IE 7 on the Horizon and C|net Reviews the Beta

Today I tried IE7. 

1) Looks: The try of the Microsoft team to innovate has produced a pathetic rip-off of FireFox. Actually, not even that. It could somehow resemble a FF made by a schizophrenic.

2) CSS: The real disaster. After months of programming, they've come up with a browser that can't position perfectly well programmed elements. Sorry folks, try again.

3) It costs money: If you ask even one dollar for IE7, how much should FireFox cost?

Overall, I am totally dissapointed. Microsoft has always claimed that in opposition to open source programs, paying money for its products guaranteed safety and customer support and quality. Well, in this case (and you know it's not the only one), Microsoft fails to live up to these promisses. I wouldn't pay one dime for IE7. To me, not only IE7 is no threat to FireFox, but the innevitable frustration of its users, will boost the spreading of FireFox even faster.

I know it is a concern within the community to make sure we stay above the Microsoft empire (and it's a legit concern), but some of us need to just chill a little. Honestly, from what I've seen and heard about IE7, it may have some of the same features that Firefox has (and has had for a long time, too), but it doesn't look like it really has anything better.

You guys should all know that Microsoft long ago lost its skill in innovation; they are always just trying to keep up with everyone else and then claim that each idea they copied was their own. Geez, I seem to recall reading an article a couple months ago where Microsoft claimed something along the lines of Firefox having "too many features". Now, what a surprise, they act all high and mighty for introducing "new" things that have been in 'fox for a huge chunk of time.

I think all we have to do is keep doing what we've been doing, and make sure people know that we had these features first, and whatever the next new feature will be, you can bet we'll have that one first too.

Remember, we have a worldwide community of developers working for us, while Microsoft just has their stormtroopers. Not only that, but somehow I don't think they would ever allow third party extensions into their "clean" software. Plus, there are a lot more operating systems that Firefox runs on and it is growing the popularity of open-source software.

Just keep spreading the word that there is something better, and we will win this battle. And remember that we're all on the same side here (for those of you that were bickering about things).

;-) Good night, my friends.

I've talked to a few of the sales and Tech guys at my local computer store, about bundling Firefox and Thunderbird with the computers they sell. They liked the idea. Hopefully I can help them get the administration to go along with it as well. Its deffinatly something we should all bring up at our local computer shops.

All good foruns have a secutiry / software / internet session where we can inform people about the facts related to IE7 launch.
Doing this, the information can reach more people.

Ivanii, I agree totally with you.
Thanks for your message, it applies to everybody using topics to personal attacks and unnecessary reprehensions - as the one that started the "snow ball" (Re:Generic...) .

Peace and love

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

I say make some deals with computer vendors. Dell, HP, Toshiba, Gateway etc. Make some deals with them to put the Fox on their machines pre-installed and configured as the default browser. Of course, if this is at all possible. I mean I know Netscape used to be on the Desktops way back when, and still is on a few now. So why not Firefox?

It is the first time I heard 1.1 will be named 1.5. Is it usual this "jumps" ?

Thanks anyway

Best Regards
Sergio_br

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Oh young Kris

How do you say my post "Little actions do matter" is not related to our response to IE7 ? Didn't you notice that only you are affronting me? Every thing I write to you is just reactions, replies, and what you plant is what you get. This is childish and I will not play your game anymore.

It is not off-topic to remember that part of our response to IE7 must be spread Firefox every opportunity we get. I was happy yesterday, but it seems that you want to pull me DOWN.

I am not just a forum person, I am outside in the real word spreading FF and sometimes I come here and get desapointed when I find out that there are people like you bringing the hell to here.

There is a say I agree totally, based in you: "Hell are the others"

Let me know if you need kinda "tutorial" explaining the "essence" of a comment that you think is off-topic when in its essence is not.

Here is the topic words posted by Asa:

Now is the time to start discussing how we're going to build a message to the hundreds of millions of Windows users that are left out in the cold because they don't want to buy a new OS just to get a better browser

:P

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

I have seen posts talking about the lauch of FF 1.5
Is it about a literal 1.5 or you are really talking about the previous 1.0.5 ? If you use 1.0.4 there is an update to you: 1.0.6 is available.

