Either, Or?

So Im setting up my new MacBook pro (first time MAC user)......

iMail or Entourage?
Safari or Firefox?

Which is better and why?

Also, can I buy Applecare extended warranty when my first year is nearer to expiration, or is there a time limite where I have to buy it asap?

 

Don't know about Mail vs Entourage, but I prefer Firefox over Safari.
The major points in favour of Firefox are:

• Much better extension support
  You just don't get the large no of extensions on Safari. Sure there are a few for Safari too, but you can't really compare them to Firefox's extensions.
• Keyboard shortcuts
  I tend to use to lot of keyboard shortcuts like ⌘+1, ⌘+2 for switching to tabs and ⌘+K or going directly to the search bar. You don't have the same shortcuts for Safari. I tried configuring them using 3rd party software, but it was just too much work/head ache.
• Awesome bar
  Safari doesn't have anything similar to it.

Points in favour of Safari:

• Faster
  Thestartup is definitely faster than Firefox. Havent really noticed any difference is loading websites.
• Can play HTML5 Videos
  Flash tends to act up on a Mac, so some might prefer to watch videos using HTML5. Safari does that, Firefox still uses flash on Youtube.

That's all I can think of right now.

About the APP, you can definitely wait and it won't make a difference. I waited till my original 1 year warranty was about to expire and then bought APP. For more info on APP, try searching this forum. There are quite a few threads.

 

Thanks for the response - I'll give Safari a shot first for a while i think - I rarely use keyboard shortcuts etc, and only do the basics on the web, with the odd Youtube video etc, so should be Ok for me......I just wondered whether FireFox was actually more secure then Safari?

 

I have never used entourage but I do use imail and iCal witch connect to the exchange server at work. I think both programs do a pretty good job.

I prefer safari to firefox because it seems to be faster and the scrolling is better.

 

I prefer FF mostly for the same reasons as pickster. However there is one other major gripe I have about Safari...the damn app won't let you go FULLSCREEN! How hard is it to maximize a window? The Safari window will stretch up-down, but will max out at like 900 pixels wide...I just don't get that????

 

in Safari the Zoom button will only open the window big enough to have everything fit... which means it will only go as wide as he page your currently looking at. You can always stretch the window as big as you want.

 

Although it doesn't max out at 900 pixels or anything, one can't use Safari fullscreen mode.
With Firefox, we have true fullscreen mode without the menubar/dock anything else.

 

I'd suggest Chrome over both Safari and Firefox due to it being faster than both of them, and the are more and more extensions showing up for Chrome every day.

Entourage is somewhat of a red-headed step-child that not many people tend to want.

 

You should try a few browsers and decide, that's what I did. It's all personal preference really. I like Safari over FF mainly because of its speed and smooth scrolling which are much better on Safari and those are big for me personally.

Entourage.... I don't know. I tried it for almost two months (being an Outlook 2007 user) and did not like it and can't quite put my finger on exactly why I didn't like it. Went back to using the Mail/iCal/Address Book trio on my Macs and I'm happy. Having said that, I really think Mail and iCal need a makeover (events in iCal Month view, for example, only show start time ).

 

I too, getting a new Macbook Pro, wanted to try out Safari ... Didn't last long, I came running back to Firefox like an abused housewife.

1. Smart bar
2. Extensions
3. I'm used to it

Safari is a cool browser and all but ... I don't see what makes it better than FF to warrant my using it.

I have not tried chrome.