by Althaf Hameez

Created on: April 10, 2007   Last Updated: November 15, 2008

The constant browser war rages on just as all other wars do, the holy wars and even Operating System wars.
However it is very apparent there are currently only 2 main browsers in the browser war, Internet Explorer and Firefox dominating the browser market.

#SPEED
What every internet user demands is that his or her browser should load everything very fast. Firefox does just this.

When comparing cold starts and warm starts Firefox outpaces Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer fails miserably in the Javascript and CSS tests, lagging behind by a huge difference
Firefox surpasses all the browsers in it's memory usage capabilities, therefore making it much easier to run on less expensive hardware without any freezing.

So Firefox proves it's dominance over Internet Explorer when comparing it's speeds but can it catch up elsewhere.

#SECURITY
Another concern when comparing today's browser is the importance of security. Firefox even here surpasses Internet Explorer but not by much. Both browsers offer similiar capabilities out of the box, but where Firefox shines is with it's add-ons. Having add-ons such as NoScript (which blocks all sites from performing javascript unless permitted), FlashBlock (which blocks all flash ads and video unless permitted), and AdBlock Plus (which blocks all advertisements) is like an inbuilt security suite for Firefox making the user experience a whole lot safer. Internet Explorer surpasses Firefox in it's advanced options of ActiveX Controls, Cookie controls and Privacy controls.
However what gives Firefox the edge also pushes it somewhat back, since disregarding exploits which all browsers have, add-ons are the next least safest item to add to your browser. Insecure, poorly developed and ill-maintained add-ons being installed is just asking for trouble.

On terms of security both browsers are pretty much on the same level.

#ADDONS
This is one of the biggest reasons why Firefox shines, it's addons. A huge community of developers have developed various add-ons for Firefox ranging from music players to weather forecasts, to Adblocking addons. Internet Explorer 7 does have gadgets but there aren't that many and they don't offer the same functionality and ease of use that most Firefox addons have.

#MULTIPLATFORM
Another reason where Internet Explorer loses part of it's market. IE is only available for Windows Operating Systems, but Firefox is available for Windows, Mac and even Linux unless one uses a Emulator or Virtual Machine Internet Explorer is not avaialable for you.

#OTHER
Firefox also shines in it's bookmarking capabilities. This was recently revamped in Firefox 3 and it is now absolutely great. From 1 click bookmarks, to the organized Library, Firefox has offered bookmarkers a piece of heaven for them. Both browsers have auto-complete features but Firefox 3 has a more powerfull password manager.

So what do you want now, unless your in an IT Lockdown in your office consider grabbing a copy of Firefox from www.getfirefox.com and start enjoying increased browser speeds, better security and much more features with Addons. Internet Explorer has to start reconsidering it's priorities if it wants to shine in the market.

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