Microsoft webmail looks pants under firefox? :(

iMacMart · 21 Dec 2007 at 20:09

Hi Guys

I use web mail to check my mail from home or customer sites etc, under IE6/7 it looks very similar to Outlook 2003 but under Firefox (at home) it looks horrid?

I don't get the folder list on the left hand side or anything like that?

Is there an add on maybe to make it look half normski?

Fanks

Skeeter · 21 Dec 2007 at 20:40

Nope, MS Suck

Microsoft webmail uses an Outlook Web Access style front end. This front end is only fully compatible with MS IE. Firefox, or any other non IE web browser will only get the cut down basic version of the web access front end. This goes for anyone using Outlook Web Access for an Exchanged based email system too, as I am at Uni. To get the full functionality I have a shortcut to IE with the Uni email address in the shortcut link so that I can use that as a direct link to emails through IE, then use Firefox for everything else.

Unfortunately, this is just MS restricting full functionality to their own browser.

swinnie · 22 Dec 2007 at 11:40

tweakinfreak said:
Hi Guys

I use web mail to check my mail from home or customer sites etc, under IE6/7 it looks very similar to Outlook 2003 but under Firefox (at home) it looks horrid?

I don't get the folder list on the left hand side or anything like that?

Is there an add on maybe to make it look half normski?

Fanks

Get the IE Tab plug in for firefox and then load the login page for the web mail and click the firefox logo in the bottom right of the page after IE Tab install and it will load it as if it was being loaded inside Internet Explorer but inside Firefox, you can also add the site to automatically switch to the IE7 rendering engine/method. It automatically loads Microsoft Update and .mhtml files/pages using the IE7 Method. Very Handy!

Link - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419

tolien · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:03

Just beware that IE Tab leaks memory like a sieve.

swinnie · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:09

Tolien said:
Just beware that IE Tab leaks memory like a sieve.

What does that mean when its at home?

Macro · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:19

Skeeter said:
Nope, MS Suck

or more accurately FF sucks if it can't even render the market leading webmail interface correctly.

There are FF plugins that allow it to work so it's hardly rocket science.

FF used to be a fast, lightweight browser, these days it's flakey, slow and bloated, bringing nothing new or innovative to the party compared to it's earlier incarnations...

Caged · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:38

Athanor said:
or more accurately FF sucks if it can't even render the market leading webmail interface correctly.

I'm fairly sure Microsoft send a different version down if it sees you aren't using IE, so it doesn't really have much to do with what it can and can't render.

Don't let that get in the way of a good rant though.

swinnie · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:41

Caged said:
I'm fairly sure Microsoft send a different version down if it sees you aren't using IE, so it doesn't really have much to do with what it can and can't render.

I think this as well.

tolien · 22 Dec 2007 at 12:44

swinnie said:
What does that mean when its at home?

IE Tab causes Firefox to leak memory.

I'm fairly sure Microsoft send a different version down if it sees you aren't using IE, so it doesn't really have much to do with what it can and can't render.

Yeah - spoofing the UA gives you an IE version that doesn't work properly (at least with the Exchange 2007 OWA on trunk builds) though, because it uses all sorts of non-standard crap all over the place. Hardly Firefox's fault if MS can't stick to any sort of standard...

Skeeter · 22 Dec 2007 at 21:08

Athanor said:
or more accurately FF sucks if it can't even render the market leading webmail interface correctly.

There are FF plugins that allow it to work so it's hardly rocket science.

FF used to be a fast, lightweight browser, these days it's flakey, slow and bloated, bringing nothing new or innovative to the party compared to it's earlier incarnations...

Woo, IE Fanboy, wondered how ,long it would take for them to arrive.

The advanced versions of webmail use proprietry MS software and protocols or whatever, so FF cant support it. As was said before, the server will not send the advanced version unless it recieves a request from IE.

And you obviously havet used any recent orbeta versions of FF. The FF v3 Beta is as smooth and fast as the early versions.

So little tip, get your facts straight before you jump in guns blazing, only to realise your firing blanks!