Is Firefox Better than Internet Explorer?

In my opinion yes, Firefox is a better browser than Internet Explorer. In case you haven't heard about Firefox, it is an open source, free browser that has been developed by volunteer programmers at the Mozilla Foundation a non profit organization.

Some background information about how the Mozilla browser came to be. When the internet was being introduced to the public back in the 1980s, Mark Andreessen, developed the first internet browser for the public's use. It was called Netscape Navigator. (Navigator was an out growth of Andreessen's original mosaic browser, developed for business) Netscape Navigator had to be purchased. When Microsoft  introduced it's browser, Internet Explorer it gave it away free with every PC that had windows software on it. In a very short time Internet Explorer dominated the market and Netscape Navigator all but disappeared. Eventually AOL/Time Warner bought it and still owns it.

The Mozilla Foundation has taken parts of the old Netscape Navigator browser code and developed Firefox now Firefox newest version  is available.Click here to read a review from PC World,To read a review from CNET click here andclick here to read PC Magazine's review.
 

 You may say why bother, there are other browsers out there besides Internet Explorer, why create still another one? The main reason is security and the secondary reason is ease of use by the average consumer.

Internet Explorer is constantly issuing patches for security flaws in it's code. This is of concern if you are using Internet Explorer to do online banking or purchasing. Hackers may be able to get your credit card information, pass words and perhaps much more. Hackers target IE, because such a high percentage of the public use it as their  browser.

Firefox has attempted to remedy the security problems. It has done this by not using what are called active X controls or VB script. These allow, among other things, software to be downloaded and installed on your computer without your knowledge.

Firefox has made an impression in the security area, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, a collaboration of the tech community with the Office of Homeland security also known as US-Cert, has recommended Firefox in an effort to increase computer security in the United States.

One of the visible security features Firefox uses is a change in color of the address bar when you are on a secure web site. You will notice that the address bar changes from white a background to a gold color and a padlock appears. By clicking the lock you can view the web sites security information. This is just a confirmation that indeed you are where you think you are, and you are using a secure site. In recent years some popular secure web sites have been spoofed by hackers, who redirect you to a hacker web site that pretends to be the site you want to go to. Pay Pal was the subject of such a spoof a few years ago.

Firefox has also strived to achieve ease of use for its customers and it has found an audience. It has a pop up ad blocker built in that will automatically block any pop up ads. You will see a red x in a box where the ad would have appeared, and if you choose, you can click on it to see the ad. If you want more ad control Firefox has an additional feature that lets you disable animated flash ads on a web site you are visiting.

Another ease of use feature is what is called tabbed browsing. This allows you to open several web pages or sites in the same browser window. You can then tab back and forth to view one of the several you have open. Internet Explorer has no such feature. IE requires that you open multiple browser windows instead of just one. This taxes your computer's system resources. When resources are taxed everything slows down.

Still another ease of use feature which is standard in Firefox is the Google search bar which is located at the top right hand corner of your tool bar. It allows you to search Google with out having to go to Google. You can also add other search engines to your list. They will appear  in a drop down list when you click the arrow next to Google's name. You can then select Yahoo or Ebay or any other search engine to add to the list.

Bookmarks in Firefox are the same as favorites in Internet Explorer. Firefox has gone a few steps further and created what it calls live bookmarks. This feature allows you to bookmark a web site that has an RSS feed. Any web site that has an RSS feed will have an orange box the lower right hand corner of the browser window. Clicking on it allows you to create a live bookmark. When you go to that book mark again the latest updates will be automatically incorporated for you. The latest headlines, news or information will appear, saving you the time and effort of going to all the individual sites.

Still looking at ease of use features, the download settings in Firefox are automatically set to download all files right to your desk top. This is nice because you don't have to go hunting for a file. It will be right on your desk top, easy to locate and waiting for you.

Firefox offers several add on features which you can select by choosing them from their web site. The add on features are called extensions. There are many to choose from including various skins to change the default appearance of Firefox.  Some of The latest add on features or extensions are Customize Google, which allows extra information to be included in a Google search, Sage which is a RSS reader and Adblock which blocks ads that are included in content you are viewing.

One word of warning not all web sites will work or display properly when viewed with Firefox. These few sites will tell you that you need to use Internet Explorer to properly view and use their web site. So switch back for the one or two you encounter. To my mind the security aspect is worth the small inconvenience.

There is always the question of support and help for a software product. Firefox offers a free online written tutorial, which is a step by step guide to everything from downloading to installing extensions. Also there is a guide book which can be ordered for $11.95. The paid methods, which many companies have adopted these days are the paid telephone help, cost is $39.99 per incident. The paid email help is $4.99 per incident. Free help is offered through the Firefox tech forums. The forums are where users and experts provide answers and trouble shooting help.

I have been using Firefox for about three years. All during it's beta testing phase and have never had it crash or give any kind of problem. I have also used the forums and found them helpful. One last attractive item about Firefox, and that is the home page, which provides thumb nail summaries of the various features and how to use them.

To be fair Internet Explorer has added a popup blocker in the service pack 2 update for windows XP and a few more features but the security flaws keep coming; and if you are using windows 2000 or ME or 98 no added updates for you. Firefox is compatible with windows 98. Me, 2000 and XP as well the Mac OS X.

So give Firefox a try and see for yourself. Then go back to Internet Explorer and see what you think.

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