I'm a web developer and I use Firefox as my main browser, both at home and at work. Unlike the average web user, I'm very aware of the technologies that drive the web. I like experimenting with them, sometimes to make my client's sites better, other times just for fun. As a web developer, I use Firefox because it supports many modern web technologies, which gives me the best environment to experiment in.
Of course, the vast majority of people who use the web don't know about, say CSS, client side XSLT, content negotiation, or even simple HTML. (And there's nothing wrong with that. I have no idea how a bus works, but that doesn't stop me getting one in to work every morning.) If you are an ordinary user, why should you be using Firefox for web browsing? Why make the switch from whatever you are currently using?
Reason 1: Tabbed browsing
Take a look at this screenshot, taken on my faithful Windows 98 PC
I've got three websites open in one window here. Each of the websites is open in a different tab, or sub window. I can switch between the websites by clicking on the tabs, or by pressing CTRL + Page Up / CTRL + Page Down.
This looks like its just a gimmick, and to be honest until I started using it, I thought it was just a gimmick. Almost as soon as I started using it I fell in love with it. Being able to open links in new tabs makes it much easier to have several websites open at the same time. You don't end up with dozens on windows cluttering your desktop. If you don't think this is useful, ask yourself this: when was the last time a link opened in a new window and you were pleased?
Reason 2: Popup control
Links opening in new windows can be frustrating, but they are nothing compared to those annoying little popup windows that appear unrequested, especially popup windows that spawn other popup windows, taking over your screen in an effort to get you to buy something.
There are lots of popup blockers out there, and they are something you could practically expect to have in a modern browser. What is so good about Firefoxes popup blocker? Easy - it always lets you know when it has blocked something. As you can see from the following screenshot, when Firefox blocks a popup, it adds a clear message to the top of the page, complete with a clickable link that allows you to change your popup blocking settings - invaluable when you are looking at a site that has to use popups.
Reason 3: Secure connections are more obvious
Everybody knows about secure connections. Firefox has a neat way of alerting you to them. As well as showing you the little padlock at the bottom of the window, it highlights the address bar by giving it a yellow background. Making secure connections so clear makes life a little bit easier when buying things on the Internet.
Reason 4: Extensions
It's impossible to write software that does everything for everybody. However, it would be nice to have software that did everything you needed to do. Firefox doesn't try to be the browser that does everything. It does try to be easy to customise though. Don't like the default right-click menu? Try downloading RadialContext, which gives you a very nice circular right-click menu. Want to make your mouse more useful when surfing? Install Mouse Gestures, which let you control Firefox by moving the mouse.
Reason 5: Graceful failure
When I'm developing something, I want my browser to explode in my face if something is wrong. That way I catch mistakes before they end up on a live website. When I'm just surfing however, I don't really care about JavaScript errors. They are somebody else's problem. Firefox doesn't choke on broken JavaScript, it just ignores it. Given that JavaScript error boxes can be even more annoying than popup windows, this is a Good Thing. And what do I do when I'm developing in Firefox? Well, then I use the web developer toolbar that, among other things, politely explodes in my face when I make a mistake.
Published October 19, 2004