Mozilla Wants to Rumble With IE

Wired News ^ | 16 July 2003 | Amit Asaravala

[ShadowAce]

Microsoft's Internet Explorer might have trounced the likes of Netscape Navigator, but the folks at Mozilla.org insist the browser wars aren't over.

That was the message coming from Mozilla.org's offices in Mountain View, California, on Tuesday when it announced it would split from America Online and form the independent Mozilla Foundation.

[ShadowAce]

"We've got the better browser," said Baker. "And that's what really matters."

No browser for the PC is better than Mozilla, IMHO, except for (perhaps) Firebird.

[Support Free Republic]

Hi Mom!

[ShadowAce]

Tech Ping

[sam_paine]

Opera.

I've tried Mozilla binaries once and it was the biggest clunkiest slowest "monsters" I've ever installed. Granted, the pre-compiled binaries may have had all sorts of debug/development code switches turned on, and had I an ounce of patience, I might be able to compile exactly what I want. But for an end user that uses IE, I just don't think Mozilla is a ready-to-go option as Opera is.

[ShadowAce]

I used to used Opera ( a couple of versions ago), but FR didn't render some things correctly, and other sites also had problems. I've heard they've improved it since then, but now I've just gotten used to Mozilla.

[Clara Lou]

I tried Opera 3 times, mostly because I kept hearing how great it was. I have yet to see its greatness. I've used Mozilla for 2-3 years. I recently upgraded my Mozilla to 1.4. I'll take Mozilla any day. They keep adding features. and it gets better and better every time.

[shadowman99]

"Mozilla Foundation"

I'd be interested to know if this is a non-profit org.

If so, it explains why AOL has spun it off. They can write off expenses involved in developing mozilla rather than flat out killing it. It's alway better to give away your money at the end of the year to a group like this than the IRS.

The danger is that Time-Warner is beginning to dominate the picture, and they may ultimately decide this is an unwanted piece of AOL's legacy. That's why it is important that Mozilla Foundation owns the IP rights.

I like Mozilla (I use firebird for my personal browsing) but I don't see it becoming a direct competetor to MS by itself. I do see the potential that it's many open source offshoots will erode IE's numbers over time.

Netscape is dead now. Nobody is officially going to say it, but it will wither on the vine.

[bvw]

Galleon.

[bvw]

Opera has good inheritance control of child browser windows, and you can have graphics turned on in one window and off in another. I use Mozilla, mostly right now. It renders more closely to the de facto standard, IE.

[AnalogReigns]

I use Pheonix (now called "Firebird") a Mozilla spin off--kind of "Mozilla lite." Works very well, with all the key features I want from Mozilla, and none that I don't.

Available from http://www.mozilla.org

[kezekiel]

Mozilla is my primary browser, but several times a week I have to pop back into Explorer to use some website that won't work properly with Mozilla.

[SoDak]

Agreed, although I use Opera sometimes too. I've never liked IE, even though I am forced to deploy it in my network.

[Question_Assumptions]

"Users will use what is on their computer already," he said. "If they want pop-up blocking,

"Mozilla won't win with the general public by having a superior feature set," he added. "It won't win by rendering faster or being more standards-compliant. Heck, IE didn't do any of those things to get where it is today. It's on top because it's on every desktop."

Which is exactly why Microsoft jumped through hoops to make it part of their operating system. So long as IE continues to use open standards and I can use Mozilla, Safari, or even Lynx (which I frankly use more than any other browser), I don't really care of they have a 99% market share. I just don't want Microsoft to use their market dominance to undermine open standards. Fortunately, so far, every time Microsoft has tried, they've failed.

[Question_Assumptions]

IE is horrible if you are developing a web site. It doesn't give you very much information about what's wrong with a web page and Netscape nicely color-formats the HTML when you do a source listing. Little things are also annoying with IE, like trying to open just an image with a link behind it. Netscape will tell you how big the image is, too, which is useful for setting height and width tags.

[ShadowAce]

I don't really care of they have a 99% market share. I just don't want Microsoft to use their market dominance to undermine open standards

I frankly don't want ANY browser to have a huge market dominance, as that increases the possibility of standards corruption. The more browsers on the market, the better it is for consumers.

[Helms]

Ditto that- loads fast-simple interface but Google toolbar does not intenerate - just use the bookmark tab. I get NO POP UPS with Phoenix and like their skins.

[stainlessbanner]

Posted with Mozilla!

[Bush2000]

Mozilla ... it's hosting a party that nobody wants to attend...

[B Knotts]

IE is also dead as a stand alone browser.

I suspect you're right about the tax advantages AOL will enjoy from this spin-off. Although, I think AOL is no longer very interested in Mozilla.

I just don't see what AOL's long-term strategy is. Microsoft will always give the advantage to MSN.

[Thoro]

But for an end user that uses IE, I just don't think Mozilla is a ready-to-go option as Opera is.

Another Opera bump!

It's nice to use a browser that knows how a cache is supposed to work, unlike IE.