux and are pretty happy with it.

webwanderings 14y ago
Nothing wrong with Ubuntu and I'd use it eventually if I really have to. But in order to just use a browser (which is what I use mainly) I don't have a great need to move to Ubuntu from XP.
- fayden 14y ago
  You seem to do, considering you cannot find an up to date browser to your liking. It also seems to be a valid alternative considering you do not want to buy software upgrades (OS).

eli 14y ago

Opera is a pretty decent browser, and it runs particularly well on older hardware (which, if you're running XP, may be relevant). I think a lot of people are still on Windows XP because it was the first version of Windows that was really "good enough" for most needs. That said, Win 7 really is better and is totally worth the ~$100.

webwanderings 14y ago
I don't really have a clunker, so I upgraded the memory to 3Gigs and my XP is using the least minimum services and startup EXEs, hence I am really happy with the host OS to run my browser which is what I use all the time anyway. The bare bone XP with least minimum running services is as good as Windows 7. But if only people could see.
- RobAtticus 14y ago
  It might be "as good as" if you're just using it to run a browser. But in my experience Win7 has been snappier to use than XP on the same machine, software vendors are starting to stop supporting XP, the UI is more pleasant (subjective), and the 64-bit support is much better. Just a few things.
- freehunter 14y ago
  It's really not. You seem to be hiding behind the browser, thinking that as long as you have a secure browser, your OS is secure as well. This isn't the case. Windows XP is a major nightmare, especially if "minimum services" doesn't include an active firewall, AV, anti-spyware, and anti-rootkit tool. If you're running XP without all of that (as well as occasional one-off, offline scans with a different AV tool), you're asking for trouble. Windows XP is seriously bad news when it comes to being online, with any browser.
  - webwanderings 14y ago
    I think you've been drinking kool-Aid, or you don't know how keep the running OS secured with the least minimum requirements (assuming you are talking about a home PC which is mainly used for leisure and sometime typical banking needs). You can very well (still) run Microsoft's security software which has virus scan. You can occasionally run (still) freely available good spyware scanners. The firewall that came with the XP does its job. The point I am making, which seem to be lost on everyone here, is that, if you upgrade your relatively decent hardware with enough RAM, and if you remove all the crappy services and EXEs from the startup, you can have a reasonable experience with older OSs and there is no need to go buy new PCs every other year from Walmarts. But Microsoft is in the business of selling OSs and they knew what they were doing by removing IE9 from XP and they also know what they sell with every new updates of Office (go back to Office97 or 2003 and you can still use the basic function as same as today's Office). So when it comes to the browsers in today's time, it really does look pathetic with very few choices on hand. You have a corporation owned Chrome which wants to know when did you pee in the morning and what did you eat last night and where. Then you have a decently run Firefox but that is the only choice right now and it is troubling that it is the only choice right now.

zobzu 14y ago

Firefox ESR

ck2 14y ago

All browsers except IE9/IE10 work on XP, I am not sure what on earth your complaint is about. I use XP exclusively too, I only fireup vmware to test IE9/10

webwanderings 14y ago
I am debating this notion of all browsers. There is Chrome, there is Firefox, there is IE and there is Safari. Chrome is a marketplace, so they'll be there selling you products (and yourself to the products) as long as they can. Microsoft doesn't want you to use XP anymore, so they are not providing you updates. Safari for Windows is pretty much the same story now. Which practically leaves Firefox and Opera. Two choices. I am arguing for more credible and substantive choices. I have not used Opera substantively but Firefox to me seems stuck in the past. If I were to add further thoughts, I see that the basic use and function of browser has remained the same for very long time. Just look at the bookmarks manager. Have you seen any browser provide native innovation to their bookmarks manager? The last upgrade in Firefox was several years ago when they introduced Live Bookmarks, but things have gone quiet. This is just one example of basic functions of everyday use of browser. Has anyone seen any innovation in browser functionality in a long time? It used to render HTML websites in the beginning, and it is still rendering websites (so what if the websites have evolved - the browser has practically not evolved for the daily usage of average users).