How is your browser working?

minkiemink · Post by **minkiemink** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:20 pm

Up until yesterday, I had been using Safari to search for dust, simply because it has been my default browser. With Safari, everything loaded quite slowly. If I saw a track, I would have to click on the possible track, then a window would appear asking if I would like to confirm that there is a track where I have clicked. I would then have to confirm with another click in the appropriate box that yes, there was a track where I have indicated. It was pretty tedious to click any tracks, especially with all of the calibration Movies.

Yesterday, I tried searching using Firefox. On Firefox, everything loaded up very quickly. If I clicked on a track, no box appeared, and the track would simply register or not and move on just as quickly. Of course on Firefox, I do get the occasional message noting that there is an error in loading the image, but I have yet to get one of those today.

I tried out Netscape just to see. No boxes, no error messages, but movies loaded a bit more slowly than Firefox.

I haven't tried Explorer or any of the other browsers to see if there is any other differences.

Just curious.....Has anyone else had these experiences? Is it because I use a Mac? Are PCs more uniform in the way they respond to the movies and browsers, or is this universal?

I am using a Mac OSx version 10.4.7. and ...I have switched to Firefox.

Thanks,

Minkie

mantis! · Post by **mantis!** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:08 pm

I did exactly the opposite. I started out using Firefox but eventually switched Safari.

I prefer Firefox, but I kept getting "double scored" on calibration movies. I would get marked correct and incorrect for the same movie. I didn't even know there was a confirmation box until I swtiched to Safari.

I have noticed in Safari that if I look at too many movies it really slows down. I'm not sure what exactly is causing this, as it seems to happen after I've come back to my computer after being away for 10 minutes or so.

Apparently I am the only one suffering from this double score problem in Firefox, it could be caused by a plug-in I suppose. Since I'm still trying to recover my sensitivity score, I think I'll keep searching with Safari for now.

minkiemink · Post by **minkiemink** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:27 pm

Hmmm....I use a 12" laptop, and only the movie fits on the screen, so I can't see my score unless I take the time to scroll down. I don't check it that often, unless I am sure I have clicked on something that isn't a calibration movie. but now I think I had better look. I did notice two errors today, and couldn't figure out what or when I missed something.

Oh...and I spoke too soon about the trouble loading message on Firefox. That message repeated itself three times on each of several movies I screened tonight.

Mississauga · Post by **Mississauga** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:27 am

Safari handles cache files poorly. I've killed caching and locked the Safari cache folder; much better now!

rcklein · Post by **rcklein** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:42 pm

Hi minkiemink,

I tested both Firefox and Explorer on the same Windows XP system. Explorer has the Particle Track Message to "OK" or "Cancel" and Firefox does not. But the important difference I found is that the movie images change much more smoothly with Explorer than with Firefox, as I mouse Up and Down the Focus Bar. Since I find the smooth focus scrolling critical to seeing changes, I use Explorer.

Howie · Post by **Howie** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:34 pm

Hi All,

Mac may be a problem for speed and Laptop does not do justice to a PC with say a 17 inch monitor!!!

The group has told you about all the other's such as Firefox etc...

For all concerned...My Set-Up is, and note, Microsoft Updates to your system is important!!!

I have a 1 year old E-Machine PC,,,
Updated to XP Beta 3, with Explorer 7 Beta update, with Media Player Beta 11 update, and office latest update and more!!!

Thiis gives me very fast loads on movies and allows me to view the movies at zoom levels above 100% and I view at 125% for better pixel clarity view of movie...until I did this I did not see some of the viewed track movies, then I saw the tracks better and has allowed me to see details I would not see at normal viewing of 100%...

Updating all your microsoft total system gives you much more you can do with your PC!!!

Sincerely,
Howie

Schlockading · Post by **Schlockading** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 4:44 pm

minkiemink wrote:Up until yesterday, I had been using Safari to search for dust, simply because it has been my default browser. With Safari, everything loaded quite slowly. If I saw a track, I would have to click on the possible track, then a window would appear asking if I would like to confirm that there is a track where I have clicked. I would then have to confirm with another click in the appropriate box that yes, there was a track where I have indicated. It was pretty tedious to click any tracks, especially with all of the calibration Movies.

Yesterday, I tried searching using Firefox. On Firefox, everything loaded up very quickly. If I clicked on a track, no box appeared, and the track would simply register or not and move on just as quickly. Of course on Firefox, I do get the occasional message noting that there is an error in loading the image, but I have yet to get one of those today.

I tried out Netscape just to see. No boxes, no error messages, but movies loaded a bit more slowly than Firefox.

I haven't tried Explorer or any of the other browsers to see if there is any other differences.

Just curious.....Has anyone else had these experiences? Is it because I use a Mac? Are PCs more uniform in the way they respond to the movies and browsers, or is this universal?

