Download: Firefox
Most new Windows computers come with Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) or Microsoft's MSN Explorer (which is the same thing as IE). Unfortunately most of the unpleasant browsing experiences such as adware and spyware as well as a number of other threats to your computer get installed on your system thanks to the security holes left open by IE. There are alternatives to using IE, the most popular is the Firefox browser. Firefox is a leaner, safer browser that has come from the lineage of the Mozilla project and the old Netscape browser.
I didn't jump on the bandwagon right away, mostly because I'd used Mozilla and was underwhelmed by its performance. But many of my own online friends gave it the highest marks, such as these:
Of course it would be a disservice to my own customers if I had not tried the "most secure browser", and the results are impressive. It is a relatively modest download at 4.7MB, which is no more than the average downloaded song. It installed quickly and easily (even with IE running) on my Windows 2000 computer, and even imported all my favourites, cookies and settings. The only thing I did not like about this process was that it alphabetized my favourites, even though I prefer organizing them myself differently.
For those of you who read your news using RSS news readers, Firefox has a wonderful RSS-compatible news reader built into it. When you go to a web page that has RSS or Atom syndication available (like this one!), a little icon appears in the bottom right that lets you add the page's feed to Firefox. This means that Firefox makes it easier to read your favourite news rather than going to each web page individually.
Convenience
The first thing you will notice is that if you open multiple web sites, each page is "tabbed" in the main Firefox window. On the other hand, IE opens an entirely new browser and this can clutter up your Windows task bar. I also use the Google toolbar in IE, and Firefox automatically comes with a Google search installed, which is a handy feature. Downloads are automatically stored on your desktop so they are easy to find, no more flipping through folders to find that elusive download from IE. What was most comforting of all was that all of the features and menu items from IE were available to me in Firefox. There was no getting used to a new way of doing things.
That's not entirely true, there are some new ways of doing things, but in Firefox they are better. The most outstanding thing is managing your favourites. Or rather, managing your bookmarks, as Firefox calls them. I have struggled with IE's tiny favourites organizer (in the Favourites, Organize Favourites... menu). It is slow, clumsy, and since one cannot maximize the window, frustrating. In Firefox you access it the same way (in the Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks... menu), but instead of a slow, clumsy little window you get a full screen, easy to use, and fast bookmark manager. This alone is worth the price of Firefox, which by the way, is free.
Privacy and Security
No one would use Firefox if it didn't offer any security enhancements over IE. Two important areas that it excels in are protecting your privacy and maintaining your computer's security. Whereas IE'd default configuration allowed running of scripts, malicious or not, it was through this security hole that spyware was able to infect systems. Firefox doesn't support ActiveX technology and thus cannot get infected by spyware that takes advantage of it. It also easily allows the user to turn off Java and JavaScript. If you business relies on ActiveX technology, Firefox may not be for you.
Firefox has a built-in popup blocker, and although it isn't perfect, it will prevent the majority of annoying popups.
Firefox's privacy options page is fairly simple to use and understand. It has a button to clear each of the available settings that it uses, such as history, saved form information, passwords, downloads, cookies and browser cache. Firefox has an Extensions system that are small programs that add functionality to the Firefox program. There are already a few enhancements to Firefox's cookie handling.
Conclusions
Since most spyware and adware targets the Internet Explorer browser, using Firefox instead of IE will help you enjoy a more pleasant browsing experience on the Internet. However, as the popularity of Firefox increases, so will the exploits that will take advantage of it, but rest assured it will be a long time before (if ever) it surpasses IE.
If you suffer from spyware and adware problems, or just want a cleaner browsing experience, Firefox may be for you. Get it on our downloads page.
I didn't jump on the bandwagon right away, mostly because I'd used Mozilla and was underwhelmed by its performance. But many of my own online friends gave it the highest marks, such as these:
"Best browser ever."
"There are other browsers?"
"Once you go firefox, you never go back"
"Yes, firefox is the most secure browser you can have. And [I] would use nothing else. "
Of course it would be a disservice to my own customers if I had not tried the "most secure browser", and the results are impressive. It is a relatively modest download at 4.7MB, which is no more than the average downloaded song. It installed quickly and easily (even with IE running) on my Windows 2000 computer, and even imported all my favourites, cookies and settings. The only thing I did not like about this process was that it alphabetized my favourites, even though I prefer organizing them myself differently.
For those of you who read your news using RSS news readers, Firefox has a wonderful RSS-compatible news reader built into it. When you go to a web page that has RSS or Atom syndication available (like this one!), a little icon appears in the bottom right that lets you add the page's feed to Firefox. This means that Firefox makes it easier to read your favourite news rather than going to each web page individually.
Convenience
The first thing you will notice is that if you open multiple web sites, each page is "tabbed" in the main Firefox window. On the other hand, IE opens an entirely new browser and this can clutter up your Windows task bar. I also use the Google toolbar in IE, and Firefox automatically comes with a Google search installed, which is a handy feature. Downloads are automatically stored on your desktop so they are easy to find, no more flipping through folders to find that elusive download from IE. What was most comforting of all was that all of the features and menu items from IE were available to me in Firefox. There was no getting used to a new way of doing things.
That's not entirely true, there are some new ways of doing things, but in Firefox they are better. The most outstanding thing is managing your favourites. Or rather, managing your bookmarks, as Firefox calls them. I have struggled with IE's tiny favourites organizer (in the Favourites, Organize Favourites... menu). It is slow, clumsy, and since one cannot maximize the window, frustrating. In Firefox you access it the same way (in the Bookmarks, Manage Bookmarks... menu), but instead of a slow, clumsy little window you get a full screen, easy to use, and fast bookmark manager. This alone is worth the price of Firefox, which by the way, is free.
Privacy and Security
No one would use Firefox if it didn't offer any security enhancements over IE. Two important areas that it excels in are protecting your privacy and maintaining your computer's security. Whereas IE'd default configuration allowed running of scripts, malicious or not, it was through this security hole that spyware was able to infect systems. Firefox doesn't support ActiveX technology and thus cannot get infected by spyware that takes advantage of it. It also easily allows the user to turn off Java and JavaScript. If you business relies on ActiveX technology, Firefox may not be for you.
Firefox has a built-in popup blocker, and although it isn't perfect, it will prevent the majority of annoying popups.
Firefox's privacy options page is fairly simple to use and understand. It has a button to clear each of the available settings that it uses, such as history, saved form information, passwords, downloads, cookies and browser cache. Firefox has an Extensions system that are small programs that add functionality to the Firefox program. There are already a few enhancements to Firefox's cookie handling.
Conclusions
Since most spyware and adware targets the Internet Explorer browser, using Firefox instead of IE will help you enjoy a more pleasant browsing experience on the Internet. However, as the popularity of Firefox increases, so will the exploits that will take advantage of it, but rest assured it will be a long time before (if ever) it surpasses IE.
If you suffer from spyware and adware problems, or just want a cleaner browsing experience, Firefox may be for you. Get it on our downloads page.
posted by Peter at
1:10 PM
