Is Firefox really better?

[KathleenMN]

The thirty day challenge recommends that we use Firefox as a browser. I have always used Explorer. I am very comfortable with this browser and am hesitant to switch browsers, unless there is some real benefit in doing so. Can anyone provide a review on Firefox, and let me know if it's worth switching to?

Kathleen

[cindybidar]

Better? Probably not. All browsers let you view web pages, so from that point of view they're all equal. I like FF because of the AddOns, which are like plugins for WordPress. Pieces of code that extend the functionality of the software. X-marks is the one that I use the most. It keeps my bookmarks synced between all my computers. There are thousands of others as well.

I think Ed Dale recommends FF (didn't he used to recommend Flock?) because he uses some of these add ons in the program.

[NicoleDean]

I can't provide any "real" reviews, but I can say that Firefox hates me. ((sigh))

I use it on my laptop, but it just doesn't like me on my PC. Firefox just won't recognize cookies for me, so I log into sites like Gmail and will click on something and it makes me log in again, no matter how many years I mess with the settings. Go figure.

Honestly, I like IE just fine. They're quite comparable.

[deniseoberry]

I switch back and forth depending on what I'm doing. Often one or the other doesn't behave well with certain websites so I go to the alternative. I think it's a good idea to have both on your computer so you have choices. But that's my personal preference.

[cindybidar]

I think it's a good idea to have both on your computer so you have choices.

If you have websites or blogs, it's probably a good idea to check them out in different browsers as well. Though it can be disheartening to see that oh-so-lovely page in FireFox get shifted all out of whack in IE. :( From time to time I also check my sites in Chrome, Flock, and Safari.

[Danielle]

I love Firefox. I have had IE crash on me soo many times and I have lost work and websites because of it. My favorite thing about FF is that I can open multiple tabs and when I am done at the end of the day I close it up and FF saves all my tabs. This saves me hours of time. I have had FF crash on me about 3 times in the last nine months! I will never go back to IE willingly!

[StephenT]

As you can see, it is subjective. I love FF. I think it is faster and I like the plug-ins. Go with what works best for you.

[wade_watson]

Firefox has some annoying bugs that get on my nerves now and then, but I use it for a couple of reasons, mostly because it can be set up as the safest browser for PC users. I learned this for computer security expert Steve Gibson, of twit.tv's Security Now podcast. Internet Explorer is the primary focus of culprits who create hostile scripts and I know from personal experience what can happen. Several years ago, my computer was infected with a virus from simply bringing up a seemingly innocent website. I had Norton AV going, but it couldn't prevent some damage, so I had to reformat. IE has Microsoft's ActiveX capability enabled by default. It can give web programmers way too much control over your computer and is not really safe to have enabled at all. Firefox doesn't run or, apparently, miss it.

Firefox's great strength are the many "addons" (plugins) available for it. If you install one called "NoScript" the browser will not run a script unless you give it permission. You can set ups safe sites to always run them if you want. There's also an add on that blocks ads, AdBlockPlus, which I run (some marketers may not like that idea).

There a number of addons that can be useful for Internet marketing and web programmers. "DoNotFollow" will give color-coded link highlights. This is handy for finding blogs offering good backlinks. "Firebug" will show you a page's stylesheet, which is useful in studying a site's design. There are many more.

Wade Watson

[amibr]

I love FF. I think it is more user friendly, love the add ons, there are millions to pick from depending on what you need. IE has some annoying bugs when displaying web pages sometimes. But like said above it is good to have a few to compare.

I was scared of switching when I first heard about FF. But I downloaded it and gave it a try and have never looked back. Wish I had done it earlier. I suggest you download it, give it a try for a few days and see what you think. :)

[KathleenMN]

Thanks for all the great replies!! You all have convinced me to give it a go. I think the only thing holding me back was changing from what was familiar and comfortable. Since getting out of my comfort zone is what this challenge is about for me, I gotta do it!!