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

As far as I can tell, it is almost impossible to target Internet Explorer yet as firefox 1.5 is likely to come out before ie7 beta 2 will. It could very well be a fight between IE7 and Firefox 2.0. Until beta 2 is out, we don't know what all the features in ie are. One thing Mozilla should be able to do is market the fact that less annoying security restrictions are needed to keep your computer secure with firefox. To say that firefox is more secure than ie7 has to be proven before this can be used in marketing. In fact, Mozilla will probably have to make tabs easier to use (IE7's are extremely easy to use - expecially once it comes down to adding new tabs) and focus on firefox 2 as the the next internet explorer's main competitor.

edit: I just found out that when the tab bar is told not to hide, the same features as are in ie7 are available.

www.impactcomputing.com

As far as I can tell, our reaction should be calm. The worst thing is if people start to think that we are nervous. They will also start to think that we are not confident in our position. Finally, they will think that we will lose. And after that, we might really lose.

Example - Apple reacted with "welcome IBM" ad (it is basicly similar to idea Ian proposed below - sorry Ian, I know you can't read this, but I have just read this thread). Yes, it definetly took press's attention. But remember, attention can be both good and bad. I think that this ad just leaves impression in large part of the public that Apple is very nervous. Generally speaking, this is competition induced move, and every competition induced move is nervous to some extent. If you want to prove that you do not afraid of your new competitor, then you won't prove that by putting on every page "welcome", but rather by ignoring him. After a time Apple lost the battle.

So, all I can say is that we should go with something similar to Pepsi's "Ask for more". We want everyone to use the best browser. They should try Internet explorer. We are confident that we will countinue to deliver better product in the future. It remains our main focus, no matter of competition.

Well, try to repeat something like that to press.

--

Microsoft has never won a war in development against anyone. But it proved to be master of marketing. Don't repeat the history. Don't downplay the marketing.

From differrent forums in my country (israel), I can see lots of users aren't too excited about IE7.

Few years ago, after hearing a friend of mine complaining about IE, I suggested he'll go to Firefox. He said that he tried it already and didnt like it. After investigating him, I found out he used it for two days and it was in a time when israeli sites didnt support firefox much. I thought it was obviouse that firefox existed, but surprisingly I showed it to other 5 people in my class and until this day they're using it and updating it regulary.

And now, about the IE7...

I don't believe Microsoft can do anything right. I keep finding flaws in almost everything they make, unlike Mozilla (thunderbird, firefox, etc). When MSN Toolbar came out with tabs and stuff, i downloaded it to see whats all the fuss about. It stinks. If microsoft was so proud about it then and it was preety lame, why should I make such a fuss of it now?

By the comments in many sites, I'll just wait for the official IE7 to come out.

And if it was up to me, I'd be working with Linux and open source software. The problem is, that my family got used to Microsoft stuff and they're too novice. :(

I learned how not to let any opportunity to spread FF pass by me.

It may sound a little crazy, but I was at the subway and I saw a man reading something related to the I.T. team in his company, kinda poster about his I.T. team "mission".

I didn't resist and I spreaded FF. I was surprised to find out he DIDN'T know about Firefox yet! Millions of windows users have never listened to the word "Firefox" yet and they are waiting for some good soul who will give them the good news. He got very interested and I am sure he will download it and tell other people.

The ice brake I used was very obvious, but efficient:
"Do you work in the IT staff in your company?"

The same day some hours later, I was at a business meeting in a small office (but equiped with 4 computers and a Laptop. As the people there were very friendly and I saw they were using IE, guess what I did ?
Spread FF ! 5 new computers running FF in the office (they got very enthusiast because I am an enthusiast too). I also made them a favor: Downloaded and run AdAware to show them what spyware is. One machine had more than 300 (three hundread) spyware installed!!!

In the office, when the office boss entered the web to show me something, politely I said:

"Did you know there is a better and more secure browser for you to navigate the web available ?" - They get very curious and happy at the same time.

"The rest is easy."

Brazilian say: "Grain after grain, fills the craw of a hen"

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Downside: Only those running Windows XP SP2 will be able to run the latest version of IE. This is Microsoft's way of forcing non-Windows XP SP2 users to upgrade. Those still running Windows 2000, Me, or even 98 SE will be forced to continue using IE 6 or commit to a $199 Windows XP OS upgrade. This strategy could backfire, giving rivals Mozilla Firefox and Netscape an even bigger slice of the browser pie, especially among those wanting RSS feeds now.

tim
http://www.delhaes.com
http://www.humano2.org

If we can have a parental filtering extension and an anti-phishing extension implemented and installed by default in the next FF, with a central database of bad sites maintained by us, the users (as well as usual method of detecting bad sites) then MS would have nothing on us.

