why do people prefer firefox over explorer?

Answer 1

Firefox 1.5 has an intuitive interface and blocks viruses, spyware, and popup ads. It delivers Web pages faster than ever. And it’s easy to install and import your favorites. Packed with useful features like tabbed browsing, Live Bookmarks, and an integrated Search bar

The new Software Update feature makes it easy to get the latest security and feature updates to Firefox. Firefox automatically downloads these small updates in the background and prompts you when they are ready to be installed.

Firefox keeps you more secure when you’re browsing the Web, closing the door on spyware, worms, and viruses. The Firefox community of developers and security experts works around the clock to monitor security issues and release updates to better protect you.

Stay up to date with your favorite Web sites and blogs. Use Live Bookmarks that update themselves automatically with the latest content from the Web.

Firefox 1.5 delivers easier navigation for everyone, including those who are visually or motor-impaired. Firefox is the first browser to support DHTML accessibility, which, when enabled by Web authors, allows rich Web applications to be read aloud. Users may navigate with keystrokes rather than mouse clicks, reducing the tabbing required to navigate documents such as spreadsheets. Firefox 1.5 (Windows version) is also the first browser to meet US federal government requirements that software be easily accessible to users with physical impairments.

Select new button controls for your toolbars, install extensions to add new features, or change the look of your browser with themes - the way Firefox looks and works is under your control.

Innovative new Web applications and services deliver a richer Web experience. Support for open Web standards in Firefox ensures you can get the most out of this emerging class of Web-based tools..

Answer 2

there are many other options that you can enable in firefox, besides the basic idea that explorer was made by microsoft and built to continously need updates. Some of the best features are:

Firefox has a built in "search" bar, you can add pretty much any engine to it now, even craigslist. As opposed to downloading a yahoo bar that will only search yahoo, firefox allows you to choose which engine from a drop down list (craigslist, firefox, ebay, answers.com, amazon, etc.) and then hit enter to search. You can also add much more advanced features that help you view things liek the outline of the page youre visiting, the page source, it's css code, etc. This may not be useful to you if you're not a designer or a coder. One thing that is great though, and my personal reason for definitely using firefox over IE?

You have "tabs". When i do my homework sometimes i need to open 5 or 6 windows at a time. Firefox can open them in multiple windows, like IE, or in ONE window (so you only see one at the bottom of your task bar), with multiple tabs underneath the address bar.

if you're not sure of what you like, it's definitely worth trying. Hope that helped. :)

Answer 3

A side by side comparison of Firefox holes next to Internet Explorer's:
http://www.webdevout.net/security_summary.php
(Insecure Explosion consistently rates less secure than Firefox and Opera)

Again, a side by side comparison:
Look at these legit sources and compare each browsers patched and unpatched holes, make sure you also compare how "critical" these holes are to each browser. You will see that no browser is perfect, but Insecure Exploder is the least secure browser you can be using.
http://secunia.com/product/4227/?task=statistics
http://secunia.com/product/11/?task=statistics

United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team:
"There are a number of significant vulnerabilities in technologies related to the IE domain/zone It is possible to reduce exposure to these vulnerabilities by using a different web browser"
http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/713878

PcWorld Magazine:
"...a virtual engraved invitation to hackers and other digital delinquents, Internet Explorer might be the least secure software on the planet"
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125772-page,3/article.html

One thought for the road:
Incontinent Exploder supports web standards very poorly. This means that because of over 80% of users use IE, then web developers have to downgrade their websites to work properly in IE. So when superior browsers such as Firefox or Opera browsers view a website, it sometimes does not show up correctly because the website was "broken" to show up properly in IE. Try the test yourself using IE, Firefox and then Opera.
http://www.webstandards.org/files/acid2/test.html

Answer 4

I like firefox because there are limited pop-ups for now. However, there are still a great deal of sites that do not function well on firefox.

Answer 5

The speed. Firefox is faster Explorer is so s-l-o-w, won't let me control, won't shut down, stalls out too often et al.

It is shocking, considering Microsoft is THEE operating system, you'd expect a smooth, fast, flawless flow.

Firefox has add-ons that help, download easily...its impressive .

Answer 6

John K - IE 7 uses tabs & is free too.

The one thing IE doesn't have yet is Operas hidden/clickable favourites etc. at the side of the screen - that's MUCH faster than going to IE's favourites icon.

Answer 7

It's not windows. It allows multiple web pages viewable through tabs. It's quicker. It's free!

Answer 8

For me, the biggest factor that inspired me to start using a browser other than Internet Explorer was the constant bugs and security fixes that were plaguing the latter, not to mention the tons of plug-ins that took over your browser. Changing your homepage to some paid advertiser, or adding a toolbar that does the worst job possible when searching.

