Posted on 10/07/2004 5:34:43 AM PDT by ShadowAce
Since the recent security warnings surrounding Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser were issued, more and more people around the world have been turning to a small Open Source alternative spawned from the developers of the Mozilla browser: Mozilla Firefox
. Though it is small in download size, don't let it fool you. There's nothing small about this application. It's one hell of a contender for the Internet browser throne. Can it topple the software giants flagship product? Yes, I think it can.
Why Firefox?
The choice is simple really. Firefox is free, small, fast, and secure. Those are the basic reasons anyway... the list goes on. Sure, there are other mainstream browsers out there such as Mozilla, AOL's Netscape, and Opera, but none of the come close to what Firefox has to offer us. The interesting part is that Firefox has gotten more attention lately than it's rock solid parent, Mozilla. It's deserved it too, but why aren't people turning to the Mozilla suite instead, since it comes with a capable email client, calendaring support, etc? I can't say for certain, but I suspect it's due to the pure energy surrounding the tiny offshoot. Developers are excited about working on it, as are theme developers, artists, and extension writers. Mozilla Firefox is capable of being customized by anyone who has the notion to do so, and that adds to the magic of it all. End users can sense the excitement surrounding it just like anything else in life. If enough excitement and electricity is generated by a product, people will flock to it. Look at the Apple iPod. There are tons of other portable music players out there, but Apple has a certain mystique about it that nobody can touch. Well, maybe that isn't the perfect example but you get the idea.
In my experience, most people are hesitant to use Firefox over Internet Explorer because they have become accustomed to using IE in a way only a heroine addict can truly appreciate. It has also been my experience that when these same people actually give Firefox a chance, they fall in love with it and become inseparable. In the same way as their former addiction to IE? Possibly, but at least this is a safe addiction. Nobody is going to lose their life savings over this one to some criminal who understands IE Zone flaws all too well.
I'm sure most of you reading this probably have Firefox running on all of your systems since our logs shows almost 60% of you are using it, and that's a good thing. I've personally been using it since it was first released under the Phoenix (and subsequently Mozilla Firebird) name. I have watched it steadily increase in stability and feature set, while maintaining it's small footprint and download size. What prompted me to sit down and actually write this column was the latest 1.0 Preview Release. I was so impressed by it that I needed to sit down and write about it in one form or another. I originally intended to write a review, but it turned out quite different... and that's fine by me. This browser, and the people who have had a hand in it's development, deserve all the attention we can throw at them... and then some.
The bottom line is that Firefox has matured into a hugely successful browser on so many levels. From the technology that drives it to the aesthetics, right down to its mighty capabilities, this browser is a heavyweight in every sense of the word. Even though Internet Explorer dominates the current market (and we all know how quickly that can change... does anyone remember Netscape pre-Internet Explorer?), when placed side by side with Firefox, it is dwarfed in comparison. Firefox has features that IE can't even come close to touching... including:
Firefox also doesn't get infected by anything close to what everyone refers to as 'spyware'. Perform an experiment for me if you don't mind. Download a tool such as Spy Sweeper and clean your system with it. Run IE as you normally would for one week and sweep your system again. Count the traces of spyware it finds and remove them. Then run Firefox as you normally would for one week (don't use IE at all during this week) and run Spy Sweeper again. What you will see is ZERO traces of spyware. Try it and prove me wrong. You'll notice a strange lack of popups windows while using Firefox too... this is a great built-in feature. No need to download a third party plugin to do it for you. Those are only glorified spyware applications anyway if you weren't aware.
In addition to being safer and not being subject to endless hoards of spyware and annoying popups, you have an endless supply of extensions, or plugins, available to you to enhance your browser however you like. You can add additional search engines to the toolbar, mouse gestures, Image and multimedia controls, and tons of other browser goodies... all for the cost of the time it takes to download them. I'll note here than most of the features are tiny and take very little time to download. Try it and see what you've been missing. I'd be willing to bet that you won't be able to believe how good this browser really is. Why trust your critical information to a browser produced by a company who doesn't care about your well being and safety? Put your faith in a product designed by people just like you... good people with good intentions who want the same things you do... and are willing to give them to your for nothing. Not many good things in life are free these days, but I assure you, Mozilla Firefox is a rare exception.
