[muglo] Re: Best Browser for the Mac

Yippi, one of the science channels is running "Attenborough season" (one of 
my favourite biology popularisers... I used to watch his shows every week on 
TVO in high school). Oodles of repeats (I recently saw a programme on bee 
hives that I still remember watching 10 or 15 years ago).

Anyway, the reason for the name changes is the thorny issue of TM. Chimera 
started life as Camino but unfortunately that name was taken in the world of 
software so...

FireFox actually started life as Phoenix but that was in conflict with 
another company. It was changed to FireBird and now has been renamed _again_ 
to FireFox. I'm not sure why this second change was necessary but I'm sure 
it's documented somewhere on www.mozilla.org.

>I too, was unaware that FireFox was the original Firebird (despite
>being a subscriber to Mozilla regular CD update). I think Camino was
>named Chimera before ? Mozilla seem a little unstable with this
>penchant for name changes ?  I will do as you suggest re experimenting
>- but feel the real answer for me at present is a combination usage of
>FireFox/Camino and Safari.  As you say, come the Fall, much may have
>changed with Apple and Mozilla.

zacatally!

>I agree with you re Netscape and other Browser/Email combos
>bloatedness.  I'm hoping to get Entourage shortly which I understand
>has an excellent email section.

I tried Thunderbird last night. It seems like it has serious potential (like 
FireFox) but is too rough and unrefined for serious use yet (like Netscrash, 
eh Tee ;P).

A problem both Thunderbird and FireFox have is that contextual menus like to 
pop up without requiring a modifier key (i.e. ctrl) or a right-click (second 
mouse button) and do so with virtually _no_ delay. iCab allows you to 
specify this as an option and allows you to specify the delay. I presume 
that it's possible to turn this behaviour off or modify the delay using some 
hard-coded prefs changes but unfortunately there's no GUI way to change this 
(non-Mac) behaviour yet :( :( :(.

> >  I also like its use of contextual dock menus for URLs (

My wish for Safari (and others) is contextual dock-menus for URLs (well, my 
wish is for a better dock). And, for everything, save on exit. Windows had 
this feature with IE already in 1998 and I loved it the few times I got to 
use it!!!

>Could not find out to use this ?  But I agree about the dock - which I
>find a whimsical gimmick. Didn't realize it was a Job's baby. I'm
>hoping to eradicate it by using X-Menu (from DevonTech) which resembles
>the old beloved Apple Menu. I like most of DevonTech's offerings -
>they're a pretty efficient bunch , worth exploration -
>http://www.devon-technologies.com

Try it but be on the lookout for unstable behaviour. I rant against Apple's 
dock because Apple does not provide for a _useful_ and _stable_ alternative. 
Command-tab behaviour has had serious logic problems since 10.2.3. OS X 10.3 
has made things slightly better but placing a hidden app at the _end_ of the 
command-tab cycle is _extremely_ counter-productive.

I find that I _rarely_ hide an app that I don't want to see. Usually it's an 
app that I just want out of the way temporarily and command-h and 
command-tab are _very_ easily acccessibly keys (for a touch-typist). Using 
Exposé and an initial command-tab are too complicated since they interfere 
with seamless operation. Hiding (command-h) the first app _immediately_ gets 
rid of everything related to it and takes you to the second app. Then, when 
you do whatever it is (or read whatever it is) you want, you command tab 
back to the one you just came to. It used to be that I could do this without 
even having to think (and THAT is what makes a good GUI. The way the tool 
operates should be so logical that it doesn't distract from what it is you 
are using the tool for). Now I have to interrupt my workflow to hold 
command-tab to cycle to the app (and I usually have 5-6 apps open) or to 
type command-tab initially and figure out which windows belong to the second 
app.

Now that I think about it, perhaps I should register a feedback with Apple 
about that. A number of my previous complaints (including some about the 
HORRIBLE dock) have also found resonance with Apple and have been 
addressed... my wishlist for password request and the way it should operate 
on sleep/laptop close was implemented to a "t" (I'm not claiming that it was 
my suggestion(s) that were implemented, but perhaps they keep a tally of 
complaints/requests/suggestions and mine may have been the feedback that put 
the feature request on the developer's map (just like the guy who scores the 
third goal in a 3-2 game is the one that scores the "wininning goal" :))).

Eric.

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