A Better Web Browser than Internet Explorer

The Firefox Web browser was officially released this week. The program has been available as a beta test product for some time and has drawn rave reviews. Now the official version 1.0 for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh OS X is available for everyone. The consensus of almost all those who have tried it is that Firefox is a much better web browser than Internet Explorer.

Did I mention that it is free of charge? And that it has no advertising?

I've become a convert; I much prefer Firefox to Internet Explorer and all other Web browsers that I have tried. I am now using Firefox on my Windows, Linux, and Macintosh OS X systems.

First of all, the program is fast. It is noticeably faster than Microsoft's product when displaying pages. Its user interface is simple and intuitive.

Firefox's pop-up blocking feature blocks almost all of those obnoxious advertisements. Best of all, it even allows you to quickly unblock a site from which you might actually wish to get pop-ups. (Not all pop-ups are used for advertising. Some sites use pop-ups to display supplementary information.)

Firefox also does a pretty good job of integrating RSS news feeds in a way that makes sense for a browser rather than the standard e-mail client metaphor that most programs use. You can read the daily edition of this newsletter as well as tens of thousands of other RSS data feeds (or blogs) by using Firefox.

In short, Firefox is much safer and simpler than Internet Explorer. Don't take my word for it; check with any of the hundreds of thousands of users who have switched to Firefox. I was going to write a review of the program, but then I found the one that Jim Rapoza wrote in the prestigious eWeek magazine. He describes everything that I was going to cover.

You can read Firefox 1.0 Lives Up to Hype by Jim Rapoza at http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1723414,00.asp

You can also read another article that reports Microsoft's Internet Explorer is now losing market share. That article is available at http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1706694,00.asp

You can obtain the free Firefox web browser for Windows, Macintosh OS X and Linux at http://www.mozilla.org.

Comments

[Steve Gauss]

It's too bad that the MrSID image viewer doesn't work in Firefox.

[Charles Dobie]

I agree that Firefox is the way to go. But how do I convert my Opera bookmarks to Firefox? The Firefox help screen gives the url of something called BookmarkPriest which is supposed to do this conversion, but their link results in "file not found". I finally found BookmarkPriest with Google, but when I ran the program, the bookmarks were in absolutely the wrong format. I'm now trying to do the conversion myself by writing a BASIC program, but it sure would be simpler to find an already-working program. Thanks, Chas. Dobie.

[Myrna Jorgensen]

Dick, this sounds really good but will it work with SpamArrest (e-mail spam/virus/trojan horse, etc. catcher) and RoboForm (a password keeper and generator)? I could give up RoboForm but not my SpamArrest.
Myrna

[Dick Eastman]

---> Dick, this sounds really good but will it work with SpamArrest (e-mail spam/virus/trojan horse, etc. catcher)

Yes. I use it with SpamArrest.

---> and RoboForm

I don't think so but there is no need for RoboForm. Firefox has loosely similar functionality already built in. It can remember your passwords.

- Dick Eastman

[Jacq' Tucker]

It's full circle now, eh? Netscape was the browser to use years ago. Netscape was an outgrowth of Mozilla from UICU [University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana] until AOL cabbaged on to it. AOL has now destroyed CompuServe, Netscape and Time-Warner. Plus MSFT [Microsoft] did a credible job originally with IE [Internet Explorer]. Unfortunately, the MS syndrome has inflicted redundancy, an abundance of "doors" and creeping complexity without enhancing the software for users.

I have been impressed with Firefox.

[Russell H]

I like it and I use it, but nobody will seem to admit that it's sloooooow in coming up. Just trying to switch to one of it's active screens from another program is an exercise in patience.

[John Brebner]

I jumped on the Firefox bandwagon some weeks ago, and too have been pleased with the performance. One glitch...you still need to use IE 5 or higher for those inevitable Windows security updates...so don't dump IE yet!

[Billie Walsh]

After your glowing article on Firefox you didn't tell how to get it.

[William Fryer]

I started using FireFox when the beta came out and went to 1.0 when it was released and I love it. The only problem I have found is too many programs will not work with it. Like MrSid and some other genealogy programs. When they get that problem solved I think IE will be history.

[Dick Eastman]

---> After your glowing article on Firefox you didn't tell how to get it.

http://www.mozilla.org

[John Rees]

By chance last week, after to many problems with IE6, I downloaded both Firefox and their e-mail programme Thunderbird. I found an add-on at their site that speeds up web browsing (I am on dial-up) and Firefox comes with its own spam filter. The only geneological site that I have had problems with was the National Archives/ PRO whose payment system was completely thrown by Firefox. In five days I am a convert.

[Raymond Bolton]

I have been running Firefox 1.0 from Beta to present, alongside Opera - IMHO I must say that I still prefer Opera...much faster loading, has the M2 revolutionary email program, RSS Newsfeeds, adblock and most of the options Firefox has, (if not more). Both of course, are much more preferable to IE.

[Bud Frohardt]

Sounds good. I have the Beta on cd but before I install it, has anyone using Juno been able to use it?

[Marina Dececo]

I hve both Opera and Firefox and like them but can't use either one with Ancestry's census viewers, a real handicap for genealogists. Would love to dump MS IE.
Marina Dececo

[Pat Roloff]

I too have switched to Firefox but find WYSISYG editor does not work with Firefox and have to switch to IE. Plus, as it has been said, Ancestry's MrSid does not work either.

[David A. Grosland]

I suggest that Ancestry.com needs to do some serious updating. It's not just MrSID and Firefox, Images Online doesn't work with Windows XP.

[David Fennell]

Lizardtech Express View (Version 3.4.2)
This plugin was previously known as the "MrSID Plugin". To install under Firefox, see http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/windows2.html#MrSID