I haven't ever used IE, but Mozilla will go the way of IE's problems if it becomes popular enough for hackers to really pay attention to. IE is used by, well, "everybody", so why would they bother to harrass Mozilla when IE contains everthing they need?
You can go here...
https://update.mozilla.org/extensions/showlist.php?category=Tabbed%20Browsing
and download the miniT 0.4 extension that allows for moving your tabs with a handy indicator too.
It does seem faster, have you tried the tabbed feature?
Hit Alt+T and you can have multipule widows on your favorite sites.
I haven't used Mozilla, so I can't help with that.
I use MiniT as well. You are right handy little ext. Also, CuteMenu .4 is nice chrome. (silly name though)
I don't know what to tell you besides try and reinstall the program or email Mozilla site with the problem
It does not load some pages though. Is anything to fix that?
After spending several hours on many occasions removing IE hijacks and spyware programs... I use FF. I love it! Any small inconveniences are outwieghed by the fact I am not constantly spending hours with a hijacked browser. FF rules... IE is trouble just waiting to happen.
Just downloaded 1.0, was using .8. I rarely use IE anymore unless a site has some clunky javascript that Firefox won't run.
Yes, you are right, but since I do all of my browsing with Firefox and Firefox validates the same as Netscape Navigator, what does it matter?
So, as I noted, it is a personal preference to a large extent. In addition, the IE security issues alone might make one consider using Firefox. You can't make the arguement that IE has been free of the security problems. It hasn't; it has been rife with security issues. And, while I concede that IE is a big target and Firefox might become a larger target as more users use it, it is fact that, for the large part, Firefox hasn't experienced the security issues.
Well, you use whatever browser you want, I will use what I want. As long as we both can continue to contribute the movement that is FR, I don't care.
Just for your information, there's a Mac version, too!
I use Safari and like it, but may try this later.
Maybe that's why one page I like won't load. It has a lot of moving pics, music,etc. I just installed it after reading this thread so I'm not that familiar with it as yet. It sure is a lot faster. I guess it's because spybots aren't slowing it down.
Sorry.
Tried it again.
They don't appear sorted in the Bookmark management box
but they do appear sorted when you go back to the bookmarks.
There still is a little problem
however
that I cannot sort the directories
just the bookmarks within a directory.
On each tab you go to your bookmarks and load a page.
The active page is a darker color than the others. To activate a page, click on the tab then browse as normal.
So what does FF do differently than IE to make it less susceptible to adware?
I don't know, but when I use FF and then run adaware I find none.
You missed the point I was making. I use Firefox. I was simply stating that Firefox is not netscape. Its something the firefox team tries to make very clear in their FAQ and i was simply trying to help them out by avoiding any confusion.
Read my initial post on this thread and you will see why I am on firefox and how it pretty much interlocks with your post.
By the way, for those who still prefer to stick with Internet Explorer (especially those with Windows XP Service Pack 2), there is a add-on program called Maxthon (formerly called MyIE2 ) that gives IE almost Firefox-like functionality.
Most people have a life, and they are loathe to invest the hours necessary to find the conflicts, eliminate them, tweak things, modify for desireable effect etc. The average person avoids it because it is the difficult alternative.
Even people like me, who are not inherently afraid of technology, but have a healthy distrust of it, require a very high level of frustration before taking the plunge.
I must admit a definite and continuing drift in that direction.
In my experience, most people are hesitant to use Firefox over Internet Explorer because they have become accustomed to using IE in a way only a heroine addict can truly appreciate.
Bad comparison. Heroin is clearly a bad thing in the mind of most normal people. A web browser is a useful thing, inherently good, but beyond the technological reach of the average person, even computer "savvy" ones (as opposed to the geeks).
Articles like this one however are a huge help. Thank you, I view this article as a public service. It keeps us abreast of improvements in alternatives and increases the confidence level that real alternatives exist.
It's no longer a question of if, it's a question of "when" we start making the switch wholesale.
Unless, of course, Microshaft is allowed deliberately to frustrate that attempt by malicious coding.
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