Mozilla Firefox is a fast, light and tidy open source web browser. At its
public launch in 2004 Mozilla Firefox was the first browser to challenge
Microsoft Internet Explorer’s dominance. Since then, Mozilla Firefox has
The key
features that have made Mozilla Firefox so popular are the simple and effective
UI, browser speed and strong security capabilities. The browser is particularly
popular with developers thanks to its open source development and active
community of advanced users.
Easier Browsing
Mozilla put of a lot of resources into creating a simple but effective UI
aimed at making browsing quicker and easier. They created the tab structure
that has been adopted by most other browsers. In recent years Mozilla has also
focused on maximizing browsing area by simplifying toolbar controls to just a
Firefox button (which contains settings and options) and back/forward buttons.
The URL box features direct Google searching as well as an auto predict/history
feature called Awesome Bar. On the right side of the URL box there are
bookmarking, history and refresh buttons. To the right of the URL box is a
search box which allows you to customize your search engine options. Outside of
that a view button controls what you see below the URL. Next to that you have
the download history and home buttons.
Speed
Mozilla Firefox boasts impressive page load speeds thanks to the excellent
JagerMonkey JavaScript engine. Start up speed and graphics rendering are also
among the quickest in the market. Firefox manages complex video and web content
using layer-based Direct2D and Driect3D graphics systems. Crash protection
ensures only the plugin causing the issue stops working, not the rest of the content
being browsed. Reloading the page restarts any affected plugins. The tab system
and Awesome Bar have been streamlined to launch/get results very quickly too.
Security
Firefox was the first browser to introduce a private browsing feature which
allows you to use the internet more anonymously and securely. History,
searches, passwords, downloads, cookies and cached content are all removed on
shutdown. Minimizing the chances of another user stealing your identity or
finding confidential information. Content security, anti-phishing technology
and antivirus/antimalware integration ensures your browsing experience is as
safe as possible.
Personalisation & Development
One of the best features of the Firefox UI is customization. Simply right
click on the navigation toolbar to customize individual components or just drag
and drop items you want to move around. The inbuilt Firefox Add-ons Manager
allows you to discover and install add-ons within the browser as well as view
ratings, recommendations and descriptions. Read about the top recommended
add-ons for Mozilla Firefox on TechBeat. Thousands of customizable themes allow
you to customize the look and feel of your browser. Site authors and developers
can create advanced content and applications using Mozilla’s open source
platform and enhanced API.