In my opinion, you need something like the iPod marketing posters:

"Firefox, the style icon"

"Firefox: Rediscover your PC"

In short, you have to have some incentive, ie it is cool, for people to visit.

David

The word argue was misused. Sorry for my native language is not English. I intended to say discuss, in a positive way.

To discuss how to manage ie7 strategy by spreading Firefox is totally different from declaring love to Opera or IE. Of course we need to talk about IE here, but the best browser here MUST BE Firefox, always.

If that person who reprehend me has a history, I really didn't get evidences, because with a simple search in this site with his nickname, the engine found one solitary line: the user itself.

For me, Kris Silver, you are another guy with no story here acting with arrogance.

All this dicussion could be avoided if he didn't reprehend me for being off-topic.
I don't care about swolen ego people! Don't tell me I have a swolen ego TOO, because I am reacting, not attacking.

If I sounded bossy, I was just giving back a REACTION to the bossy reprehension I had.

Simple rule: Don't tell me what to do and I will not tell you what to do. I am far from being an ADMIN, so I wont. And... make some history here before you think you can say things.

I am reasonably peaceful and NEVER told others that they are off-topic. For me it is an ADMIN role. And period. Just don't step on my foot.

I will continue posting comments wherever I want, when I have a good idea to help SPREADING FIREFOX.

Best Regards (for my friends)

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Thanks friends I could see that ie7 has a disastrous layout.

More and more I feel that people would choose FF instead.

The point to stress is: "Our message - get Firefox - needs to get out sfx site boundaries" because here everybody already use FF.

Logical, obvious but always necessary to remember. No action, no results.

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

I visited MS site and as I didn't find a picture, I searched with google images: "ie7"
There are some pictures available.
Please if someone could screen shot IE7 window with good details and post a link to us here, I would thank. Just to see the way they copied FF.

One of the pictures at Google was related to a blog on IE7, in a language I have never seen, but as it was open, I post my suggestion in English (lol).

Based in a screen I saw (friends that tried ie7, please confirm to me):
Did Microsoft COPIED the main icons from FF ?
I found the design of BACK, FORWARD, RELOAD and the little HOME house TOO MUCH similar to Firefox.

If true, such a shame will count more points to Firefox.

The adjective for MS in Brazil is "cara-de-pau" meaning "woody faced people", similar to your "straight-faced people". A shameless copy ?

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

It was the late nineties when IE first came out. Everyone hated IE and Netscape became complacent with majority market share. MS copied Netscape, added new features and took the lead.

This is all a ploy to wait for Firefox to stop innovating, copy and add new features to IE.
This is parallel to MSN vs Google. Two years from now Google will be an afterthought.

Reason 2 why IE 7 sucks.
They have to show weakness to remove the notion they are a monopoly. They can compete with FF and they will.

Bottomline: Dont underestimate MS.

About off-topic:
Some times it is needed, as forums are places to talk and argue. The absence of response could sound as an agreement. So, when people disagree, they like to post their thoughts. The ADMINS role is time-after-time to put the talk in the correct direction, but always with good manner as Asa and Ian has been doing.

The paradigm is : when someone says to other: you are posting off-topic, this new topic gets to be off-topic too, because reprehensions are not related to the forum topics. The only ones with rights to alert about off-topic posts should be ADMINS, they are respectable.

It is funny the way people enroll to SFX and before having any history here they think they can show their little wings, imagining they are admins. Respect is good and is essencial to be in community.

All my posts have some connection to other comment previously posted. (Generic would be... -> Lets collect the reviews)
And even when I flee a bit from the direction to the personal field, before I finished the post, I try to write at least one new point connected to the central idea.

ass: "Jerry"
--------------------------------------

FF Warmth:

I think there are FF users that are almost cold, others are warm and others are really hot.
When a warm-cold user try to fresh down a hot user, it is possible that they get burned.

Here is a place to spread Firefox. I don't like IE neither Opera, despite the fact I have all of them. I need to have them to make my sites browsers-proof.

I don't like to waste my time because I believe that time is money, and I am sure that many people here agree with it. If I enrolled to the SFX site it means that I want to talk about and work for spreading Firefox.