The majority of these spyware and vulnerabilities are commonly programmed for Internet Explorer being that IE holds over 70% of the internet browser market. There are other browsers out there that can compete with IE, but Mozilla Firefox (formally known as Firebird) is a complete browser filled with tons of features that’s only light in size. From a built in pop-up blocker that works better than many commercial pop-up blockers, to tabbed browsing, these are just two of the factors that contribute to making Firefox an internet browser’s dream.


Popup Blocking
In this day in age, an internet browser without a popup blocker is like having a broadband connection without a fireball. “Firefox stops annoying popup windows dead in their tracks”, according to Mozilla.org, and that’s exactly what it does. Visiting a popup blocker test page, Firefox’s built in popup blocker was able to close all popup windows while the page loaded and during the page's onload() event. At http://www.popup-blocker.info’s test page, several test can be ran to prove your popup blocker’s power. Mozilla Firefox’s built in popup blocker was able to handle the “Stress Test”, which according to pop-upblocker.info… “[Stress tests] attempts to overcome your pop-up killer by trying to spawn large numbers of windows as quickly as possible.” Firefox’s popup blocker was able to close all 200 popup windows without even breaking a sweat. Trying this with IE and no popup blocker would probably bring your pc to its knee’s. You can also easily access the list of websites that the popup blocker blocks and altering it’s state by a simple click.




Download Manager
A feature which I thought was going to be integrated in Internet Explorer 6 was a download manager. Download managers allow you to manipulate and take control of your downloaded files. Mozilla Firefox’s download manager contains just the essentials to allow you to control your downloads. You can pause your download and continue it a later time, something which is not possible with IE’s download manager. Apart from sporting a nice look, the download manager stores the information such as size and location of your downloaded file. When the download is complete, a small notification is displayed in the lower right side of the screen.




Tab Browsing
Because having too many windows open at a time can be a bit annoying, not to mention time consuming, Firefox features tab browsing. Here’s more on tab browsing from Mozilla’s homepage…”Tab-Browsing changes the way you use the internet by allowing you to open links on a page in background "Tabs" and then read them when you're ready. No confusing new windows, no need for context menus, just hold down Ctrl when clicking a link, or use your middle mouse button (if you have one).”




Integrated Search Engine
Now why didn’t the IE programmers think of this? Mozilla Firefox comes with a built in search engine. The default search engine is Google’s, of course, with the ability to add others. The search entry takes up a very small space, which is a plus when compared to those huge toolbars out there.




Options
Less confusing and cluttered than IE’s Internet Options is another factor in Mozilla’s Firefox. You can easily navigate through each setting. Deleting saved passwords is a snap and clearing any saved history. The “Downloads” section of the options allows the user to choose which program will automatically open a downloaded file.



Page Info
When right clicking on a page (PC users), selecting “page info” will pull up a window displaying vast amount of information for the webpage. General information as well as a Link tab showing all the links that the page contains.




Faster Response
A typical webpage will load faster on Mozilla Firefox than Internet Explorer.


Keeps HTML Formatting
Mozilla Firefox is able to keep the html format when copying from a webpage to a text file. For example, when copying html formatted text from a webpage and pasting it on a note pad, the text copied using Mozilla Firefox keeps the format yet the text copied from IE doesn’t.


Security
Because many of those malicious plug-in’s that cause your everyday web surfing into a trip to the DMV are mostly programmed for Internet Explorer, having Mozilla Firefox as your internet browser can save you tons of headaches.


Open Source Advantage
The Mozilla project is an Open Source project where thousands of independent programmers can work on finding security holes before they are exploited.


Cleaner Interface
Firefox isn’t filled with clutter such as a history button or other buttons that take up most of the area in Internet Explorer. Firefox offers 2% more space to web pages than Mozilla, 4% more than Internet Explorer, and a whopping 10% more than Opera.


Smaller Download
Ignoring the fact that Internet Explorer comes integrated with Windows, Firefox is almost half the size of Internet Explorer meaning half the time downloading.


Block Images
When right clicking on an image, the user is given the option to block all images from that webpage. This feature comes in handing when visiting a site that holds many pictures, many due to ads, which can be disabled for faster surfing.




Mozilla Firefox is an alternate browser to IE with features that, I believe, surpass the latter. Firefox has defiantly broken ground in the war of the browsers. I know there are many out there who would think otherwise and never settle for any browser other than IE. Think of it this way, if Mozilla Firefox was integrated by default into Windows besides IE, would you switch to another browser?

Answer 9

The most infortant thing people consider is security purpose.

Answer 10

I have just begun but I get fewer dead ends!