Not just Google playing dirty [foxing useragent ]

[stuckling1]

in this thread we learned that Google was attempting to hard-ball consumers into using Chrome by providing an inferior service to non-Chrome users.

Well now it looks like Microsoft is up to that same trick - removing a few little features in Windows Live Hotmail for web ( http://www.mail.live.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) for non-IE users. Features removed include ability to sort mail into folders by drag&drop and Quick View of attached media.

Is there any way to get around these artificial limitations Microsoft are placing on the service?
Any easy way to have FFx appear to be IE9 ?
Ideally only on Microsoft sites - for everything else it's quite cool just being Firefox!
Come to think of it, can I make my Firefox (v4.0 currently) appear to be IE9 on Microsoft sites; whilst appear to be Chrome 10 on Google sites; whilst remaining as Firefox by default for all other websites.
Basicly I'm trying to suck it to the companies that try to hard-ball me into using a browser I don't like... Does this make me a bad person?

[stuckling1]

Edit - found & will test this addon
http://chrispederick.com/work/user-agent-switcher/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... -switcher/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My current questions include
Is this likely to mess up my browser (beyond what removing the addon can fix) ?
And will having the browser pretend to be IE alter the way it renders pages?

Will be away next week but thoughts appreciated!

[stuckling1]

Tested the user-agent-switcher addon from here as noted in above post - pleased to say it's easy enough to use with a nice button, menu & dialogue box control.

I set the addon to make FFx4 pretend to be IE9 , then used http://browserspy.dk/useragent.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to see what I could sniff.
The results of a side-by-side comparision with actual IE9 are shown below.

Seems a pretty good cop - in that it does what it promises. And no problems with rendering or browser behaviour.
But sadly still doesn't seem to circumvent the original problem with Hotmail - MS still seems to know I'm not using IE, despite all appearances being altered to show the contrary!
I should also re-iterate that the drag&drop features of Hotmail are not unique to IE - until very recently they worked perfectly in all browsers.

Guess I gotta keep playing with User Agent Switcher until I hit gold/get bored.

In the mean time, any thoughts & suggestions greatly appreciated!

[stuckling1]

Pleased to report the Hotmail issue that originally prompted this thread (if you can call it that... more of a monolgue but hey ho)
has resolved.

Upshot of my tinkering - I recommend the User Agent Switcher addon discussed above, it does a good Ronseal job with very little hassle. Reckon I'll leave it installed in case of future need.

Tatty-bye Loungers!

[ChrisGreaves]

Pleased to report the Hotmail issue that originally prompted this thread ...

As a monologue it's pretty good. I often find myself talking to myself when I am out with a friend ...

I only noticed it by "View recent Posts", but I'm glad you posted it all.

I had no idea that one could/would need to make one browser FAKE two other browsers just to delude some server into thinking ...

Good sleuthing work.
And I learned something, too.

P.S. Welcome Back!