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Firefox: The browser wars, reloadedAs a small child, sometimes I would go with my Mother to her university so I could browse the world wide web. They were DOS systems, but to get to the internet you would have to launch Windows 3.1, and use Internet Explorer. Then, we moved out the area, and I would have rarely gone on the internet until a few years ago, when I finaly got it on my home computer. I noticed that feature-wise, Internet Explorer hasn't seemed to have changed a bit. I know CSS and frame support would have been added since then, but that was only to stop itself becoming obsolete altogether. The only recent addition is a pop-up blocker, about a year after all the other browsers incorparated one, and I used a 3rd party one anyway which was actualy way better.I always thought Internet Explorer was a good browser. I could type in a resource locater, and it would show it. Then, to put a long story short, it started alowing sites to do whatever they wanted. I would close the browser to reveal new shortcuts placed on the desktop. I installed Spybot Search and Destroy, and it revealed, to my horror, Internet Explorer had just allowed sites to do whatever they wanted to my computer. I then looked at IE alternatives. I remembered people talking about a Firebird project. I did my research, then installed Mozilla Firefox 0.9. I was amazed at the improvement, even before it left beta stage. Mozilla refuse to put in ActiveX and VB script support, the main reasons for IEs breathtaking vunrabilities. It isn't intergrated with the Operating System, also allowing for sercurity. I now use Linux, and have now got Firefox 1.6, even though Linux is perfectly sercure as it is, and I already had perfectly sercure browsers such as SeaMonkey, Konqueror, and Evolution. This time, it was not the sercurity that drew me to it, it was the ability to customise, and the features. Unlike Windows and Internet Explorer, Firefox features an attractive interface and still managed to make it look like it is designed for adults. It contains enough features, without making it one bloated application. One of the best features, in terms of usability and simplicity, is the "Live Bookmark" feature, something that dumps Microsoft back to the drawing boards. When a site reports to Firefox is is associated with an news feed (such as RSS, RDF, or Atom), Firefox politily informs you. Then, if you enjoy the site, you can create a bookmarks folder, where the site administrators may decide what links go in that folder. BBC has this option to inform you of the latest news. On my copy of Firefox, I have a Gmail Notifier, but not everyone has a Gmail account. I have an IRC client called ChatZilla built-in, but not everybody needs to use IRC. Mozilla though about this, and they created the ability to expand. A Firefox user can go to the Mozilla Update. There they can get themes and extensions. So, it can be sweet and simple, or loaded up with gadgets to satisfy James Bond. A personal favourite extension of mine is the All-in-One mouse gestures. Just a flick of the mouse, and Firefox does exactly what you want. Microsoft vs Mozilla, the browser wars return. Mozilla have an eligant masterpiece that can do absolutly anything thanks to open source and extensions. Microsoft have a scrubbed disater, only fit for browsing files and folders (well thats what it's designed to do). Microsoft Internet Explorer is the 20th century browser. Mozilla Firefox is today's. If you want sercurity, choose Firefox. If you want a browser that works the way you want, choose Firefox. If you want a 21st century browser, or even if your just curious to find out what a 21st century browser is, choose Firefox. Firefox is free. Find out more and download at the Firefox homepage
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