November 16, 2004, 11:34 AM — The Mozilla Foundation has released version 1.0 of the Firefox web
browser, and it's already proved to be a popular download. Netcraft
reports that the huge number of downloaders has caused performance
problems for the Mozilla site.
Internet Explorer's market share has been increasing for years. This
summer, however, Firefox turned the tide. Many sites that track browser
usage recorded IE use peaking around May, and declining since then.
Security is one of the main reasons that people are trying Firefox, but
it also has many features that are lacking in IE.
Ten Reasons to Try Firefox
1. It's not just free, it's open-source. If there's a security problem
with Firefox, anybody can contribute a fix.
2. It's cross platform, with versions for Windows, Mac and Linux.
3. Switching is easy. Firefox can import your existing settings from
Internet Explorer. Bookmarks, options, cookies and other data are
converted over.
4. It's small. (4.7 MB download)
5. Bookmark keywords let you create shortcuts for any URL. In the
properties for each bookmark, there is a Keyword option. If you bookmark
www.itworld.com and give it the keyword "itworld", typing "itworld" in
the URL field takes you directly to the site. Firefox's "Smart Keywords"
even let you search right from the URL field. Type "itworld ecommerce"
in the URL field, and Firefox will take you to the index of "Ecommerce
in Action" articles at the ITWorld site.
6. Firefox supports extensions - small add-on programs that add new
features. There is already a thriving community of developers creating
extensions, with more than 70 available.
7. Tabbed browsing lets you surf multiple sites, without cluttering your
screen.
8. Firefox is very customizable. In addition to options available
through the user interface, many more options can be customized using
text files.
9. Finding within a web page works as you type, and displays a warning
flag if no match is found.
10. The US Department of Homeland Security recommends that Internet
Explorer users "use a different web browser".
If you haven't tried Firefox yet, now is the time. It is an open-source
alternative to Internet Explorer that offers better security and richer
features.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
