All the sudden IE9 simply would not allow me to login to my Google AdWords MCC control panel. I am sure it was a change in an update to a security setting done by an automatic update. For a full week I pulled my hair out. I tried to troubleshoot the problem, dropped my cookies, deleted my cache, tried to import cookies from a computer that allowed me on, tweaked registry settings; all to no avail. I was simply locked out with a grey screen.
Sounds like maybe no big deal, right? However if you spend hours and sometimes all day on Google AdWords, as I do for clients, this was a REALLY big deal. In fact, so big I decided that maybe it was time to simply move to a new browser and scrap IE9. I had Firefox installed and also Google Chrome. My assistant swears by Chrome but that is because IE9 works quirkily on his Windows 7 64 bit computer.
I really tried to like Firefox, really! I migrated everything there for two full weeks and worked exclusively with that browser. What I found was that I could get on AdWords just fine but there were two things that I really hated.
- On downloading files – which I do a lot of from writers sending me things via YouSendIt.com, the save file as interface is goofy and not streamlined. There simply was no way to streamline the interface.
- I hated the bookmark tool. IE9 does have Firefox beat when it comes to bookmarks, organization, and showing them while browsing.
I really tried to like Google Chrome too! I lasted about two days with this browser. Sure it was speedy, but the big drawback was bookmarks. As I live by my bookmarks having to check writers on our client blogs, I have an extensive listing of bookmarks and logins that are used daily and more than daily. I don’t want to hunt around and I want things to be in the order I determine.
Guess what? I am back on IE9 now for everything except Google AdWords, and there I use Firefox. I just simply like the elegance of the browser chrome (frame surrounding the screen), I really like how bookmarks are done and managed, and I really like the very simple streamlined interface for saving files with one “save as” drop down.
Now in your case, you may swear by Firefox, or you may love Google Chrome, but if you have never tried either one I recommend that you do. You won’t personally know which is best for your own needs until you really give them a go. In fact did you know that Chrome is now 20% of the browsing market as of just this past week? Internet Explorer has shrunk to 59% of the market and Firefox has dropped to 28% according to StatCounter. (Read the article.) Take them both for a test drive and see what you think. You may be like me and say ahh, there is no place like IE9!