Firefox 2: Making a Better Browser Even Better Than Before

Who says you can't make a good browser better? Mozilla did just that not too long ago by streamlining the old Netscape code to remove obsolete junk and bring the browser back to the basics, resulting in the increasingly popular Firefox. And now they've done it again, as the second generation of this cross-platform Internet browser engine brings even more to the table. But whereas the original Firefox brought tabbed browsing and popup ad control to the mainstream, Firefox 2 adds even more, such as the ability to spellcheck email and blogs, get suggestions for searches and even pick up your last session where it left off, even if something goes horribly wrong. But the question is, how does it hold up? To find out, I recently put the new browser through its paces to see what makes this updated Internet Explorer alternative tick.

Installing Firefox 2 is straightforward - you just download the software from Mozilla.com, and the appropriate version for your operating system is automatically selected by the server (you'll be notified as to which one). For this test, I reviewed the Windows version, which upon installation can be comared to or even replace Windows Internet Explorer (Microsoft's ubiquitous default). After installation, Firefox 2 lets you choose whether to use its default, Google-branded start page or that of your previous browser, and also imports your bookmarked sites (or Favorites, if you use IE) so that you don't lose them if you switch browser defaults. After that, you're good to go!