I'm a happy Firefox user. Recently though, there's been criticism around the web of Firefox fanboys, and critics often claim it's like a religion. Believe me, I used to be a die-hard Internet Explorer user. IE was in the majority - and not just by a little - over 90% of site visitors were using IE. (Stat found around the web on various sites.) Why should I switch?
Many Firefox critics are pointing out that the new IE7 will be just as "safe" as Firefox. So why don't I switch back? Here's why.
- Since IE is still by far the most used browser, the vast majority of viruses, worms, and malware target it.
- A quote from Linux Watch: "Is Firefox perfect? Completely secure? Heck no! Death and taxes are the only things you can really be sure of. But, an unattended copy of Firefox is still a lot more secure than even a constantly watched and updated copy of IE."
- Bookmark management: I prefer Firefox's built in bookmark management by far over IE's. Plus, Firefox exports it to a nice, tidy HTML file to take with me. IE, on the other hand, holds folders upon folders of separate URL files. It takes forever to back them up to my USB thumb drive. And this is all out-the-door... I'm not even talking about Firefox extensions.
- Extensions: I am well aware that there are extensions available for Internet Explorer, but to me personally, the Firefox community is a lot better about helping you if you have a problem with one. And, my absolute favorite extension is a menu editor, that lets you customize every single menu option (from the File menu to the right-click context menu) and where it is. I kept hitting my "view this page in IE" (another extension) in my right-click menu by accident, so I moved it. Simple as that!!
- Ease of backup: I use a wonderful program called MozBackup that quickly lets me backup not only my bookmarks, but all my settings as well.
- Ease of repair: Got some crazy problem with Firefox that you can't seem to fix? Uninstall it and reinstall it. Use MozBackup to save all your settings if you like. (Note: If you suspect an extension is causing the problem, but simply uninstalling that extension doesn't solve the problem, don't restore your extensions.) Same problem with Internet Explorer? You'll probably resort to a System Restore point from before the problem started, which wipes out all changes you've made to your system since that restore point - including files. Hope you remember all the files you've altered since then and to back them up!
Don't get me wrong, the new IE7 sounds great so far, just in beta. But it's been too long in coming... I've already switched. I know that IE7's built-in features are beginning to equal features that you can only get in extensions with Firefox. (And that's another kettle of fish - in Internet Explorer, you get features whether you want them or not - all you can do is turn them on or off. Firefox has less bloat by letting you install only the extensions you want.)
I'm also not deluding myself into thinking Firefox is completely safe/impenetrable/etc. I know it isn't. But re-read that Linux Watch quote above.
Finally, I will be using IE7 to some extent - all Firefox users probably will, for the odd site that doesn't work in Firefox. It just won't be my default browser. I prefer Firefox now, and I will recommend it to others, although I won't make it like a religion. ;)
I think maybe all the Firefox hype may have helped out Internet Explorer anyways - maybe it is part of what helped to finally wake Microsoft up to hearing that its users wanted a better browser.