Clue me in yall...

[NESman93]

Will someone point out to me the difference between Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, and tell me which is better?

[TraderJake]

Internet Explorer

• Microsoft Product
• Ignores W3C Standards
• Slow
• Better Download Manager

Firefox

• Created by the Mozilla Foundation
• Faster
• Less likely to bastardize standards
• Cures Cancer
• Solves Global Warming
• RF Generation looks best in Firefox

Only a slightly skewed answer from me. The best answer is try the browsers, and decide for yourself which one is better.

[NESman93]

I just got Firefox, and frankly, I like it better than I.E.

[Tan]

If you had asked me this 5-6 years ago when I started using Mozilla and Firefox a couple years after that, I'd say use both. Back then the WWW wasn't as Mozilla friendly as it is now and required alternatives to IE like Opera or Avant.

Now we all have choices. Everyone has a preference but it's really all about what you need in a browser. Most are free so feel free to test drive a few of the more prominent ones. I use Firefox as my main browser, not just because I prefer it, but I like how it works, how it performs, and that my dabbling in Linux which also uses FF for the most part, keeps browsing consistant and familiar.

Firefox is also a sort of geek gateway drug. Once you find how much you like using it, you may find yourself  seeking to exploring what open source software has to offer. Before you know it you'll have OpenOffice, Thunderbird, Sunbird etc etc and have the courage to dip your toe into the vast waters of Linux. All free and none of the bloatware hassle.

Am I biased against IE? You betcha! I've never been a fan of it, I never felt that I had control of my browsing, nor the options to use it as well as I could have. I went from Mosaic, to Netscape Navigator, to it's spiritual successor Mozilla, to finally Firefox, and I've never regretted turning my back on IE since.

[NES_Rules]

I prefer Firefox, I don't get into the customization much (though I do love the SMB3 skin). I switched just before IE7 came out and liked FF because of the tabs, now I just don't want to switch back. I don't know if IE has the bookmark toolbar, but I know FF does, and I LOVE it. Though FF does seem to use a lot more power to run, though the fact I've always got at least 6-7 tabs open, probably doesn't help.

[NESman93]

I prefer Firefox, I don't get into the customization much (though I do love the SMB3 skin). I switched just before IE7 came out and liked FF because of the tabs, now I just don't want to switch back. I don't know if IE has the bookmark toolbar, but I know FF does, and I LOVE it. Though FF does seem to use a lot more power to run, though the fact I've always got at least 6-7 tabs open, probably doesn't help.

How do you put new skins on it?

[NES_Rules]

I prefer Firefox, I don't get into the customization much (though I do love the SMB3 skin). I switched just before IE7 came out and liked FF because of the tabs, now I just don't want to switch back. I don't know if IE has the bookmark toolbar, but I know FF does, and I LOVE it. Though FF does seem to use a lot more power to run, though the fact I've always got at least 6-7 tabs open, probably doesn't help.

How do you put new skins on it?

https://addons.mozilla.or...-US/firefox/browse/type:2

[BadEnoughDude]

I've used Firefox for about 5 years now, and love it to death. You have so much flexibility with what you can do to it. The more you learn about it, the more indispensable it becomes.

[Izret101]

I'm also in the FF camp.

Loved in since the first time i used it.

I was able to all but eliminate IE on school computers after i showed the librarian and tech department at my high school why i preferred it and was downloading it on all the PCs i used there.

[Hydrobond]

The author of a piece of software isn't all that important.  Microsoft makes both very good and very bad products.
 
IE6 is a very good browser.  The only problem I have with it is some of the W3C standards that it ignores for no good reason.  As perviously mentioned, the download manager in IE is superior to the FF manager.  I don't know why FF continues to use their download manager; I guess some people must like it.  User experiences vary, but I have not noticed an appreciable difference in the speed between the two browsers. 

IE7 is a bad browser, in my opinion.  Or at least it's not as good as IE6 was. 

A big advantage to FF, and the feature that got me to switch over, is the bookmark toolbar.  Oddly enough, it wasn't the bookmark toolbar in FF that got me to switch, it was the toolbar in Safari.  I got used to having it in Safari and found myself missing it when I was in Windows.  So now I am a FF user. 

I just don't understand all the irrational Microsoft hate.

I could care less about tabbed browsing.  Just don't need it.

[James]

My school started using Firefox years ago so I thought I'd try it out and it stuck with me. I haven't used IE for a long time so I can't really comment on it these days. My favourite points in Firefox are the themes and custom toolbar buttons.