If people like other browsers, here is not the place for declaring their feelings, I am not here to hear about IE or Opera features, advantages, etc. This doesn't make sense for me.

Changing the issue:
Adding to Ian security points: It is easy to prove that Firefox architecture prevents many potentially dangerous activities done with javascript, for example accessing other frames' document body. When someone tries to do this, an exception is thrown they are totally prohibitive. But the strongest point is that FF doesn't run ActiveX - IE weakest part for viruses and spyware.

Sergio_br

I got a hold of IE7 earlier today, and well, I'm not impressed at all. It looks like the same old IE, just with tabs and wearing new makeup. I really dislike the layout of the navigation and menu bars and such. It likes like a little kid was messing with them and got them all in the wrong order. I was expecting something that would give Firefox a little competition. So much for expectations. I don't think IE7 will hinder the advance of Firefox in the browser market at all. In fact, I'll even agree with those that feel it will help advance Firefox. Really pathetic Micro$oft.

Okay folks here is my "humble" suggestion.....

We could have a simple slogan to non XP SP2 users.
"Don't get left behind upgrade to FireFox!"
I agree that allot of people out there don't know or care about standards.. But these people do care about stretching another year or two out of there perfectly good computers. And Firefox is one way they can keep there systems modern and up to date.

Tom

Let the opera fan know 4 things:

1- The browser that received many awards as "The software of the year" was Firefox not Opera! So the fame to the best!

2- Netscape also had tabbed browsing BEFORE Firefox.
Tabbed browsing copied or not, Firefox makes it open source, thing that Opera didn't. Opera exibits ads to obligue people to buy it, so Opera and Internet Explorer are in the same "sack".
If a resource is usefull, let's add it to Firefox, after all, we are here to make Firefox the best browser ever seen.
This happens to music world. An unknow composer makes a good song, but the artist who interprets it gracefully to the public that gets famous.
Firefox is the artist here lol

3- Opera has a dumb fail, because despite you can disguise the Opera as IE, the navigator.userAgent property still contains the word "Opera", very funny.
Visiting my website http://multibrowser.sitesbr.net , the page "Conheça o seu browser" I will tell you the browser you are using even if you modify user agent. (FF, IE, Opera, Mozilla and Netscape)

4- I like Operas, but just in the old-fashioned way: Fatty ladies and men with impressive voices at the theatre or CD. Figaro from Mozart is great.

I agree with Ian: Why to defend something that is not Firefox here? Just to get ironic replies? Don't waste our time!

The Firefox community really ROCKS !!!

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Lets collect the reviews of IE7 and list them next to the reviews of Firefox and let people pick the browser they want after reading them.

So far, the reviews of IE7 that I have read say that IE7 is nothing more than a generic copy of Firefox.

Blogs for Firefox

I have tried the IE 7 beta. It is a poor rip off of Firefox. Tabbed browsing, search box, RSS, etc. The sad part is they couldn't even do it right. The tabs are above the menus which makes them seem disconnected from the browsing experience. There is no option to turn off the tab bar if only one tab is open. There is still no download manager. No themes, and no extensions. Support for CSS is still spotty. And browser speed is just as slow. My question to Microsoft is, "Why?" What is the point in releasing a new version of a browser that is so far behind Firefox.

http://rapidshare.de/files/3419346/IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe.html

Someone said in other words that Firefox has the same level of security of IE. It's wrong.

Visit secunia.com and check it out.

Ok, there still are browser vulnerabilities but compare the "level of danger" and you will see that the ones in Firefox are not considered critical BUT Internet Explorer has many critically dangerous problems, according to secunia.com.

Please, don't misrate Firefox saying that it is as insecure as IE. We can continue saying that Firefox is MORE secure than IE for sure, and secunia.com confirms this.

About points to work (or not to work):
To gain more IE users we need to make the things as simple as possible:

Standards, other O.S are NOT attractives for average IE users. They don't even dream about the meaning of web standards and they may think that Linux is a new hamburger.

1- Better security - on the other hand, everyone knows what a virus is, or have catched one using IE. Firefox better security: This may convert.

2- Features - Embedded pop-up blocker, tabbed browsing, hundreds of extensions available to make Firefox even more powerful as AdBlock - to eliminate Flash and other types of ads. This may convert.

