I don't like FireFox. I'm not afraid to divulge the fact that I don't like it. I don't like people who insist on running on about how great it is, or people who try to push it in my face. I can't ignore it though, and this is why:
Whilst looking over the FireFox website I noticed the increasing number of downloads it is garnering, this inspired me to try and work out why people are so keen on this browser over its Microsoft Counterpart. So why do so many people choose to switch to FireFox?
The Hype?
FireFox has garnered more and more media hype as the downloads increase, and the more it gets hyped, the more people download it. It's a never-ending circle of over hyped confusion, and one of the many reasons people have chosen to download the browser.
The Cross-Compatibility Issues?
I'm not a fan of FireFox but even I own a copy on both my home and work machines. Cross Browser compatibility on websites is a must to for every website, you cannot afford to lose out on visitors/potential customers because your website doesn't work in other browsers. Remember, FireFox now have almost 20% of the browser market share - that's 20 out of every 100 visitors you will be potentially losing if your website is not cross browser referenced!
The Tabbed Browsers?
Though you wouldn't think this would be a top competitor in this field, it is. A lot of people I asked said they decided to go with Mozilla and FireFox browsers because of the tabbed browser bar. This enables you to open more than one Internet page within the same browser window, in turn, saving on computer usage and virtual memory capacity. Internet Explorer opens a new window as opposed to this, and in turn, uses up a lot of the computers memory, which can lead to unresponsiveness and crashing.
The Security Issues?
Nearly everyone I spoke to said one thing, "It's secure." And I'm not going to deny it, but is Internet Explorer really that unsecured that people feel they have to switch - well, in reality - no. The reason for this is that so many people have hacked and hunted down flaws in Internet Explorer, that Microsoft has been forced to fix them, and made them more secure. Yes, there are still holes in Internet Explorer, but FireFox has not been on the market long enough, or holds enough of a market share for hackers to try and discover all the holes in it. And already, a few companies have in fact, found vital flaws in FireFox (which have now been fixed).
Open Source Project and Patches?
There are currently hundreds, possibly thousands of FireFox patches and upgrades for download across the Internet. Adding to the bare-bone structure of the original FireFox, these patches allow more usability and customisation of the FireFox browser - but with patches not being "officially endorsed" by the Mozilla Foundation, these patches could cause the browsers security issues to be exposed - all it would take is one malicious patch. Being Open Source Software means the browsers coding is commercially available to anybody who wishes to use it - The upside to this is that FireFox can ease the strain a bit by letting people continue to work with the code and create patches, cover up security holes and customise the browser to how they feel it should be, without the encouragement of the Mozilla Foundation.
Feedback and Production?
One thing that is prominent in FireFox is its "fan base", a dedicated following of users who promote to the death and spread the word about FireFox. One thing that people like about FireFox is how much the designers appreciate and encourage feedback and ideas on the project. This is a browser that they want people to use, and the way they do it is by letting people tell them what they want. What more can they do?
And after all that, no, I am still not convinced that FireFox is a good enough browser for me to make a switch. I can understand the hype behind it, but I'm sure it will soon die down. There are plenty of flaws and design features which are snarled at in FireFox, and as a web developer and website builder, it is not easy to get around them using the new methods of building on the market (CSS based browsing, for example). FireFox is, in its own right, a good browser, and once they have smoothed out their compatibility and usability issues, and when they start complying with WWW standard text and pixel sizes, then maybe I will think about a switch again.
by: Pete Crewdson
There’s a lot to do on the Web, and Firefox 2 is full of helpful features to make your time online more productive.
(originally can be shown on www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/features.html)
Improved Tabbed Browsing
Firefox 2 will open new web pages in tabs by default.Spell Checking
Firefox 2 has built-in spell checking to keep you from making any mistakes in your blog posts and Web-based email, so you can worry about more important things.Search Suggestions
Just start typing into the Search bar, and a drop down list of suggestions will appear. (Works for Google, Yahoo! and Answers.com.)Session Restore
With Session Restore, if Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored.
Web Feeds (RSS)
Firefox 2 gives you full control over Web feeds, showing you a preview and letting you choose how you want to subscribe.Live Titles
Keep an eye on that auction or the status of a delivery using the new Live Titles feature in Firefox 2. Compact enough to fit as a bookmark label, Live Titles are regularly updated summaries of the most important information on a Web page.Integrated Search
The Search bar comes pre-loaded with search engines for Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, Answers.com, and Creative Commons. You can select a new search engine from the Search bar menu at any time, and add search engines from hundreds of your favorite Web sites.Live Bookmarks
With one glance, quickly review the latest headlines from your favorite sites and click to go directly to the articles that interest you.Pop-up Blocker
Firefox’s pop-up blocker notifies you when pop-ups are blocked via the information bar or icon on the lower right of the screen.Streamlined Interface
The user interface in Firefox 2 has been updated to improve usability without altering the familiarity of the browsing experience.
Accessibility
Firefox includes support for DHTML accessibility. Web developers can create pages that reduce the amount of tabbing required to navigate a document to minimize keystrokes for those with mobility disabilities. Firefox also includes support for Microsoft Active Accessibility, Microsoft’s accessibility API standard for Windows. This support allows Firefox to work with screen readers such as GW Micro’s Window-Eyes and Freedom Scientific’s JAWS.
Phishing Protection
When you encounter a Web site that is a suspected forgery (known as a “phishing” site) Firefox will warn you and offer to take you to a search page so you can find the real Web site you were looking for.Open Source, More Secure
Openness and active community of experts helps to ensure Firefox are more secure and updated quickly, while also enabling us to take advantage of the best third party security scanning and evaluation tools to further bolster overall security.
Automated Update
System always checks to see if you’re running the latest version, and notifies you when a security update is available. These security updates are small (usually 200KB - 700KB), giving you only what you need and making the security update quick to download and install.Protection from Spyware
You will be notified whenever downloading or installing software, and Firefox will always tell you what’s happening so that you can stay in control of your computer.
Clear Private Data
Firefox offers the ability to clear all your private Web browsing data with just one click with the “Clear Private Data” tool. You can be confident that when you clear your private data in Firefox it’s gone - whether you are using your own computer or one at the library.An Add-on for Everyone
You can choose from over 1,000 add-ons at the Firefox Add-ons Web site. A Firefox add-on can help you comparison shop, share bookmarks with your friends, see the weather in a corner of your browser, write to your weblog, get news, listen to music - all from inside the browser you already love. You can even change the appearance of your browser - from buttons to colors and fonts - so that it matches your own personal style.
