Both Mozilla and Microsoft released new versions of their internet browsers the other week: Mozilla’s Firefox 2 and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7. Whereas Microsoft waits several years to release meaningful updates for IE (outside of the security patches), Mozilla seems to spend a few more man hours on the development of updates to Firefox.
I found the joys of Firefox several years ago and I haven’t looked back. It offered everything I could ever want in a browser and then some. Tabbed browsing. Use of less computer resources. Seemingly quicker browsing. More extensions than anyone could shake a stick at (I have no idea what that phrase means…). Themes to dress Firefox up. The ability to create your own extensions and themes if you have the time and technical know-how. And oh so much more.
Internet Explorer was stuck on IE6 for quite some time. It was a giant security risk to anyone using it. It was slow, old, tired, and lacked the features of Firefox. Chances were, any minuscule update required a reboot of the entire operating system. Finally, IE 7 was released. I went ahead and downloaded the update, thinking to myself “might as well.” Keeping with Microsoft’s theme, it was a huge download, took forever to install, and, surprise surprise, a reboot was required to finish the installation process. The noticeable differences: tabbed browsing (new to IE, been part of FF since its creation) and a lack of the menu toolbar at the top (you know, the whole “File” through “Help” dropdowns). Nothing impressive, and it seemed like IE was slower than ever.
The installation of Firefox 2, on the other hand, was so easy, I really don’t remember anything about it. What I do remember is that I didn’t need to reboot and the themes I had installed for the previous version of FF weren’t compatible (not a big deal). Even though not much changed, nothing got worse. Now you can reload tabs you may have accidentally closed (I’ve been known to do that on several occasions and this new feature has kept my head from exploding on several occasions). Tweaks have been made all around the board. All-in-all, I’m happy. So many times I’ve had to update some program I love, and that update drastically change the look and feel of the program so much that I end up uninstalling it. Not here.
I love my Firefox so much, I completely uninstalled IE from my computer (well, to the extent that Windows lets you). Why would I do that if Firefox still doesn’t work with certain sites (such as Microsoft Update)? Well, there are extensions available for Firefox that allow you to view sites in IE mode. And, to Microsoft’s credit, they make it possible for non-IE users to download updates to your computer so you can install them manually.
I’d recommend Firefox over Internet Explorer anyday. From my IE Tab, to my Forecast Fox giving me the weather at the bottom of my browser, to being able to backup all my browser crap up, it simply can’t be beat.
Check out CNET’s Internet Explorer 7 vs. Firefox 2
