ID Ten-T error

While that is true to an extent, I don't think internet security is down to browser and user/operator alone.  A part of it, in my own experience, is down to the OS as well.

Since switching to Vista x64 as my primary OS, I have noticed considerably fewer (if any) 'threats' detected when running Spybot, Windows Defender and Avast. My last 3 or 4 dozen scans have come up clean.  In fact, I do not recall picking up a nasty on Vista x64, using either FF or IE.

The same can not be said of XP or Vista 32 bit, however.  I dual boot with those on a second rig and Spybot scans often pick up tracking cookies and other parasites.  Oh, and going to porn sites isn't the only way to get them... just clicking on/researching the results of a music search can result in various nasties inhabiting your machine.

There's the reason.  Smaller base = smaller target.

Possibly, but isn't Vista x64 more picky about installing unsigned drivers, apps, etc?

No, there are just less 64-bit drivers, apps, etc. 

Now of course a 64-bit OS can run 32-bit apps just fine, but drivers/etc would need to be 64-bit, I'd assume.

If there's a difference between Vista 64's security in that regard and Vista 32's, I haven't seen anything on it, so if it exists it's very marginal.

Been using IE8 for a few days now and its fast. Quicker than Firefox.

I have seen trojans in the wild that failed to infect Vista64 but that infected Vista32.  The trojan just flat out failed to even execute, lol.

I suppose the reason I made the distinction is that I assume bugs and nasties are written for Vista as a whole, not for specific editions, and that when I experience fewer/no detected threats in 64 bit it is because the security is improved on that of 32 bit.

Whether or not that asumption is correct, I don't know, but my surfing habits are pretty much the same in any OS, and I've found that using either FF or IE in Vista x64 results in a clean bill of health 99.999999% of the time when performing security scans.  I don't care how or why it is, I'm just glad to be nasty free.

As for the speed thing, I don't need to be anywhere yesterday, so I don't really care if one browser is a tenth of a second faster than another,  Correct rendering and a reliable connection are more important to me.

same here,always had a problem with this site and no other site.opens very slow and pages take ages to load.sometimes i just move on.

That's what I meant; I was highlighting the difference between a 64-bit OS and a 32-bit OS.  But I doubt any additional security enhancements were coded specifically for 64-bit.

Does it make more sense stated that way?

Then why are you using IE? 

Or, at least, were?

I hate those biased articles...

If firefox had been the faster browser, everyone would be cheering and stating "I knew it, that's why we use firefox"... Just because IE is faster, people have to justify not using it by ridiculous comments like "I don't care about speed". The thing is, we ALL use whatever we use because we feel it works for our needs, or at least works as we are used to. I mainly use firefox, because I'm used to it. No other reason. I try other browsers every now and then, I have a huge lot installed. But I end up using firefox anyway,

As for correct rendering.... Safari 4 beta hits 100 on the Acid3 test. There's the most correct rendering available. You'll likely get more issues with rendering on that than you get with the less correct firefox and ie. Webpages are not made by the book, they are made to work with the most common browsers. The only way you see the rendering as it's meant by the webdesigner, is to use whatever browser a site is primarily made for...

I use FF as my primary browser, with IE mostly for Hotmail and MS updates, etc.  I briefly tried the IE8 beta, but it broke Live Messenger's ability to open IE to read my Hotmail.  I uninstalled IE8 and ran Ccleaner as well as a registry cleaner to remove any remnants, but the Mesenger mail function still didn't work even with IE7... even after performing a repair.

'Spose I could have uninstalled/reinstalled Messenger as well, but I just couldn't be bothered... the 'mail' tab in IE gives me quick/easy access so didn't feel it that important.  I might redownload IE8 and see how it goes, if it fixes the Live Messenger bug, but I'll likely keep FF as my default/primary browser for a while longer yet.

Why bother w/ IE for Hotmail?  M$ and Mozilla got things worked out and you shouldn't have issues anymore with FF in live/hotmail.

Because Live Messenger opens IE to read it.

Use Live Mail instead-it's integrated into Live Messenger as well.

Exactly!  However, I do have a Hotmail bookmark (toolbar) in FF for convenience... once I've read my mail I can carry on surfing.

Yeah, I knew that, but it's the same thing as opening my mail in FF... once I'm done I can check out other stuff of interest  and not have to open another app.