Browzar doesn't quite work as advertised
- IT TOPICS:Applications, Desktop Apps, Devices, Security
As more than one person has pointed out over the long weekend, Browzar doesn't quite do all it claims to ; while it removes cookies and history files, it leaves behind crumbs in the odd nooks and crannies Internet Explorer writes to. And this should have been the first signal that something's wrong; Browzar is nothing more than a wrapper for IE, rather than a browser in it's own right. What do you expect from a program that only takes up 264k?
As several readers have also pointed out, a much better solution for kiosk browsing is Portable Firefox. It lets you use all the capabilities of Firefox, but all the plugins and history files are stored on your USB key. I've played with a number of the applications on the PortableApps site, and Portable Firefox is my favorite, followed closely by Portable Putty. I like any application that let's me keep my history with me, rather than having to leave it with the computer I used it on.
So Browzar needs some work (it is beta after all), and most other non-IE browsers have the capability to erase your tracks, if you just spend the time to do so. In some cases you're going to have to delete the files manually, which is what I do in any case. Of course, a better solution would be to not use computers where erasing your browsing history isn't an issue; if you're going to have clean up after yourself, maybe you're better off waiting until you're at a computer you have full control over.
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