The just released Firefox 3 is the best Internet browser by far. Here is the coverage from 3 major IT reviewers:
eWeek – The Next Generation Browser … Firefox 3 is poised to usher in a new phase of Web browsing that will change how Web applications are built and delivered, and even how most of us use and think of the Web.”
Information Week – “Firefox 3 is a triumph, faster and more memory-efficient than its predecessors, with improvements to make Web surfing easier.”
InfoWorld – Firefox 3 comes out sizzling. After an eight-month beta phase, Firefoxs major update scores big with unprecedented ease, snappier performance, and sensible security features.
The one surprise is that Mozilla has not written software for provisioning large organizations – installation, settings adjustments, provision for extensions and update management. This is a golden opportunity to for Mozilla or Mozillas designated supplier to make money. Add such software to Tivoli, System Center or other Application Management software. Charge say a $500-1000 annual fee for the standalone or App Management System module. Save organizations hundreds of hours of browser update and maintenance time – and such a module pays for itself in less 2 months. And with say 20,000 to 30,000 organizations worldwide looking for that support, this is a $10-30M annual business.
The IE Replacement
But the writing is on the wall – this is the browser to replace IE. Look at the advantages over IE:
1) blazing performance improvements including less memory but even faster speed (new JavaScript and Rendering engines make this browser much faster than IE in all its current incarnations);
2)offline or online operation support matching and using key segments of Google Gears and Adobe Flash/Air RAIA-Rich Anywhere Interface Application technology more cross platform. This includes more cross browser, cross OS and cross App support than any Microsoft technology including Silverlight. And running ofline is simple – use a quick set up procedure and then you can answer messages in Gmail or work on a document in an online word processor syncing up later when your net access is restored;
3) Firefox 3 sports a large number of new browsing conveniences. My favorites are proportional page zoom and favicon click for capsule security info summary for any Web URL currently being browsed;
4) the huge and growing library of first class extensions dwarfs IE. Just one example, Firebug is the definitive HTML/CSS/JavaScript debugger that even Adobe and Microsoft are hard pressed to match in their Web development tools.
So it should be no surprise that IE lost 9% of browser market share in May of this year alone. And really, with IE8 not due out until the end of this year at the earliest with JavaScript/CSS/DOM/HTML support still woefully behind Web Standards and laced with proprietary, Windows only extensions – why Wait for the Redmond Godots to get it right – switch now to the better Firefox 3.0 browser.