Ask Leo! #324 - Which version of IE you should run, live CDs, routers vs. routers vs. access points, and more... - Confident Computing

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What version of Internet Explorer should I be running?

p>Leo, I understand that Microsoft will be aggressively pushing IE8 and IE9 installation. I have been reading Ask Leo! for years, and when IE8 was first released, I recall questions like, “How do I remove IE8?” Users were, apparently, having many problems with IE8, so I have avoided it all this time. At the time, you recommended that readers use caution and perhaps not install IE8 unless necessary. Would you please revisit the question of upgrading to IE8 and/or IE9 in view of the fact that Microsoft is trying to get everyone off IE6 and IE7?

Can those of us with Windows XP skip the IE8 upgrade and go straight to IE9, and avoid the problems with IE8? I have XP with IE7. I have been having issues with a few websites not viewing properly, especially Facebook. They now have a permanent banner on my FB home page telling me to upgrade to IE8 or switch to Chrome.

Much like their push to kill Outlook Express, Internet Explorer 6 and of late Internet Explorer 7 have apparently come onto Microsoft's radar for active abandonment.

Microsoft would like to see IE6 and IE7 disappear for a variety of reasons.

And, to be honest, so should you.

Continue reading: What version of Internet Explorer should I be running?
http://ask-leo.com/C5058

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What's a "live" CD? And why would I want one?

In one of your answers, you recommended booting from a "live" CD.

Whu?

I have no idea what that means. Explain, please.

You bet.

Live CDs (or DVDs) are exceptionally convenient to have around as diagnostic aids when you're experiencing a problem with your computer.

I'll describe what I mean by "Live CD" and I'll show you a couple of examples.

Continue reading: What's a "live" CD? And why would I want one?
http://ask-leo.com/C5057

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What's the difference between a router, a wireless router and a wireless access point?

I've searched your archives and found tons of articles on adding a router to a router. That's the same as adding an access point, right?

No, it's not.

And it's a common enough point of confusion that I want to clarify exactly what each is and why the difference might matter.

Continue reading: What's the difference between a router, a wireless router and a wireless access point?
http://ask-leo.com/C5056

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*** Word o' the Week

Netiquette

Netiquette or “net etiquette” is a standard of rules and behaviors that are best practices for interacting with others on the internet. This includes behavior in chat rooms, in forums, on message boards, in email, and other mediums.

An example of good netiquette is not typing in all capital letters. When reading text in all caps, many people internalize that as shouting without even thinking about it and react accordingly. All caps should be used only for emphasis or when you’re trying to convey that you are shouting.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Leo Recommends

The Internet Archive

The Internet Archive is one of those sites that you could spend hours just browsing around. They've really gone the extra mile and are providing video and audio archives as well. It's an amazing site.

The Internet Archive's "Wayback Machine" is extra cool, and a great resource if the website or page you were looking for has dropped off of the internet. It might still be in the Wayback Machine! Quoting the site: "The Internet Archive Wayback Machine puts the history of the World Wide Web at your fingertips. The Archive contains over 100 terabytes and 10 billion web pages archived from 1996 to the present."

Continue reading: The Internet Archive
http://ask-leo.com/C2484

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

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