Mossberg Slips With Latest Recommendation
I like Walter Mossberg, the noted Wall Street Journal columnist and Smart Money author.
When he stated the G5 iMac was the best computer he ever reviewed, who could blame him?
When he wrote that Apple makes the best computers (the hardware's impeccable, performance exceeds that of equivalent Windows systems, the software's more approachable and intuitive, the OS crashes less, it's more reliable, OS X is more secure, doesn't suffer from spyware and viruses, etc.), anyone being honest would have to agree he was right.
When he observed that Apple's Mac OS X had overtaken Windows XP in most major respects, you had to admit he's correct (OS X boasts more efficient memory management, an integrated desktop search, translucent windows, accurate color preview, a tighter kernel that's less prone to attack, etc.).
But in the latest issue of Smart Money magazine, Mossberg delivers five tips for staying safe online. His first point, that you must load up on antivirus and antispyware software (among other security software) when running Windows, is spot on.
His third recommendation, that you never respond to or click e-mail links from financial institutions, is sound, as is his guidance to avoid acting on stock tip e-mails, purchasing security software advertised in pop-up windows or e-mail and downloading software whenever you're uncertain of the host's identity.
It's his second recommendation that surprised me: Upgrade to the latest versions of the leading Windows Web browsers, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2.0."
The Firefox I get. That's cool.
But Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 is, in a word, a turkey. SonicWALL firewall interfaces don't agree with it. You'll have to deploy a firmware update before you can properly administer SonicWALL devices using IE7.
Certainly, that's not a problem for a lot of non-IT folks. But neither does the new browser work well with PeopleSoft (used by most large organizations), AdvancedMD and other Web-based medical interfaces (used by physicians and medical facilities throughout the nation), and a host of other third-party applications. Worse, the media player plug-in apparently proves flaky for many (I encountered trouble myself when I had IE 7 installed - I've since had to remove it to ensure access to critical sites and applications).
I don't like it.
Apparently, I'm not alone.
Mossberg often gets it right. But in the case of IE7, I think he's off the mark.
When he stated the G5 iMac was the best computer he ever reviewed, who could blame him?
When he wrote that Apple makes the best computers (the hardware's impeccable, performance exceeds that of equivalent Windows systems, the software's more approachable and intuitive, the OS crashes less, it's more reliable, OS X is more secure, doesn't suffer from spyware and viruses, etc.), anyone being honest would have to agree he was right.
When he observed that Apple's Mac OS X had overtaken Windows XP in most major respects, you had to admit he's correct (OS X boasts more efficient memory management, an integrated desktop search, translucent windows, accurate color preview, a tighter kernel that's less prone to attack, etc.).
But in the latest issue of Smart Money magazine, Mossberg delivers five tips for staying safe online. His first point, that you must load up on antivirus and antispyware software (among other security software) when running Windows, is spot on.
His third recommendation, that you never respond to or click e-mail links from financial institutions, is sound, as is his guidance to avoid acting on stock tip e-mails, purchasing security software advertised in pop-up windows or e-mail and downloading software whenever you're uncertain of the host's identity.
It's his second recommendation that surprised me: Upgrade to the latest versions of the leading Windows Web browsers, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2.0."
The Firefox I get. That's cool.
But Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 is, in a word, a turkey. SonicWALL firewall interfaces don't agree with it. You'll have to deploy a firmware update before you can properly administer SonicWALL devices using IE7.
Certainly, that's not a problem for a lot of non-IT folks. But neither does the new browser work well with PeopleSoft (used by most large organizations), AdvancedMD and other Web-based medical interfaces (used by physicians and medical facilities throughout the nation), and a host of other third-party applications. Worse, the media player plug-in apparently proves flaky for many (I encountered trouble myself when I had IE 7 installed - I've since had to remove it to ensure access to critical sites and applications).
I don't like it.
Apparently, I'm not alone.
Mossberg often gets it right. But in the case of IE7, I think he's off the mark.
posted by Erik Eckel at 4:18 PM
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