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For those who'd rather fight than upgrade
Argh! Netscape just crashed again. I had two browser windows open. I just finished making a comment to a friend's LJ entry, and it crashed. So did Talkback (a program that solicits and sends feedback to Netscape).
I used to run Norton CrashGuard. For some reason, I turned it off. While I was running it, it would keep a log of programs that crashed. For the time I had it running, the top three programs (by number of crashes) were Netscape, Acrobat, and Talkback.
So why does my browser keep crashing? Perhaps because it's old and decrepit. I'm currently running Netscape 4.7. (There's no hundreths digit in the number, so it's probably 4.70.) The latest production version is Netscape 6.2.3. Netscsape 7 is probably in beta by now. And Netscape 5? That's the Mozilla project (which is finally at version 1.0!).
So why don't I upgrade? The program is 40 Mb in size. With a 56K modem (through which I get "the 4-minute megabyte"), the download would be 160 minutes -- nearly 3 hours. That's too long to wait. I can't justify the cost of broadband or DSL right now.
Also, I stubbornly refuse to be at the leading edge -- or even bleeding edge -- when it comes to computer software. Why should I drive myself into debt and bankruptcy by constantly buying the most recent versions of software? I don't need to keep up with the Joneses, or even the Gateses. More often than not, last year's software still does what I need it to do. And it's a lot cheaper, if I can find it!
BTW, how many folks out there are still using Windows 3.1 and Office 4.2? I'm sure there are a few stubborn diehards out there.
Of course, standards organizations like www.webstandards.org encourages people to stay compliant with the latest web standards by encouraging people to use the most recent web browsers.
Maybe I'll order a copy of the Netscape 6.2.3 CD. And while I'm at it, I might order the Netscape 4.7.9 CD, for some of my older systems.
I used to run Norton CrashGuard. For some reason, I turned it off. While I was running it, it would keep a log of programs that crashed. For the time I had it running, the top three programs (by number of crashes) were Netscape, Acrobat, and Talkback.
So why does my browser keep crashing? Perhaps because it's old and decrepit. I'm currently running Netscape 4.7. (There's no hundreths digit in the number, so it's probably 4.70.) The latest production version is Netscape 6.2.3. Netscsape 7 is probably in beta by now. And Netscape 5? That's the Mozilla project (which is finally at version 1.0!).
So why don't I upgrade? The program is 40 Mb in size. With a 56K modem (through which I get "the 4-minute megabyte"), the download would be 160 minutes -- nearly 3 hours. That's too long to wait. I can't justify the cost of broadband or DSL right now.
Also, I stubbornly refuse to be at the leading edge -- or even bleeding edge -- when it comes to computer software. Why should I drive myself into debt and bankruptcy by constantly buying the most recent versions of software? I don't need to keep up with the Joneses, or even the Gateses. More often than not, last year's software still does what I need it to do. And it's a lot cheaper, if I can find it!
BTW, how many folks out there are still using Windows 3.1 and Office 4.2? I'm sure there are a few stubborn diehards out there.
Of course, standards organizations like www.webstandards.org encourages people to stay compliant with the latest web standards by encouraging people to use the most recent web browsers.
Maybe I'll order a copy of the Netscape 6.2.3 CD. And while I'm at it, I might order the Netscape 4.7.9 CD, for some of my older systems.
no subject
I have found many a good deal for last years software, unopened, new, that has been obsoleted by "big" new releases that IMJ are only big in their demands for resources.
Last night I reinstalled Office 97 after I had problems with the new Office Xp. My biggest problem was the new "activation" feature that Microsoft has put into their software. The software self destructs after being opened so many times if you don't activate it through "Big Brother" Bill. My company owns this new version, it is installed on a desktop that I just bought. I didn't intend to use it on that system so I upgraded the software so I could install it on my laptop when the discs arrived.
Happy hunting.
Oh, by the way, I loved Netscape until they merged with AOL and changed the whole interface. I began to hate it very quickly and switched to Microsoft IE 5 and then now to IE 6. From what I remember the browsers were free but i may be mistaken. The resources problem still exists though. I downloaded IE on a 56k modem line, i did it before going to bed one night. luckily i now have DSL but i am having problems for a few weeks and i am suffereing with dial up again.
no subject
I used to find lots of software on EBay, but after they tightened up their rules (under pressure from You-Know-Who) and said "No more OEM software" (i.e. software that's supposed to be sold only with a new PC but isn't), I stopped looking on EBay. That's a shame. That's where I got my copy of Office 95 Pro for $25, in '98 or '99, after Office 97 had been released.
Now I'll just have to scour the local flea markets and computer shows
From a former Netscape employee...
The browser group at Netscape has been so badly decimated there's almost nobody there to work on it, let alone do QA or fix bugs!
To upgrade with a 56k modem, set it up to download overnight. That way you won't notice the slowness (it'll be downloading while you're sleeping).
Re: From a former Netscape employee...
As for the download of large files, I usually don't, because of the alleged category-1 phone line I have in my house. I sometimes get a dropped connection with little or no notice. I think it's due to line noise. My connection will pause for about 10 seconds while it tries to renegotiate the connection -- I think that's what it's doing -- and after 3 unsuccessful attempts, I get dropped. About the only way I'd find out for certain is if I had a Sniffer(tm) on the line.