Best Web Browser: Firefox

Reviewers prefer Firefox overall

Reviews are even more enthusiastic about Firefox 3 than about earlier versions, and it's by far the most-recommended web browser. As of the end of 2008, its share of the browser market is still small, around 17 percent. However, its share is over 50 percent among tech-savvy users. It provides the latest security features but is faster than Internet Explorer, with more options for customization.

The basic download is a stripped-down version that doesn't run Flash, Java, QuickTime or Shockwave, so you have the option to run it without these or add them. Thousands of additional plug-in extensions -- add-ons to provide extra features -- are available. (Firefox 3 security features won't run an add-on that's insecure.) So you can see why "geeky" users love Firefox, but also why it can seem overwhelming to people who don't want to have to make so many choices.

Startup time is slower than that of IE, Opera and Chrome, but the Firefox browser speeds up once it's started. Tests rank the new Firefox JavaScript engine (for the browser's latest beta version, Firefox 3.1) as even faster than Chrome's, and Firefox 3 uses less memory than Firefox 2, Chrome and IE. Except for Opera, reviews say Firefox is the best web browser for computers with limited memory. "Memory leak" problems in earlier Firefox versions -- which used memory even after the browser was closed -- have reportedly been fixed.

There are tradeoffs for the smaller memory usage. If a site crashes the browser, you lose all the open tabs, not just one. The Google Chrome browser and IE8 run each tab separately so you only lose the one tab that crashes, and Chrome includes a diagnostic tool so you can often prevent crashes. However, when you restart Firefox 3, you have the option to restore the previous session.

The Firefox 3 browser scores higher than earlier versions on compliance with web standards, and includes improvements to password use, downloading and bookmarks -- though reviews prefer Internet Explorer's bookmark organization. You can now zoom in on a full page, and the address bar suggests locations based on your browsing history. You can block ads with an add-on called Adblock Plus, a feature Chrome doesn't yet provide. (A similar add-on blocks ads in IE.) Users upgrading from an earlier version will also need to upgrade extensions, but reviews say this shouldn't be a big chore.

Firefox offers all of the expected major features, including tabbed browsing, which lets you open multiple web pages within the same browser window. This not only speeds navigation from one page view to another, but uses fewer system resources. RSS feeds are nicely handled. When you navigate to a site that contains an RSS feed, a little orange RSS feed button conveniently appears on the right side of the address box. There's also a preview page that provides information on an RSS feed when the user is subscribing to it. Other features include pop-up window blocking and your choice of built-in search toolbars. The interface is described as clean and simple to use.

If you live a lot on the Internet -- complete with social networking and a blog -- reviews recommend Flock, which builds upon Firefox 3 by adding multitasking features to that browser. A big sidebar can connect with one or more social networking sites so you know what's happening with your friends. Flock builds in a good blog editor too, plus a photo up-loader that works with major photo-sharing sites. An updated version, Flock 2, is currently in its beta release.

Walter S. Mossberg, reviewing Flock for The Wall Street Journal, finds it stable, feature-rich and fun -- but not for everyone. The very features that make it distinctive -- for example, the big sidebar that keeps your photo sites, social sites and news feeds visible -- can be distracting. For people who enjoy multi-tasking, though, it's well recommended.