[Ellen C Braun]

I just read that Google Chrome is on pace to get more popular than FF. And Chrome won't crash if just ONE tab crashes- nice to know!

Also, new netbooks ready next year WON"T have a desktop- they'll startup on Chrome OS- how strange is that?

[busymomma]

I switched to firefox about 3 years ago and threatened my family with harsh consequences if they used IE anymore. lol At that time everytime IE was pulled up it loaded nothing but viruses to the computer. Since IE is so widely used, it's also the most widely hacked.

Ever since doing this I have had NO problems with our old PC getting trojans and so much more.

[KathleenMN]

Additional question - I have installed Firefox now, and quite like it. What add ons would you recommend? I have a few that are suggested by the challenge but was wondering if there was anything really useful that I'm missing.

[StephenT]

I added on free wordtracker and use it all the time.

[wade_watson]

Here are the addons I have:

Adblock Plus - eliminates most ads
BetterPrivacy - manages Flash cookies
DownThemAll! - will download all files or images on a page
Firebug - shows page HTML and CSS tables
NoDoFollow - shows which links are No Follow
NoScript - let you choose what page scripts to run
Tab Mix Plus - gives more control of tabs

[busymomma]

When doing your website I have found there is no WAY to get it to load ok for everyone. Because some users do not upgrade to the latest version of their browser. I have no way of knowing if my sites still look ok in IE whatever because I usually download to the latest version when it tells me to.

That said, I've only ever had issues with clients and websites when they are NOT uploaded to the latest versions of IE of FF.

[YvonneJ]

You are already convinced to give it a try, Kathleen, but just wanted to add my experience. I used IE for many years then about August of last year everything became as slow as molasses. Just as well I have lot of hair or I would have pulled out every strand because of the issues and my local tech support could not find the real issue until she decided to switch to Firefox and the problems were solved! Of course there is a little learning curve, but if it works better for you, it's worth the effort.

Yvonne

[kane]

I actually use all 3 browser, since I'll have different accounts for the same sites (like Gmail) logged in at once, but my order of preference is:

1. Chrome (by far the fastest)
2. FireFox (awesome add-ons)
3. IE (nothing good to say about it)

[InesB]

I can not provide you a review on Firefox but only share
my experience with it.
For me Firefox is really better than Internet Explorer.

The biggest advantage is that spyware doesn't get on your computer
nearly as much. Spyware might not seem as a big deal but it will slow down
your PC and eventually you will notice that you are having problems.

[Mike Murphy]

Firefox crashes so many times for me that I wonder if it should be listed as one of the "features". I'm a certified tab-a-holic and I'm sure that is what drives it crazy but I stick with it anyway so who is the crazy one? :-)

[deannatroupe]

Here's my two cents. I HATE Explorer. It seems like every worm, virus, and trojan out there targets Explorer. With that being said, I still have it b/c there are some sites that will only allow you to use explorer (drives me nuts). I LOVE Firefox, but sometimes it crashes if I have too much stuff going on at one time. I think that's b/c of my PC and not Firefox. I haven't tried chrome yet, so I have no opinion about that one. I hope this answers your question.

[Maa]

I have been using flock and I really like it. When internet explorer acts up I just use flock.

[danwangert]

The latest version of Opera seems a whole lot faster. I am wanting to switch to it but some of the programs and websites I frequent can only be accessed using Firefox. Who here uses Opera?

[cadehugue]

Firefox is good but i have shifted to chorme and uisnt it only from past couple of months. and i thinks its much faster and better than the Firefox.

[KathleenMN]

I did make the switch to Firefox, and I really like it, but I do find it crashes more often than I would like it to.

Kathleen

[msliz]

Using IE I use to have this frustrating thing happen where if I had more than 2 or 3 windows open and I went to open another one it would automatically keep opening windows and wouldn't stop. I'd have to shut my computer down.

I can't say I prefer Firefox, maybe it 's because I'm just more use to IE but so far I haven't had any problems with using it, in fact it has a few features I've gotten use to and really like, for example the 'nodofollow' option which highlights links that Google follows.