3- The sureness that the person will always have an ahead-to-date browser, because there are much more heads thinking together (developers of Firefox) as the source is open, producing updates, improving security and giving more and more new features that the person IS FREE to add or NOT to their browser.

4- In a word: costumizable

By the way:
Where is the mozilla store? Much marketing could be running at this moment...

Sao_Paulo

I read in Keough Rhino post "the FF 1.5 release".
We are actually using 1.0.6 release.
Keough Rhino: didn't you get 1.0.6 version yet ???

I liked the "New slogan" post, the word eXPense is great as it associates windows XP with "added cost".

Standards is not the best focus, average people don't care about it.

Security, power features (even tab browsing is a surprise for many), convenience (the end of extra bars to catch pop-up and perform searches, because those things are natural features of Firefox) and the promess that your browser will be updated forever with no obligations or costs.

My action:
I sent an e-mail about the IE7 launch to my friends pointing everything that we are discussing here. Of course its main intention is to give the "FF hand" to non xp users.

Good work

Sao_Paulo - from Brazil

Your average user doesn't know what "standards support" is or why it matters. Still, standards support is definitely the most serious problem with Internet Explorer today. And now Microsoft has shown that this is not a temporary problem with IE -- IE7 appears to have NO improvements regarding standards support other than fixes for a couple CSS bugs.

This is a serious problem for web developers, and a problem as far as the advancement of the Internet goes. If there was some way to really communicate the impact of this to the public, I believe that that would be ideal. While it's difficult to really measure security and it's easy to twist the data, "web technology support" (a term which has at least a bit more meaning to the average Joe than "standards support") is relatively straight forward, at least in this aspect, and it's clear that Internet Explorer is unexcusably behind and that IE7 is really no better.

But we run into a problem when the average user can't actually see the difference. We could talk about how it costs web developers more time and thus more money to cater to Internet Explorer's problems, or how webpages could be richer and more interactive and flexible to the user's needs if it wasn't for Internet Explorer, and we could come up with a catch phrase along the lines of "A switch to Firefox is a vote for a better Internet", but most people won't sacrifice personal comfort in order to cast one seemingly insignificant "vote".

We could encourage web developers to make use of the richer standards supported by the rest of the major web browsers, leaving Internet Explorer behind until they finally catch up, but most would probably view that as shutting out the largest percentage of their visitors.

I think we have a serious chicken-and-egg problem concerning standards supports. Web developers won't use more advanced features until Internet Explorer implements them, but it seems pretty clear that Microsoft doesn't care about implementing them.

Unfortunately, it seems our solution is currently to stress other browser aspects that are more visible to the average user. But Microsoft can easily mimick those aspects without fixing our most serious problem, so we're forced to switch gear, which then comes across to many as scrambling for excuses. Sure, Firefox's feature set is richer than Internet Explorer's, and sure, Firefox's security has a much better track record, but that gap is rapidly narrowing and before long, I believe it will get to the point where the two browsers in those aspects, at a glance, are just close enough that most users wouldn't bother considering to switch. And then our problem will remain.

So what do you think? Is there a way we can effectively communicate some form of the standards support message that the average user can actually relate to?

How about:

"A better Internet eXPerience without added eXPense..."

--
Torrents for Firefox, Linux distros, and more...

Personally, I like the bold idea of getting people to get IE7 so they can choose for themselves - that shows confidence. Course, we would need some way of showing they all turned back ;)

Personally I find the best way to push FireFox on people is the spyware angle - other angles don't work too well. I know people who use FF and don't know what tabbed browsing is, no one except people who make websites give two hoots about standards - but security, and particularly security of personal information, really bug Joe Average. Play it up a little, "You don't know who's spying on you - you probably don't even know that they are" etc etc.

Firefox is for ALL people: linux user, mac user, win user. That's the great difference.

We can remark the idea of a open world, or a group of friends that can have the same experience in the web without having the same OS.

For example:

• do you want a open world? use open tecnology!
• for you, and all your friends, use firefox!
• to many people! to many lenguage! but one browser for all!

pd: excuse my english

well, i think that for now the most attractive is that Firefox already has all of the new features included in IE7 (like RSS feed and tabbed browsing)

as for the new design of IE: you can make your own design with Firefox

security: we can make our own security settings with Firefox with no securiy center! We can control unwanted pop-ups, different add-ons!.. we can make it ourselves if want to

Everything new in IE have been achived in Firefox, have been tested and now it's ready to use, so you don't have to wait until Vista comes out to expirience new Windows browser

Ah, one has to love the Good Ol' Boys of Redmond, huh? It seems from this review and other information I've been reading that they truly intend to keep up with the unofficial motto "Making your life easier--our way."

