The final version of Firefox 2 is due to be released later today, with many brand new features that have been suggested and improved upon by the thriving and enthusiastic open-source Mozilla / Firefox community.New innovations include an anti-phishing filter, which strictly checks the URL of sites asking for confidential information to make sure that it is not a scam attempt; an integrated RSS and XML reader allowing live feeds to be viewed in the browser without first installing an RSS reader; and an improved tabbed browsing feature which ensures that previously viewed web pages and tabs are not lost, even when the browser crashes (shades of SessionSaver there!).
The release of Firefox 2 comes only a few days after the release of Internet Explorer 7. The Internet Explorer browser series remains the most widely used browser in the world, with analysts estimating the figure at somewhere between 82% and 86% - although this is generally not representative of the more technically savvy population, where Firefox accounts for around 50% or more of browser users, with other niche browsers such as Safari and Opera also being used and Internet Explorer generally being used much less. Many of the new features of Internet Explorer are mimicking those seen in the previous and current releases of Firefox, such as an integrated search function which allows for internet search across the major search engines and popular websites, including Google, Yahoo, Amazon and eBay.
Analysts from Jupiter Research have also shown that Firefox usage is becoming more popular in business, with 44% of businesses and 250 employees or more allowing their employees to download the popular open-source browser. This is an increase of 26% from last year.
Reasons for this include Internet Explorer's extremely close integration with the Windows operating system - it is notorious for being near-impossible to uninstall without going through a laborious procedure and using third party programs. Due to this, in an office environment much testing is required to ensure that no impact is had on their core business applications - and as such, many companies are opting to wait for the next major Windows release, Windows Vista, before allowing the new browser to be installed.
Due to teething problems and many businesses deciding to wait for this period to be over, the upgrade to Windows Vista is likely to take a year and a half or more. With the previous version of Internet Explorer now lacking many of the features users have come to expect, such as an integrated multiple-use internet search bar, the usage of Firefox in the coming months is therefore sure to rise - but only an unstable, tech crazed Microsoft-o-phobe could possibly claim that the new Internet Explorer will not allow Microsoft to continue to dominate the browser market for a good period of time.