[danwangert]

I did make the switch to Firefox, and I really like it, but I do find it crashes more often than I would like it to.

Kathleen

Hey kath, if it crashes then you may have installed some plugins or addons that are unstable. Uninstall the plugin that is causing your Firefox to crash. I learned the trick from a techie. My firefox don't crash all that much now.

[Tishia Lee]

Better? Probably not. All browsers let you view web pages, so from that point of view they're all equal. I like FF because of the AddOns, which are like plugins for WordPress. Pieces of code that extend the functionality of the software. X-marks is the one that I use the most. It keeps my bookmarks synced between all my computers. There are thousands of others as well.

I think Ed Dale recommends FF (didn't he used to recommend Flock?) because he uses some of these add ons in the program.

I've never heard of x-marks before but I just installed it! I've always wondered if there was a way to sync my bookmarks between my desktop computer & my laptop. Woo hoo now I'm excited! LOL

[dominicfilip]

firefox is good but i like chrome more as its faster than firefox and also crashesh a little less often than firefox.

[joypackard88@gmail.com]

i love firefox, you can have plug-ins and you can also add theme to your browser.
_________________
Get Keyword Elite (http://www.get-keyword-elite.info) l Email Marketing Genius (http://www.emailmarketinggenius.info)

[dominicfilip]

Firefox is my favoirte browser, as it makes work so much easier with its add ons.

[KathleenGageSpeaker]

I use both but lean towards FF in most cases. When we are reviewing a landing page we do so in both FF and Explorer to "see" what others will likely see.

[premiumweb]

I've been having issues with Firefox and IE lately so I downloaded Chrome and so far I really like it. It's much faster!

[Nelson Swett]

I'd been using IE exclusively forever. When I was putting my squeeze pages together the other day, someone I asked to test them for me told me there were some problems. I asked what browser and that person said firefox, so I downloaded it so I could preview the pages and make the changes in coffee cup.

I found myself browsing in Firefox and Holy Cow is it so much faster. I've been using it almost exclusively since and am LOVING it!

[Roey]

Also, the FireFox add-ons are really helpful for Internet Marketers

[waynelapricon]

Yes firefox is really better as it has many new features and the application than the other browsers. Also it has bthe ability to add many add-ons which really helps in the working, I am using it for more than one year and it is really working well.

[robert adams]

I have been using mozilla's products since it was netscape and I had to pay $49 for two floppies of netscape 2.0

Ie has always been slow and had problems with virus and such.
If a web page does not display properly in FF that is because it is not written properly.
Things that do work in IE but not in FF are not written properly.

IE tries to guess what the underlying code really means and FF displays it the way it is written. Therefore, if it is written incorrectly........

I have never had FF "crash" on me yet. I don't use tabs as much as some people do so that may be the reason.
I prefer things to open in a new window instead of the default setting of opening in a new tab.

oh well, just my 1.5 cents worth.

robert

[TonyBattie]

firefox add-ons are good but there is a question about security.. in security features Google chrome is best.

[nickelodon007]

yes i do like firefox more than any other web browser as its really quick and its add ons features is really incompatible.

[RoyRogers]

browsing of chrome is better than FF but still i like FF because of a lot of add-ons that are working better than full softwares e.g. youtube mp3 downloader, youtube video downloader etc.

[MikeS]

Nicole, I have ran into FireFox having problems with multiple Gmail accounts, just because of the way Gmail's coded.

[Scootek]

The thing that makes Firefox better is the add ons. Without the add ons I wouldn't consider it better.

[MikeS]

I read through some of the answers and some like it, some don't...

I have worked with Mozilla products, before there was FireFox, and they work at putting out the most secure software they can. One of they ways is be releasing updates more frequently, some of the others don't.

All have problems with Add-ons, I know this personally, while testing Chrome. Chrome was working great, until I installed an add-on that's code allowed a virus attack. One reason to have good anti-virus software running.

