Mozilla Firefox 11.0

Surf the internet with one of the best alternative browsers available, for both Mac and Windows.

I remember the big Microsoft Antitrust Trial and shake up back in the 1990's. Everyone got their undies in a bunch because it was thought Microsoft making and integrating their own internet browser into Windows created problems for other browser vendors, some of whom tried to sell their browser rather than give it away. Thankfully, we're well beyond all that, and end user choices – good ones – remain available. This is one of the reasons why I really like Mozilla Firefox, and it's available for both Mac and Windows.

Mozilla Firefox is an advanced web browser, based on the Mozilla Open Source project.  It's got multiplatform support and a great many features that make it a great choice for the default browser on a computer near you.  Chief among those is its advanced, efficient interface.

With Firefox, you can get to your sites quickly, even if you can't remember the URL's.  Its Awesome Bar allows you to type a search term within it, and the autocomplete function will include possible matches from your browsing history, bookmarked sites and open tabs. Its adaptive technology learns your browsing habits over time, and will continue to offer better fitting matches the more that you use it.

Above the Awesome Bar, Firefox supports tabbed browsing; making it easier to focus on the content of the sites you visit.  You can browse multiple sites at once, simply and easily. Each site appears as a new tab within the current browser window and can be accessed in one click. If you use browser based apps, like Gmail or MS Office 365, you can take these sites off the tab bar and give them a permanent home in your browser.

There is a great deal of information on the internet and Firefox makes it easy for you to find what you're looking for. Its Integrated Web Search makes searching for information easy. The search box, located just to the right of your location bar allows you to select the service of your choice and enter your search terms into the box. The box width is even adjustable if you need more space. As soon as you start typing in the search bar, it will prompt you with a drop down of filled-in suggestions. You can also use the search bar as a calculator, converter and more. 

Pros: Free, Fast, Easy to use, Tabbed browsing.

Cons: Rapid update cycle not always seen as helpful.

Conclusion: Mozilla Firefox is one of the best alternative browsers available on the web today. It's easy to use, light, and offers a number of enhancements that you might not find in its competitors.  Its update services constantly check for new versions, insuring that updates come to you as soon as they are available. If you're looking for something to replace the default browser for your OS, Mozilla's Firefox is a good, solid choice.