See: MozillaFirefox, InternetExplorerAlternatives, MozillaFirefoxExtensions

Summary: What makes Firefox a "better" choice as a browser over IE?

Home page at http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Currently at version 1.0. Over 68 million downloads (as of July 06 2005). Community site: Spread Firefox which is very active. Can join it for free. Sometimes called FireFox, but the correct name is Firefox (note the second F is not a capital).

Offers many excellent features making it a good choice as both browser and web site development tool.

Perhaps the most significant feature of Firefox is that it is extensible. There is a well-developed community which provides a wide variety of functions for Firefox. From simply changing the look of your browser by using themes, or installing something like Chris Pederick's Web Developer toolbar, there is something for everyone.

Firefox has helped me learn a great deal about CSS in a short while, thanks to some of the extensions. Additionally, I have saved a lot of time troubleshooting my site designs, and have helped a lot of others with their own design challenges.

Whether you want a high-end browser/development tool or a simple platform for surfing the Internet, Firefox has something for you.

That being said, it still has some challenges ahead. Installing some of the plugins for QuickTime or PDF viewers, for example, can be daunting for the faint of heart. Regardless, the benefits simply outweigh the issues.