IE 4.0 and Netscape Gripes

Microsoft released its latest browser on Sept. 30th, 1997. Being a web developer, I feel I needed to download it, and make sure all my pages look OK on both browsers. So I let my computer run all night, and when I woke up it was almost done downloading it.

I started the install procedure, and went about my day - by lunch time the installation program was finished. I think the only thing that has ever taken longer to install was Windows 95 itself. I could have installed Word from floppies faster than IE 4.0. But this is not my main gripe.

Microsoft really thinks they own my computer. They feel they have the right to do whatever they want to it, and not give a damn if I really want the changes they make to it. For example: If I wanted a directory called 'My Documents' I would have created one, I did not want this directory and do not want this directory, but can I delete this empty directory, nope. Because it is a system folder that is needed for Windows to run properly. Bullshit. It is empty.

Let's take a look at other folders that were put everywhere after installing Internet Explorer.

Uninstall Information in C:\Program Files.
Application Data in C:\Windows. (empty)
Cookies in C:\Windows.
Downloaded Program Files in C:\Windows.
Favorites in C:\Windows.
History in C:\Windows.
Java in C:\Windows.
Subscriptions in C:\Windows.
Temporary Internet Files in C:\Windows.
Web in C:\Windows.

I told the installation program to install IE 4.0 into C:\IE of the 14 directories created upon installation only 3 were in the folder I told the program to install to. Why can't Microsoft kept there application in one folder?

The favorites folder is especially annoying. Not only is this a new folder, but every single link is a separate file, which is only a tiny piece of data (a sample link is 126 bytes). But due to the way Windows stores information on the hard drive, in blocks, each file takes up anywhere from 8-64kb, depending on the size of your hard drive partitions. I believe I have my partitioned so only 16kb are used up by every file, but this is 127 times more than the actual data. But now if I have a couple of hundred links, which I do, that adds up. For example a 200 link bookmark file should only take up 25.2kb, but instead it takes 3.2MB of actual disk space. Netscape keeps it in one single bookmark file, which is also easy to copy, edit and export if need be.

A small gripe, probably more of a personal preference, but since this is my page I can say whatever I want. In the toolbar in Internet Explorer there are a bunch of buttons, which go off the screen there our so many, even maximized. So to decrease space, which I do on Netscape I turn off icons, and just have text labels. On IE all you can do is turn off text, and be left with incomprehensible icons. I think a text word tells me a lot more info about a button then some icon that you have to interpret, since no two programs every use the same icons, you have to remember what the reload button is on the different programs. I know that 'reload' is reload. Text is text is text, its simple, it works, not super fancy but that is why you have options.

Update: I found the option to have smaller icons, it is the very last option, in the advanced tab, the icons still go off the screen though, but it saves some vertical screen space.

Speaking of options, you must play guess where the preferences, options, settings is now called, and where its hiding now. Its called Internet Options and its under View. Netscape did a better job of making their options easier to adjust, Microsoft did not, now there are more tabs, and sub tabs and buttons to adjust everything, except what you want.

Another thing that both browsers did which is baffling is the way they have you open a local file. Unlike every other program on Windows 95, and other operating systems the Open Dialog is now a 3 step procedure instead of just one. First you have to select that you want to Open a file. Now the normal Open Dialog box doesn't open, some intermediate step is there for some reason. You must click browse to get the normal dialog box. After selecting your file, hitting open doesn't open it, it brings you back to that intermediate step where you must hit open again. It beats me how this makes it easier to open a file.

These so called browsers war only really have one victim so far, the user. Neither 4.0 browser is becoming easier to use, instead they have become more complicated, more cumbersome, and extremely bloated trying to cram every feature in the world into them.

Thankfully I didn't install the web integration or I would probably be going on for a couple of more pages. Earlier I installed the preview release (beta 2) with the web integration feature, and I think it caused my previous problems. (See user.exe article)

Crealting the People's Computer is an excellent article by Michael L. Dertouzos, a MIT professor, published in the Technology Review regarding making computers easier to use, and the problem with today's computers.