First... pop-ups are due to spyware. Neither browser can really help those who are infected. Although some are more aimed and directed at IE hence why the negativity towards Microsoft.
download adware or spybot to help screen or pay money for webroot spy sweeper (sorry, don't have links to provide at the moment)
You might not have any luck or improvement as these programs work better at prophylaxis rather than treatment of infection in terms of speed, but they should get rid of the pop-ups.
I am using IE7 and Firefox 1.5. I don't like either. But I updated IE b/c of security reasons. Firefox, I will dl now. (it's ranked higher than IE7) so yes, readers agree.
The ability to open a new window with the click of the middle mouse button was important to me, and having IE features, so avantbrowser was what I used. However, Firefox has everything, except some incompatibility of web coding catering to IE.
*edit* Well... I neglected a feature I'm used to using in avant browser. When you surf the web... I love going back and forth between links... so with avant, you can click and hold donw the left mouse button and click right mouse button and it's a shortcut to move forward and hold right mouse and click left moves you backwards. Nerdy I know, but once you try this feature, it's a must have. so I'm sticking to avant. :^P
So if you want to check out avant which is just a skin overlay with extras on it that IE7 doesn't have, here is the link.
http://www.avantbrowser.com/
It's ranked 4th or 2nd browsers on CNET's download top dl software.
http://www.download.com/Browsers/2001-2137_4-0.html?tag=dir
But remember... Firefox2 is # 1... so I better check it out too, but I am annoyed that the <embed> code that IE uses for songs on certain site doesn' work with mozilla's firefox. Let's see if that's changed for firefox2.
*edit*
Nope... embed is still not recognized by mozilla firefox. But oh well... IE7 recognizes the coding for objects now... so coders can use either or. for web designer lingo!
Okay.. enough geek talk. I'll stop there.