And that is a key thing that should be focused upon. You can tell someone that Firefox is better until you lose your voice, point out all the great features, etc. But when it comes down to it, a browser being "Better" or "Worse" isn't going to make a whole hill of beans difference to Joe Surfer out there. What they want is those differences, and why those differences should matter to them.

Joe Surfer doesn't know what standards compliance is, doesn't give a bean about the ability to modify the source code of the browser, any of that. They simply want to know a) is it going to let me do what I want to do on the web? and b) is it going to be secure?

Firefox can already answer a resounding "yes" to both questions, and has an added plus...you don't have to do it Bill Gate's way! You truly can make the browser work with features you want, and either remove or not add features you don't!

Anyone who has dealt with Microsoft tools for a long time knows good and well that flexibility really doesn't fall that much into their sphere of design. Sure, you have a couple options, but that's about it. One of the things that drew me to Firefox in the first place, and many others I have talked to, is how it not only has wonderful features that you won't see on IE until version 36 or so, but that it can be customized for them. You're a web designer? Who in the design community doesn't love the tools provided by the myriad extensions? Looking to keep up to date with the world without a lot of effort? RSS and Live Bookmarks are here for you. Security a concern? In addition to the built in security features, there are extensions out there that can make your surfing experience one of the most secure available.

Add to that the many skins out there, and the ability to customize in other ways the look and feel of the browser. And, last but certainly not least, let's not forget that cross-platform operability. What about the other OS's out there? Although I can guarantee you we all know what Redmond's answer would be about fixing that problem, Firefox provides a modern, up-to-date, effective, and low cost solution for these issues.

Firefox, with as earlier stated, features that already work and are customizable, outperforms what Microsoft is still designing, and contains the potential to be not only a browser for you to use and feel safe with, but a browser to make your own!

And what is the cost of this? Download time, and maybe a few minutes spent reading the instructions. Which, given the fact that Microsoft has "streamlined" (Read "changed, not giving a monkey about whether it actually is easier or not") IE's toolbars and menus, will be required anyway. And I guarantee you, Firefox will be much better on the instructions, and you won't have to pay for tech support.

Get the word out now, folks...I know this may sound like a strange thing to say, but if you can get your hands on a copy of the next beta Microsoft throws out to the wolves, do so...that way you're familiar with the beast (take that term as literally as you choose) that you will be wanting to down and destroy. Find out exactly what makes it worse, and don't be afraid to publicize it! If we make it where when someone types "IE 7" into a search engine and all they get are bad reports, guess who won't be thrilled about using IE 7?

Just my thoughts...

Fact 4
Concerning to browser upgrades, Microsoft decided stop supporting non XP users, forcing a Operational System upgrade.

Build on Fact 4
This means that Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows Millenium users - if they depended only on Microsoft good will - they WOULD be condened to have a weak and virus-prone browser forever, without tabbed browsing and the thousands of features that Firefox provides not only to all Windows (98 and higher) users as other O.S. as Linux and Mac.

Elaborate on Fact 4
This shows that Microsoft interest is mainly to sell Windows XP, not improving windows users' internet experience. Windows XP gives Microsoft more control about users' upgrades, licenses, etc...

To get free from Microsoft nippers...
Evolve to Firefox: that's the best choice.

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Hey folks, listen up to what Asa said...

If you've got an interest in the real grunt work of marketing, use this thread to start discussion on the Firefox response to IE 7 for XP.

so please, let's not rant to the converted :) let's use this blog for thinking and working on some ideas, yes?

update - there's some good stuff starting to come out here....

- Ian

When I read the review, I found it funny: Microsoft is burrowing its own sepulture by excluding win2k and win98 users. I use win2k and I don't want to install XP. So, I will never see the color of IE7. Only to test my websites for cross-browser sureness, IE6 is enough.

IE7 will not catch. Too many people will not change their OS to XP just go have a shitty IE 7 when they can have the best browser (Firefox) now, without changing or paying anything !

