- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/NT
- Date added: November 09, 2004
- Total Downloads: 18,089,134
- Downloads last week: 81,046
- See full specifications
A newer version of Mozilla Firefox is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 11916 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
The final release of Mozilla Firefox offers enough features to make you rethink Internet Explorer. You can easily create toolbars by dragging and dropping icons. Live Bookmarks turn RSS feeds into something that acts like a bookmarks folder. You can type Google search queries right into the address bar or use the built-in search box. The program displays the page source in a new window, using indents and color-coded tags like an HTML editor. You can view your bookmarks or history in the Sidebar area, which lets you quickly revisit your favorite sites. Though the browser hides its advanced settings, you can still build modules using XML, CSS, JavaScript, and even C . The program includes such tools as a JavaScript debugger and a DOM viewer.
At 55MB for 25 windows, the browser uses fewer resources than Internet Explorer but more than Opera. The built-in pop-up blocker works better than Opera's, IE's, and those of most paid standalone utilities. However, the download manager is still underdeveloped. Though the final release version vastly improves stability, we noticed occasional reluctance to maximize in response to Alt Tab commands. People who want more security than IE provides should look at Mozilla Firefox.
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Publisher's description
From Mozilla :Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured browser for Windows that makes browsing more efficient than ever before. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; a tab-browsing mode that lets you open several pages in a single window; integrated Google searching; simplified privacy controls that let you cover your tracks more effectively; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.
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User reviews of Mozilla Firefox 1.0
- Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 11916 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 4907 user reviewsSee all 4907 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
23 out of 25 people found this review helpful
Version: Mozilla Firefox 1.0
"Fast, easy to use, powerful... Have set this as my default browser!"
Pros: Things I like:***
1) Tab browser - one window, multiple tabs, much easier to browser than before without all the windows cluttering.
Most of the time, when I come across relevant link, I open that link in a new window and continue reading, once pages are loaded I can simply switch over to read. This is also helpful when I do a search; simply open relevant links in new windows, once loaded, I can read all at once, no additional waiting. But using IE, it causes too much clustering! ******
2) Faster loading. Try loading a page in Firefox and IE 6.0. Firefox loads faster.
Yes, I saw posting stating that IE is faster. But ultimately, you have to try it yourself. Who knows Firefox might be slower on some systems, right? [At least for my machines of Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP, both are faster.]******
3) Powerful find - Try doing a find (Ctrl-F) in Firefox, you will be impressed by its implementation.******
4) Download Manager - Reliable download manager, you can pause the download and continue (provided you do not close Firefox). I downloaded an almost 500MB file by leaving the machine on overnight; the file was downloaded correctly, no need for any intervention.******
5) Auto shrink-to-fit - IE printed pages might get cropped on some website.******
6) Max. usage of print area - When printed, you will noticed that the header and footer are right at the top and bottom of the pages respectively. IE leaves quite a lot of unnecessary margin by default.******
7) Friendly auto-installation of plug-in.******
8) 'Latest headlines' feature.******
9) These are some of the things that I like, there are other minor one... better to explore it yourself...******
Also,... the powerful developer tools... :-)
Cons: Things I don't like:***
1) Single Session - Multiple tags and Multiple windows share the same session. I used to check multiple Yahoo mails at the same time. But with Firefox, even if I open a totally new windows, it straightaway uses my current login to open the SAME inbox. This is what I dislike most!******
In IE, if you open a fresh new window, it will start afresh. On the other hand, if you right-click a link and open as a new window, the new window will inherit all the sessions of its parent window. This is a very good behaviour that allows me to choose between browsing the site with the same session or start a new session.******
Firefox should implement such features too. ***
Fresh new window/tab => Fresh new session;
New window/tab from existing window => inherit all sessions from opener window.******
2) Download manager - Why must I cancel my download if I want to close Firefox? Can't you simple remember it so that I can continue at another time? Please refer to GetRight on this.******
3) Different installation behaviour in different system - I have installed Firefox on different machines, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows XP, etc. Although all the bookmarks are imported, on some systems, the bookmark automatically shows in the Toolbar, but on some other systems, I have to manually copy the bookmark to the Toolbar.***
Also, on some systems, the "Getting Started" and "Lastest Headlines" are not present.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Mozilla Firefox 1.0
Pros: Firfox is by far the best browser available to date. It's not only free but also secure. The tabbed browing feature is excellent and it will automatically sign you into online accounts that you tell it to (Unlike Internet Explorer which says it does). I recommend it to everyone.
Cons: It seems to crash a lot for no reason. I can be viewing a website and go away from my computer for a moment and then when I try to do something with Firefox it will crash. This usually happens after I print something.
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17 out of 23 people found this review helpful
Version: Mozilla Firefox 1.0
Pros: Firefox lives up to the hype. It really is a great browser. I find it growing on me the more I use it.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: Mozilla Firefox 1.0
Pros: Because this is a open source browser things get fixed at warp speed and it's extension library has some of the most useful plug-In's I have ever seen. Check out the SpoofStick an anti Phishing extension, or Flash block which kill those irritating flashing ad's, I miss Weatherbug but there is too much spyware, however Forcastfox does the same but taps into The Weather Channel instead and no spyware. and the list goes on. You have to be careful not to go hog-wild loading up on extensions there are so many that are so useful.
Cons: except for the very, and I mean very rare website that doesn't render correctly in Firefox, and this is not Firefox's fault just poor coding on the website and even then it is something like a button which doesn't work or the page it not filled in all the way for whatever reason the page is still viewable. Other then this very rare and very minor thing there is nothing bad I can think of.
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: Mozilla Firefox 1.0
Pros: Firefox opens the pages faster than other browsers! No adware and spyware! Nothing is missing!
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