Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Is the Best Browser for Web — For Now
For Now — If you buy a new Windows Vista PC, it comes with a decent built-in Web browser, Internet Explorer 7. If you buy a new Macintosh computer, it comes with a decent built-in Web browser, Safari 3.0. So why would you want or need a different Web browser?
Context & Ripple Effects
Firefox enters the comparison after a February beta assessment found promise but unresolved shortcomings, while Apple had already refreshed its competing browser with Safari 3.1. The review matters because it frames Firefox as a deliberate alternative to the browsers bundled with Windows Vista and Macintosh systems.
Mozilla had spent the preceding weeks preparing Firefox 3 for public release and promoting a Download Day campaign, turning browser quality into a visible test of whether users will seek out software beyond their operating system’s default.
First-order effects
- Mozilla gains a high-profile quality endorsement for Firefox 3, giving Windows Vista and Macintosh users a concrete reason to evaluate it against Internet Explorer 7 and Safari 3.0 rather than accept the bundled choice.
Second-order effects
- Microsoft and Apple face more pressure to improve their bundled browsers’ performance and features, because Firefox is being judged directly against the default browser experience on their operating systems.
Third-order effects
- If third-party browsers consistently win comparative reviews, browser competition shifts away from operating-system distribution advantage toward the pace of independent releases and user-driven installation.
The trend: The browser market is becoming a contest between bundled defaults and independently updated alternatives, with product quality determining whether users overcome the inertia of preinstalled software.