I am using a Mac OSx version 10.4.7. and ...I have switched to Firefox.

Thanks,

Minkie

Hmm. I have Mac OS X 10.4.4, am using Safari, and haven't encountered any of these problems. I don't even have Firefox. The images load quite quickly, usually in about two or three seconds. The fact that they load so slowly could be something with your internet provider. The only box I get when clicking on tracks is the "by clicking here you saying there is a track at that location" thing. What version of Safari were you using? I'm using 2.0. Maybe if you're running on a different version, it's causing it to come up with all of those extra boxes and stuff.

-Schlockading

minkiemink · Post by **minkiemink** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:04 pm

I was using Safari 2.0.4. No "extra boxes", just one extra box, and clicking on the correct response in it ....the same that you mentioned I believe. Just somewhat of a pain to scroll back and forth to with a mouse pad instead of a mouse. Firefox has no boxes, and its much faster. I do hate my provider,(earthlink DSL), and they know it, so perhaps that's why its so slow. I may upgrade to fiber optics in the next week or two with another company just to spite them.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has ceased to support or make updates on Explorer for Macs for many months now, so trying that is out. I am happy enough with Firefox for now. Just curious about other's experiences.

Oh and Howie, I am rushing out to get that bigger faster computer right this minute....Now...what did you say your credit card # was????

Kidding...

Minkie

Post by **bmendez** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:35 pm

Hi All,

You may want to check out the Tech FAQ page on the main website: http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/techfaq.php

We described there that Mozilla browsers (like Netscape and FireFox) do not show the pop-up confirmation box following a click on a movie. This is a "feature" of those browsers that we can do little about without significant redesign of the VM.

Movie download speeds could be affected by many, many things. Browsers could be one, but the number one thing will be the internet service provider. Another thing could be how your system is set up to handle caching of internet files. The fact that your system is slowing down over time makes me think it is more about the caching.

A word of warning about viewing the movies at zooms greater than 100%: we've discovered that if one clicks on a movie with the zoom at anything different than 100% the coordinates of the click may not be correctly recorded. Searching while zoomed in is fine, but when clicking on a track you should zoom back to 100%. This may be the reason many people are being marked incorrect on calibration movies when they are sure that they clicked on the right spot.

-Bryan

minkiemink · Post by **minkiemink** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:58 pm

Eureka! Thanks Bryan....

Howie · Post by **Howie** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:43 pm

bmendez wrote:Hi All,

You may want to check out the Tech FAQ page on the main website: http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/techfaq.php

We described there that Mozilla browsers (like Netscape and FireFox) do not show the pop-up confirmation box following a click on a movie. This is a "feature" of those browsers that we can do little about without significant redesign of the VM.

Movie download speeds could be affected by many, many things. Browsers could be one, but the number one thing will be the internet service provider. Another thing could be how your system is set up to handle caching of internet files. The fact that your system is slowing down over time makes me think it is more about the caching.

A word of warning about viewing the movies at zooms greater than 100%: we've discovered that if one clicks on a movie with the zoom at anything different than 100% the coordinates of the click may not be correctly recorded. Searching while zoomed in is fine, but when clicking on a track you should zoom back to 100%. This may be the reason many people are being marked incorrect on calibration movies when they are sure that they clicked on the right spot.

-Bryan

Howie Update...My latest updated Beta puter,,,
Zoom works on each calibration movie and some I tested 100/125!!!
But Note... that is the latest new stuff, older versions may well do what you said about missing the target!!!

TimStrange · Post by **TimStrange** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:32 pm

Zoom works OK for me. I'm using IE 7 beta 3 and my zoom is it 125%. I do make sure I click right in the very middle of the track (even on the small ones). Alaways have, always will. I've never gotten a miss diagnosed click, the 5 I've gotten wrong, I got wrong.

katkolling · Post by **katkolling** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:46 am

I'm using firefox. I would go nuts if I had to click a confirmation box each time.

whaleman · Post by **whaleman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:42 pm

Stardust@home has DESTROYED my Safari program! It now takes a full minute to load and is so slow it is USELESS. My tech said it was definately Stardust@home that was the problem, but she was unable to fix it after spending a whole day trying. Her advise: forget Safari and use Firefox, which has so far worked fine.

DustBuster · Post by **DustBuster** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:40 pm

whaleman wrote:Stardust@home has DESTROYED my Safari program! It now takes a full minute to load and is so slow it is USELESS. My tech said it was definately Stardust@home that was the problem, but she was unable to fix it after spending a whole day trying. Her advise: forget Safari and use Firefox, which has so far worked fine.

Hi whaleman.

I wouldn't suspect that StarDust@Home site destroyed your browser, more accurately, it may have uncovered limitations/inadequecies of that browser- particularly since it works for others using different browsers (even yourself).

Stardust@home