Mozilla Firefox is a completely free, open source browser, designed in such a way that it protects your computer from viruses, spyware, and pop-ups more efficiently than other browsers like Internet Explorer. (IE requires users to upgrade to Windows XP and download its Service Pack 2 to be best protected from viruses and avoid the most pop-up ads, a hassle for those who already have other versions of Windows). Firefox has won countless awards over the past several years, most recently the PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award, Software and Development Tools category, January 2006; the PC Magazine Best of the Year Award, December 27, 2005; the PC Pro Real World Award, December 8, 2005; and the CNET Editors' Choice Award, November 2005. Compared to Internet Explorer, Opera, and Apple Computers Safari, Mozilla Firefox is by far the best Internet browser available today.

Mozilla Firefox uses very little memory in general compared to Internet Explorer. It also takes up far less space (4.6 megabytes, as opposed to Internet Explorer's hefty 80 megabytes [with Windows XP Service Pack 2, that is]). This allows Firefox to run much more quickly and smoothly than Internet Explorer does, since there is less to load. Forbes, using Secunia Stay Secure as its source, states that the proportion of patched security vulnerabilities in Firefox is 10% higher compared to those in Internet Explorer (69% to 59%, respectively). Firefox also boasts the least amount of unpatched vulnerabilities at 15%, while Internet Explorer clocks in at a staggering 36%.

Firefox 1.5 keeps the motor and visually-handicapped in mind with DHTML, Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language. HTML (as you can probably infer, Hypertext Markup Language) is a language programmers use to create World Wide Web pages on the Internet.

Add the "dynamic" factor, and certain rich Web applications (ie, those with plug-ins to add flair to the text, including but not limited to Java and Flash) that have been enabled by their authors can be read aloud, ideal for those with poor eyesight or other visual impairments. Users can access the web using their keyboards as opposed to their mouses, which reduces tabbing that could otherwise prove a time-consuming problem for those with motor impairments. Firefox is the first browser to support DHTML, and the first to adhere to US federal government mandates that software be easily usable by those with physical handicaps.

Firefox comes with a convenient Software Update feature that downloads security updates unobtrusively in the background while you browse. It then gives you the convenient option to install them immediately or later. Firefox also includes a built-in searchbar that you can customize with any number of your favorite search engines so that they're right at your fingertips, alleviating the repetition and monotony associated with constantly typing in their homepage addresses. Additionally, a Clear Private Data tool allows you to delete unwanted personal information from your browser, including any forms you may have filled out, cookies, passwords, and any sites you may have visited, thus keeping this information from being accessed by anyone else who may use your computer or attempt to hack into it. Firefox makes accessing information and getting rid of any personal trails you've left behind equally easy tasks.

Firefox's appearance and functions can be customized to suit your individual needs and preferences. You can change its background to your choice of themes, add whatever extensions you want to combine Firefox with new features, and choose which buttons your toolbar contains as well as their functions. Firefox provides users with the option of tabbed browsing, making nagivation between several webpages at a time easy and fast.

Although some webpages still aren't configured to work properly when opened in Firefox (as a result of Internet Explorer dominating the browser field for so many years), experts and lay-consumers alike are quickly becoming aware of Firefox's superiority. The already small number of Firefox-incompatible webpages decreases daily. Even Google, that Internet behemoth, prefers Firefox over Internet Explorer. Google just introduced a new, free tool called Google Browser Sync that allows users to keep their browser settings, such as bookmarks, saved passwords, allowed cookies, and Website visit logs the same on multiple computers at one time. It also recalls the tabs and websites users had open the last time they accessed the browser, and gives them the option to open them again. Getting Google Browser Sync to work with Firefox is free, fast, and easy – users must simply download the Browser onto every computer on which they wish to synchronize settings. The catch? Google Browser Sync only works with Firefox. It is completely incompatible with any other browser including Internet Explorer, Firefox's main competitor. Don't wait! enjoy faster browsing, better security and accessibility, and more customizable features with Firefox. Download the newest version for free here.