it is not bad until u are smart enough to use it properly 
u have to keep it updated. u don't have the level of functionality that you get from firefox or Opera. and u have to be careful about what you are clicking.in simple term, if you visit only good websites, IE won't harm you. but if you are the kind of person who would be visiting any website out their, clicking yes on prompts without reading them, still using the original version of IE that came with the original installation... you are in trouble.a friend of mine found he got infected with a spyware within 2 days of reinstalling his XP machine. with firefox he is happy since 2 months now. he is not the kind who would be checking neowin or other tech sites to keep himself updated with the latest patches and security releases.as for me, i just like the capabilities opera comes with. i can check mails, surf websites, chat on irc, aggregate rss and read newsgroups. from 1 single application. now that's what i call a complete internet experience.
u have to keep it updated. u don't have the level of functionality that you get from firefox or Opera. and u have to be careful about what you are clicking.in simple term, if you visit only good websites, IE won't harm you. but if you are the kind of person who would be visiting any website out their, clicking yes on prompts without reading them, still using the original version of IE that came with the original installation... you are in trouble.a friend of mine found he got infected with a spyware within 2 days of reinstalling his XP machine. with firefox he is happy since 2 months now. he is not the kind who would be checking neowin or other tech sites to keep himself updated with the latest patches and security releases.as for me, i just like the capabilities opera comes with. i can check mails, surf websites, chat on irc, aggregate rss and read newsgroups. from 1 single application. now that's what i call a complete internet experience. 