And working as a computer tech for years, Internet Explorer is one of the worst for letting viruses in.

The best thing you can do, to keep safe with all of them... Install the updates when they come out and always have virus protection installed and up to date also.

I think this now has turned into a post, more then a reply, so I'll end here :D

I lied...:rolleyes: because I just noticed I didn't tell what I use. Not that you care after reading all the way down to here,:eek: I use them ALL, BUT FireFox is my main browser.

OK now I'm finished;)

[josaphlewis]

According to me, Firefox is more secure, faster, easier to use and generally does everything better than other browser. Firefox has different codes in the browser and different ways to decode the websites making it a faster browser, most web surfers use Firefox, if you don't have it you should get it ASAP.

[Lukebeefy]

Firefox is really better but it has only one problem which is crashes down. If mozila corporation fix this problem than fire fox will be the best browser.

[Nelson Swett]

I recently downloaded the firefox 4.0 beta 1 to give it a try and help them with the feedback.

I'm loving it so far. I've noticed quicker loading time for pages and I'm digging the new features...

FYI

[JustinGates]

FireFox have Crash Down problem.. even in 3.6.2 version

[susanbekar]

till now u also use to think that Firefox is really the best search engine but ever since i started using Chrome i changes my mind. As Chrome is a much better web browser compared to the Firefox. As its much fatser and extra features too.

[towergem]

I like firefox .i used it since one year ago.it has more tools than IE

[aussieroo1]

Thing that sets Firefox apart from other browser is that you can restore your browser or your tabs when your computer accidentally dies.

[Nelson Swett]

In case anyone is interested. Mozilla is beta testing Firefox 4 and they are specifically looking for women to join the beta test process. Apparently 96% of their current beta testers are men.

I'm currently using the beta version of firefox 4 and I am loving it. If you are interested, visit the Mozilla blog (http://blog.mozilla.com) for details and to download the beta version

[BobbyS]

I prefer Firefox over chrome and IE, just because of plugins related to SEO.

[Scootek]

Agree. Pluggins are what keeps me loyal to Firefox.

If you are browsing all day those plugins can make the world of difference.

[jdanielcook]

I use Google Chrome because of the HTML5 features and speed of the rendering and JavaScript engines. IE 7 and IE 6 are rather old and do not follow web standards. IE 8 is better but it has none of the HTML5 features that are used in some of the latest web applications. IE 9 should rectify some of that but I will probably still stick with Chrome.

Chrome and Safari both use the same rendering engine, Webkit. They use separate JavaScript rendering engines but they are both pretty comparable. Webkit implements more of the HTML5 and CSS3 proposed standards than any other. Opera and Firefox are slightly behind that, they do parts of the proposed standards but not quite as much as Webkit. They also do not have the some codecs for video that Chrome and Safari have. IE 8 and older are much further behind as they implement no HTML5 pieces and have had a history of implementing HTML 4 and before in a way that is different than Mozilla (the other historical browser) and other standards-based browsers.

I would give Firefox or Google Chrome a try. They both have plugins, a large support base, and render pages close to what the specs dictate. Make sure you test out your pages on Chrome, Firefox and IE to make sure your audience can read it and the design is consistent.

[jermeybrown]

Graphics of Chrome are brighter but firefox plugin make it very useful......

[trishacornelius]

I pretty much rotate equally between Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

At the moment Firefox 3 seems to be crashing if you have intermittent connection problems or if a single tab crashes the entire browser stops responding, for that reason I would recommend Chrome.

However Firefox has some really cool extensions that don't have Chrome equivalents.

If you want speed - I personally think that Opera is the browser to use.

It's interesting to see that Chrome's market share has topped 10%. If you want to have a look at what percentage of browser's people are using there is a great article on Sitepoint.com (http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/09/11/google-chrome-market-share-10-percent/).

[stormy]

I use Google Chrome. Simply the best IMHO. Liz