Ever wonder what happened to Netscape? It lost the browser wars, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer won, and that’s the end of that. End of story, right? Not quite.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, shortly after Netscape’s tenth anniversary, the little-known Mozilla Organization released the final version of its long-awaited Firefox browser. Unlike Internet Explorer, it has a wealth of new features, and unlike Netscape, it isn’t slow or overly complicated.
Because the Mozilla Organization is non-profit and most of its programmers are volunteers, it is able to offer its browser for free download, putting it in a better position to compete with Internet Explorer. Microsoft’s browser comes installed by default on millions of Windows computers all over the world.
But why use a browser different than the one that came with your computer?
The No. 1 issue facing users today: security. Internet Explorer uses technology that allows your computer to be invaded by spyware, viruses, and other unwelcome visitors. Firefox avoids these technologies to keep your computer spyware-free.
Firefox is a project that dates back to 1998 when Mozilla was first created by Netscape, which donated its browser’s “source code” – the underpinnings of how the browser worked – to Mozilla, an “open source” project.
What is open source? It’s like letting every mechanic in the world work on your car while it’s in the shop, and getting thousands of second opinions.
During the past two years, a lead team of former Netscape programmers at Mozilla worked together with an army of volunteers in honing down the final product. Every release along the way was open to the public to provide feedback and fix problems, making the browser safer and more secure.
A pre-release version of Firefox is already installed on the computers in the James Branch Cabell Library, so chances are you’ve already used it. But the final release is only available online at mozilla.org, and it has more features such as live bookmarks and tabbed browsing that lets you use the Web like never before. Check it out. You’ll agree: competition is good.