The first Internet browser i ever used was Netscape Navigator. I think in those days it was still version 2 or 3. It was light years ahead of Internet Explorer in terms of functionality (IE was still version 1.0 at the time) and it was also far more stable. Using Netscape to surf the Net was not just cool but it was practical, and IE was looked down upon as the suffering little brother struggling to keep up.
But a lot can be done if your name is Bill Gates and have US$30 billion in your bank account. IE soon took over as the premier web browser and since IE version 4.0, i admit that it has deserved that title. Netscape Communicator was a usability disaster and its implementation of W3 standards was terribly inadequate (e.g. it screwed up the handling of CSS files in a big way).
Since then, IE is now 6.0 +, and while still the dominant browser around, it no longer has that innovative edge that won over previous Netscape users. Not to say that its bad in any way - its still the most stable, usable and complete browser out there. If you want to surf the Internet, it doesn't get much easier than IE. But maybe that's the problem - in trying to pander for the lowest common denominator, IE has begun to seem TOO simple.
I like to tinker with my gadgets, and i consider just about piece of technology i own a gadget, including my web browser. Recently i found a browser called Mozilla that allows me to tinker to my heart's content. If IE is a simple kitchen knife, then Mozilla is the ultimate Swiss Army knife.
Tabbing is a really cool feature. First appearing in Opera, Mozilla does it much better
Developed as an Open Source project (means that its free and readily customizable), its based on the original Netscape code and from my initial impressions, many of its features look and feel like Netscape. But look under the hood and you'll be amazed. All the bugs that Netscape suffered have been eliminated. Just about EVERYTHING is customizable from the way your bookmarks are displayed, to the skin, to the way certain type of files are read. If there was a manual for this thing, it would be hundreds of pages long. This is certainly web browsing taken to its next level: power to the end-user.
Its not for everyone. Even i'll probably not scratch more than 10-15% of its total features. But for anyone who wants a bit of adventure and excitement similar to what we experienced during the innovative days of the Browser Wars, Mozilla is it.
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