Is There A Safer/Better Place to Download a Different Browser?

NObodE wrote:

....Safari, a browser that they say is owned by Google...

Safari is a Apple product, not Google, however Google search is integrated into the browser, not that this should matter any.

...and therefore since Google has it's own Point system, it is incompatible with distributing the Miles I earned.

Seems strange.

They said I need to use a different browser and they mentioned IE or Firefox.

Internet Explorer isn't avaialble for Mac's however Firefox is.

....is there a better place as far as security and staying away from a website that might make downloading Firefox more than the download and install that it should be? For example, ease os the install, installing the latest version of Firefox, etc. When my sister downloaded Chrome recently she found out that her personal info. and other privacy issues had majorly be violated. I would like to try and avoid any problems like this by using a reputable website and download the latest version.

Chrome is by Google which does spy on you. So use Firefox instead.

Here is a safe link for downloading Firefox, It also doubles by checking the versions of your installed browser plugins like Flash, Silverlight etc so that you can update these if they are not current.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/

However Firefox isn't privacy secure from online tracking etc (like from Google) unless additional add-ons are installed (Ghostery, Ad Block Plus, BetterPrivacy, Click&Clean, TACO, NoScript, HTTPSEveryWhere etc.,) if that is your concern. However there is a learning curve to using these browser add-ons so take your time and install one at a time as your web browsing will be altered somewhat as a result. (and some sites you will need to "whitelist" or you can't buy or order anything with the add-ons enabled)

Firefox is just a web browser, they are not interested in tracking your behavior etc., online like Google does.

Firefox will auto-update it and it's add-ons automatically, but not the browser plug-ins as they are cross-browser and installed by the user. Like Flash and Silverlight. You can also use the "About Firefox" to apply the update if there is one manually.

How to install Flash, fix problems

Does downloading another browser on a MacBook Pro that is 3 years old cause any areas of concern that I should be aware of?

No. It's another program like any other.

is there anything different having 2 browsers installed on the MBP that a novice should know about?

None really, you can use all of them (Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox) on a Mac.

They are slightly different than Safari your used too, however things work the same or better in some cases that Safari. Just takes some time to get used to using a differnet browser, however Firefox is the most feature rich browser with all it's customization and add-ons galore. Safari is quite dull and depressing actually.

Easier surfing option for hard of seeing users

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/personas/

is there a website that one could recommend that I use if Apple does not have a place to get the latest version of this browser?

Apple doesn't recommend other browsers, but it's your machine and you can install any software you wish.

Bookmark the link in Safari

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/

I appreciate any special considerations I should be aware of, and maybe there is none, but I do not want to be dealing with the issues my sister is apparantly dealing with from using a website to download Chrome that seems to have violated her personal information and other informat about her system.

You won't have that problem with Firefox, likely what occured is she signed up with Google's GMAIL which if you don't signout after logging into it, it will track you and save your search terms. Also with all the ad tracking online Google does too.

Also if she installed any Google software, like Google Earth, can potentially cause issues as it leaves a persistant update program installed.

The thing with Goggle and Facebook is not to use them at all, then they can't track you.

Currently Google doesnt't if you log out, however Facebook will track you even if you log out of Facebook.

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-to-stop-facebook-from-tracking-you-2012 -9

...if you know what the latest version is for the Mac, I wold appreciate that info.

Current Mac version of Firefox is 15.0.1, which will get automatically installed and auto-updates by itself.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Just click on Mac. Direct from Mozilla.

Double-click the .dmg file (the first one). That will mount the disk image on the desktop

and open a window with the firefox icon and an alias to the Applications folder.

Just drag the FF icon onto the folder (in the same window).

You can then check your Applications folder and ensure that FF is present before closing the window and ejecting the .dmg (eject by either clicking the symbol next to the .dmg icon in the Finder sidebar,

or right-click or ctrl-click on the desktop .dmg icon and choose eject).

You can then trash the original .dmg file if you wish.

The version downloaded should be the right one as the download tool 'sees' what system the request is coming from.

This is what I see from that link.

In any case, with or without that box to select, the .dmg you got would have been for Mac OS X; the server can see you're on a Mac. If it isn't right, it won't install anyway. But I'm fairly certain it's right. Follow noonday's directions.

Sssshhhhh; I cheated - I already had the .dmg file!

Click the 15.0.1

The second one appears to be a duplicate. Finder would rename it to avoid having two files with the same name.

You likely accidently clicked the button twice.

NObodE wrote:

So I close all apps and click the 15.0.1. and that should open the disk image. Right?

Double-click.

Closing other applications is not strictly necessary in this case, but is good practice generally.

Once the disk image is on the desktop I follow the instructions above. On the website they made it sound like the window with the fox and the Applications folder would automatically open up and all I would need to do would be to drage the fox into the Applications folder,

Usually it does.

but that did not come up. I did see the disk image thing on the desktop, but I was tired so I right clicked it and ejected it and went to bed. This was last night and today I thought I would either start all over or hopefully get someone like you who is willing to help me.

No problem; double-click to open the .dmg file again, and if the window doesn't open automatically, just double-click on the desktop icon and proceed from there.

< My turn to head for bed - it's 01:15 here >

You won't.

I have a busy day today, but I'll look in from time to time.