Don't Click on the Blue E!: Switching to Firefox

There's been a lot of news about the benefits of the Firefox browser, and Scott Granneman's Don't Click On The Blue E! explores the new features of Firefox, which eliminates many of the vulnerabilities Explorer holds. Surf faster, safely, and customize Firefox's look while controlling the pop-up ads and other problems, using Don't Click On The Blue E! as you guide. Perfect for Explorer veterans who have been considering switching rather than fighting Explorer.

This book is basically a primer on making the switch to Firefox as your web browser of choice. While Firefox is a better browser in many ways, it is not without its problems. For example, occasionally you run across a website that is poorly written and has sections that are specific to Microsoft Explorer and Microsoft update will only allow Explorer to use the update feature. So, why change from Internet Explorer? Even with the newer versions it always seems to be a step or two behind other Internet browsers. Firefox is wonderfully convenient with tabbed browsing, better support for web standards, greater user control, and security that is so much better than Explorer as to make Explorer security appear to be non-existent. It has better pop-up blocking and far fewer infections from spyware and other malicious code. Since switching two years ago and adding GhostSurf I have not had any spyware or other infections. I spend a lot of time on the Internet and would become infested on an almost daily basis, but not anymore. This book is designed for the person who wants to make the switch or wants to try out Firefox. Firefox can run alongside with Internet Explorer so you can learn how to use it while still having the ability to use Internet Explorer's update service and similar Microsoft only items. The authors do a good job of explaining how to setup Firefox, how to use it effectively and even how to tweak it with extensions so it works the way you want it to work. "Don't Click on the Blue e!" is highly recommended and an excellent resource for people looking to improve their browsing experience.

This is a very good intro to Firefox. In fact, if it were a commercial product, this should be even more widely distributed because it does a convincing job of showing why alternatives to Internet Explorer are necessary. Of course, being an O'Reilly book, you can count on it have good substance. This book does. It also is easy to read. The first part gives an excellent history of the Internet and browsers (I remember those days!). Unfortunately, instead of highlighting why Firefox is needed, it points out many of the pitfalls of IE and then just jumps in with here-is-Firefox. Sure, some of the blanks can be filled in, but it would have been helpful if the book did that more directly. The how-to-use sections are straight forward and have many helpful screenshots. The section on other alternatives to IE (Camino, Opera, Konqueror, Safari, OmniWeb, and Lynx) is very good and open minded. There are many helpful tips and watchful gotchas pointed out. Definitely a good book for the subject.

This book gives non-technical users a convenient roadmap for switching to Firefox, the next-generation web browser. It contains all the information needed to make a smooth transition. It covers migrating all your Favorites, settings, and customizations from your current browser (most likely Internet Explorer). The settings and options are all conveniently contained in Appendix B. There are plenty of screen captures to show you exactly how to make all the settings. Get this book, and start using Firefox! Ed L.

Firefox is a growing phenomenon, a Web browser alternative to Internet Explorer that the book argues in many ways is superior to IE (hence the book's title). This book talks about why switching to Firefox is a good idea and also discusses in detail its many features. It's also an enjoyable and fast read. Some sections you can skim over (if you have experience using Web browsers as most of us do), and throughout the book you can refer back to a specific section. In fact, I did just that to find out how to install ForecastFox, a Firefox extension which forecasts the weather in whatever location you specify over the next several days. And yes extensions, themes (aka "skins"), and tabs are just three of many features that makes Firefox much more fun than IE, and are features discussed in this book. It starts off with a brief history of the web browser origins, goes through the "epic browser wars" of the mid to late 1990s and brings us to today. Next up is a chapter about installing and configuring Firefox (reasonably easy to do). And then is a chapter about Firefox's features, everything from how various menu choices work to customizing your toolbar. Chapter Four discusses Firefox "Extensions" (or plug ins) and themes which let you customize your version of Firefox even more. The book's last chapter is devoted to items "power users" might enjoy, although clearly most users with a little practice could quickly learn. There's also back matter describing other browsers available. It's nice to know there are alternatives to the "dreaded" IE. I regret not "switching" to Firefox sooner than I have, but better late than never. I'm glad a book like this is available for those of us choosing to join the trend towards Firefox. And with Microsoft reportedly planning to charge users for the next version of IE, I suspect more and more people will be using Firefox in the future.