Firefox will be the natural option to have a long-term modern browser, even for a 7 years old OS. (2005-1998)

My suggestion is that the marketing needs to focus on the idea:
"People don't need to upgrade their Windows to have an upgrade to their browser. Firefox has always been available for all Windows users and it is not only up-to-date, but ahead-to-date".

Best Regards

Towards 100 million FFs Celebration

Does this look familiar? Focus on security, tabbed browsing, search from the toolbar
RSS detection, RSS reader, saving web feeds, add-ons. No it’s not Firefox, it’s the new IE 7. Can you believe it?! I would put a link here but I don’t want to be sued by Microsoft, so go to the Internet Explorer website and look for Internet Explorer 7 now in Beta… Then download the Technical Overview. This is all bull! Microsoft isn’t going to get non IE users to switch to IE by copying FF, they’ll get people to switch to IE7 by shoving the update down current IE users throats. Now I understand that business is business and Microsoft can pull this all off successfully, that’s why FF ought to add Parental Controls. Not only will it boost FF’s take on safety, but it will rival AOL and tap into a whole other demographic, more women and parents. FF is mostly used by techies and people who know what they are doing online and with computers, not a mother of 4 IM’ing her sister. So if not the Parental Controls Feature, then at least something huge and innovative. Thanks for reading. Peace!

Firstly I’d like to propose that everything we do is positioned as highlighting IE’s response to Firefox.

If we can get the press talking in terms of IE7 being a response to Firefox rather than our direct response to IE then this would be a PR win.

We need to start positioning by
1> Focussing on the facts
2> Building the picture from those facts
3> Elaborating on the fact to build the positioning picture.

To explain by example...

Fact 1
Mozilla Firefox is the worlds fastest growing web browser

Build on Fact 1
At the current rate of growth Firefox will equal Internet Explorer on market share by (x) date

Elaborate on fact1
The incredible growth of the free Firefox browser amongst everyday people has been largely based on it having better security features and innovative capabilities than any other browser on the market.

Fact 2
Microsoft have responded to the unprecedented popularity of Firefox by re-assembling it’s disbanded browser development team and rushing through a revised version of it’s Internet Explorer browser called IE7 which has many of the features now popularised by the Firefox browser.

Build on Fact
Firefox runs on all versions of Microsoft operating systems, unlike Microsoft’s revamped IE7 browser which is surprisingly not compatible for the 200 million users still using Windows 2000 (W2K) and IE7 is also not compatible with Windows 98 which is still used by many schools, especially in the elementary sector.

Elaborate on Fact
Microsoft users who are using Windows 98 or 2000 will have to pay to upgrade their computer system in order to use IE7. So Mozilla recommends that Microsoft users and all schools effected by this lack of Microsoft support simply switch to the Firefox browser which is free to install and use on as many computers as they choose. By switching to Firefox people gain the benefits of using the worlds fastest growing and most innovative web browser, while dramatically improving their projection online against pop ups and malicious spyware.

Activities
Once Firefox’s positioning has been established in terms of what we are all saying to the press and friends and colleagues then we can build on some actions that are designed to re-enforce these messages that we are spreading by word of mouth, blogs, postings etc…

I suggest that we consider this for starters, it's a little radical so here me out...

Organise a global Firefox IE7 launch party day

We basically steal MS thunder and get the press raising some eyebrows, we publicly state that we recommend all Firefox users use IE7 on the launch day in order to confirm for themselves that they are indeed satisfied they are using the best web browser and decide for themselves to stick to FF.

Now before you commit me to the lunatic asylum let me explain the marketing behind this, it’s bold and the press love stuff like that, it demonstrates how confident we are about Firefox, it is completely counter intuitive for all marketing practice so it will make us look as radical in our marketing tactics as we are in our spreading Firefox by community building and above all else in reality very few people will indeed bother to try IE7 anyway out of the 100 million or so users out there so we will then be able to follow up in the press one month after the IE launch party and be able to report that after our call for everyone to try IE7 for a day the site browser stats show no noticeable drop in our usage therefore reinforcing our message that Firefox is better.

Finally of course it will also enable us to highlight the fact that Microsoft do not have a community of evangelists and allow us to have some fun at their expense by saying that we felt sorry for IE7 coming into the world all alone and on it’s own with no user group to make it feel wanted so we thought we’d be charitable and cheer it up for the day.

Combined with the growth from W2K and W98 users we should be able to use IE7 as a springboard for growth.

- Ian