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Apple Archive
Firefox at 2.0: A Very Good Browser Gets Even Better
- 2006.10.26
Earlier this week, Mozilla released its upgraded version of Firefox. Interestingly enough, Firefox 2.0 comes just after Microsoft upgraded Internet Explorer to version 7.0. While the new version of Internet Explorer doesn't run on the Mac, it's important in the overall context of the browser marketplace.
Internet Explorer 7 includes "innovations" such as tabbed browsing, which Firefox and Safari have had for some time. IE 7 now includes protection against phishing attacks by directing you away from websites that are on a list of known malicious sites, as well as - finally - an RSS reader.
However, IE 7's main issue is that it only runs on Windows XP SP2. While many Windows users run XP, there are a significant number of corporate customers who still use Windows 2000 (I run 2000 on my ThinkPad, so no IE 7 for me).
Microsoft also requires you to go through a "validation" process before you can even install the browser - to make sure that your copy of Windows is "genuine". In my opinion, it's not a very respectful way to treat customers, assuming that they're criminals just because they're running the software and want to download a so-called "free" update.
Anyway, this brings me to Firefox 2.0. Version 2 has much improved handling of tabs (each tab has a close box, as in Safari), a better RSS reader (which lets you subscribe to feeds right from a link on a page), built-in spell checking, and protection against phishing, just like IE 7. Firefox is also truly cross-platform - it's compatible with Windows 98/Me, 2000, and XP, as well as Linux and Mac OS X 10.2 and later - and there's no software validation to go through.
I don't know how I lived without the spell checking is something. It's bringing Web-based applications closer to practicality by integrating a central feature of desktop applications (such as Microsoft Word and Apple's Mail) into website text boxes. At the same time, it's making life much easier for those of us who post on forums, blogs, or even just to send an email using a Web-based email service. Instead of relying on Gmail's spelling tools, I can automatically see misspelled words underlined in red when using Firefox 2.0.
Phishing protection in Firefox is interesting. There are two different options, one of which is to use a central list to check the site you're on, to make sure it doesn't correspond with a list of known phishing sites. The other option is where Firefox sends all of the URLs that you visit to Google, to have them verify that it's not a phishing site. While I would imagine that Google's list may be more up-to-date, I also find it a bit scary sending such personal information and essentially asking Google's permission whether I can visit a given site. That's putting a lot of trust in a large company.
How does Firefox 2.0 run on the Mac? On my dual 1.8 GHz Power Mac G5, it seems to load sites slightly faster than Firefox 1.5. However, it still eats up RAM as badly as all previous versions.
If you open too many tabs at once, the whole computer slows down, and the only way to regain system performance is to quit Firefox and reopen it. Given that Firefox 2.0 gives you the option of reopening all the tabs you previously had open, that may not be too bad. Still, keeping tabs to a minimum is probably the best idea.

Firefox 2.0 is still relatively un-Mac-like. The radio buttons and dialogue boxes look like those on a Windows machine, though Firefoxy, an application that adds Mac-like "widgets", can help fix that problem. As for the appearance of the application, I like the "pinstripe" theme, though there are several others that attempt to be Mac-like.
Don't forget that there's still support for extensions in Firefox, such as AdBlock Plus, Viamatic foXpose (Exposé for Firefox tabs), and Forecastfox. Neither IE 7 nor Safari have the capability for such add-ons.
I still like Firefox. It's not perfect, but it's a solid browser with a lot of nice features. Version 2.0 isn't a huge upgrade, but it's a nice one that, in my opinion, still lets it keep its edge over Internet Explorer.
Whether you're using Windows, Linux, or a Mac, it's worth a try.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
- Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
- November 8 in LEM history: 99: OS 9: I think I like it - 01: The simplified Mac life - Soured on Windows - Flea market Mac - 02: Little room for improvement in new 'Books - Combo drive upgrade for iceBooks - 04: Re-Porter - 05: Fix the old iMac or buy a Mac mini? - Apple's Copland project - 06: MacBook Core 2 - MacBook value equation - Cheap is as cheap does - 07: Problems with Classic mode in Tiger - The G4 Power Mac that won't run Leopard
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
- Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
- WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
- IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
- QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
- Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
- Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
- More deals in our archive.
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