Browser Help/Recommendations Needed

[jparker402]

I am on my second Mac and use Safari, but have used what (I think) is now Microsoft Bing (Outlook?) has my home page, if I have gotten the terminology right. I use the MS because I have since the beginning of time and like it. However, MS has now gotten involved with something and is requiring logging on to FaceBook and several other sites I frequent. Tonight MS has decided it is not going to recognize what my password manager is supplying, what Safari is saving as passwords, doesn't recognize my email address and has forgotten my phone number of texting me log in code. And, of course, I cannot find any MS agent to talk to. I can only bring up "MS Copilot" which to me is a completely useless piece of ..... I won't go there.

I am asking an MS user friend if he can help me, but would like a fall-back plan on what to use instead of MS Bing. I have asked this of Apple before, I think, but have forgotten their recommendations. I like the start page on Bing, the headlines and features, but it doesn't do much good if I can't log on through it. Thanks for you suggestions.

 

[picpicmac]

People like what they like.

There are three ecosystems that are vying for the most users:
1) Microsoft, with CoPilot, Bing, etc.;
2) Google, with your Google account integrated across Gmail, YouTube, etc.;
3) Apple, with your iCloud/Apple Account integrated across apps.

If you don't like one, try the other.

I find Microsoft the least expensive for cloud storage, Google the best for what I want to use, though I use iMacs.

 

[Fishrrman]

Orion
Firefox
Waterfox
iCab
DuckDuckGo (they have a browser)
Mullvad (they have one, too)
Opera
Vivaldi
(there are others, also)

Personal experience:
I use whatever browser seems to work best for the job.
Safari is "the natural" for the Mac.

Wouldn't touch Microsoft (at least while using the Mac).

I don't HAVE "a home page".
My idea of a home page is a completely blank window.
Like an empty sheet of paper.
When you go to write something, do you choose a blank piece of paper, or something that has writing already ON it...?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

The page that opens when you open Safari can be ANY page. If you like news, pick any site that you like for news and make that the page that opens: Safari (menu), Settings, click "Set to Current Page." After that, the next time you open Safari, it will open to that page. I have mine currently set to CNN.com myself but it can be ANY page.

Bing is a search engine, competing with Google. Google could also be your "home" page. If you like lots of news like you are seeing on Bing (news), you could set Google News as your home page. That would be quite similar to Bing (news) with a search bar at the top and lots of news stories below it.

USA Today, WSJ, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, BBC, PBS, Yahoo News, etc could be your "home" page that opens when you open Safari. Find one you like and you can make it the home page as described above.

Outlook is usually considered an email client/web app for email purposes. Many Apple people choose to use Apple's Mail app for email but some use Outlook too. Outlook and Bing are generally thought of as different things.

If you want to keep things as is, it appears that you need to re-enter your passwords as prompted and in the little box that will pop up, choose update or save so Safari remembers them for next time. But if you want to bail on that, the above hopefully gives you some ideas for finding a new home page and perhaps using the Mail app for email and maybe a different search engine, etc.

 

[jparker402]

People like what they like.

There are three ecosystems that are vying for the most users:
1) Microsoft, with CoPilot, Bing, etc.;
2) Google, with your Google account integrated across Gmail, YouTube, etc.;
3) Apple, with your iCloud/Apple Account integrated across apps.

If you don't like one, try the other.

I find Microsoft the least expensive for cloud storage, Google the best for what I want to use, though I use iMacs.

What is the Apple one you cited at 3)? How can I take a look at that?

 

[MacBH928]

I think everyone is confused with your post.

Bing: Search engine like Google

Safari: Web browser, you go to websites with

Outlook: is an email service and email app

you have to clarify what are you trying to do.

What is the Apple one you cited at 3)? How can I take a look at that?

Apple iCloud, its online storage service for your files like Dropbox and Google Drive.

iCloud

Log in to iCloud to access your photos, mail, notes, documents and more. Sign in with your Apple Account or create a new account to start using Apple services.

www.icloud.com

 

[jparker402]

MacBH928, you are absolutely right! i am confusing and I am confused. Let me try to get this down correctly, but I do have problems with understanding the correct terminology for things. First, what use to happen and what I would like to get back to. When I opened up my MacBook, I selected Safari from the lower task bar (?). Safari opened with MS Bing showing. From there I would scan the news, local weather, stock market openings, and that kind of thing. When I wanted to visit one of my sites (MacRumors, for example), I would type that in and off I would go. Some of my sites require passwords, and for that I have Dashlane as a password manager and I would enter those sites by accessing it. As to Outlook and all that, I got confused as to what that program was. Then MS came out with "Co-pilot", which I tried to avoid. And now somehow, due to me, MS or both, I am no longer able to sign in to Bing, which had largely been automatic. And I cannot sign in to MS or get any meaningful help from them. (Their response has been greater than 50 pages of suggestions.)

And I cannot get two-factor authentication to work with MS. I think the old email company I used for MS has problems. This weekend I hope to have a friend on the telephone who can help me get a new account with MS in an attempt to get back on Bing, and perhaps begin to solve my problem.

I hope this clarifies my situation somewhat. Any suggestions, short of 50 pages worth, will be gratefully appreciated.

 

[Fishrrman]

Outlook is an email APPLICATON (program) -- similar to Apple's "Mail.app".

Bing is a SEARCH ENGINE -- like google, or yahoo, or duckduckgo.

When you want to visit a certain place (like macrumors), make a BOOKMARK for it.
Learn this command: "command-D".
Works in almost all browsers.

I don't know which version of the OS you're using, but if it's 10.15 "Sequoia", Apple now has a pretty decent "Passwords" application.

If you want good weather, open Safari and enter "wunderground.com".
Their "10-day forecast" is the best I've seen.

 

[MacBH928]

MacBH928, you are absolutely right! i am confusing and I am confused. Let me try to get this down correctly, but I do have problems with understanding the correct terminology for things. First, what use to happen and what I would like to get back to. When I opened up my MacBook, I selected Safari from the lower task bar (?). Safari opened with MS Bing showing. From there I would scan the news, local weather, stock market openings, and that kind of thing. When I wanted to visit one of my sites (MacRumors, for example), I would type that in and off I would go. Some of my sites require passwords, and for that I have Dashlane as a password manager and I would enter those sites by accessing it. As to Outlook and all that, I got confused as to what that program was. Then MS came out with "Co-pilot", which I tried to avoid. And now somehow, due to me, MS or both, I am no longer able to sign in to Bing, which had largely been automatic. And I cannot sign in to MS or get any meaningful help from them. (Their response has been greater than 50 pages of suggestions.)

And I cannot get two-factor authentication to work with MS. I think the old email company I used for MS has problems. This weekend I hope to have a friend on the telephone who can help me get a new account with MS in an attempt to get back on Bing, and perhaps begin to solve my problem.

I hope this clarifies my situation somewhat. Any suggestions, short of 50 pages worth, will be gratefully appreciated.

just set your homepage to Bing , its this:

Bending towards brilliance

Today we are celebrating the anniversary of Gatewa

www.bing.com

as logging into your account, I can't help you because you need the password

 

[jparker402]

just set your homepage to Bing , its this:

Bending towards brilliance

Today we are celebrating the anniversary of Gatewa

www.bing.com

as logging into your account, I can't help you because you need the password

Thank you! Still waiting for the email to come back online. Times like these when I question the utility of two-factor authentication!