The Mozilla Browser

Is it Time to Switch Browsers?

In the fall quarter of 2002, UW Computing & Communications (C&C) discontinued its support for Netscape browsers in favor of the Mozilla browser. As a result, Netscape is no longer available on the UWICK Kit.

Where Did Mozilla Come From?

In early 1998, Netscape announced that it was making the source code of its Netscape Communicator browser available to the public. The Mozilla Organization began as a way to organize the further development of this code.

Why Not Use Netscape?

Netscape Navigator 4, now years old, has extremely limited support for the current programming languages that make up the web, thereby causing many problems for web developers. Netscape 6, according to C&C, has also caused many problems with UW-supported web applications, including the Libraries' Proxy Server and many popular online databases. The Netscape Communications Corporation, now owned by AOL, recently released a version 7 browser which includes many features geared towards AOL users. And, interestingly enough, Netscape 7 uses the source code of the Mozilla browser.

Need More Reasons to Switch?

Block pop-up ads
By checking a simple option in the user preferences screen, you can effectively block advertisement pop-up windows for good. *
Tabbed browsing
You can open many web pages with one browser window (Show me!). It is also possible to save a group of several tabbed pages as one bookmark (Show me!).
Better web pages with less code
Let's face it, web pages look and work better on newer browsers. For example, compare the look of this page in Netscape Navigator 4 and Mozilla 1.1. On average, old browsers need 70% more code than newer browsers to create the same web page! Less code = faster download time.
Faster searching with bookmarked keywords
You can save a keyword as a bookmark, greatly simplifying searches. For example, you could save the Google search interface as a keyword. Then, in order to search Google for any word or phrase, you could type "google [your terms]" in Mozilla's location bar and hit the Enter key. Voila! Google searches for your terms. * Alternatively, you can read more about this feature at DevEdge.

Reasons to Switch (cont'd)

Faster web pages
Mozilla can render most pages many times faster than Netscape 4 and, in some instances, faster than Internet Explorer. Mozilla also has the ability to show the page while it is still downloading.
Shrink-to-fit printing
In Mozilla's "File" menu, choose "Print Preview." You can shrink the content of a web page down to 30% of its original size if necessary. You can even adjust the orientation from portrait to landscape printing. And in the "Page Setup" menu, you can adjust margins, headers, and footers. At last, you control how a web page is printed.
Gesture navigation
Gestures allow you to control the browser by moving your mouse in certain directions. For instance, you could make the browser go back one page with the mouse by clicking and dragging to the left, freeing you from always having to hit the "Back" button. This is just one of many examples. For this feature you need to install the Optimoz addition.
Browser themes
Some people like to customize the look and feel of their computing environment. Now you can customize your browser as well! To download themes for the Mozilla browser, go to the Mozilla Themes page.
Support for multiple platforms
Do you have a PC at work and a Mac at home, or vice versa? With Mozilla you can have the same browser on both platforms. In contrast to this, Internet Explorer for the Mac is a completely different product than Internet Explorer for Windows and is actually built by a separate software team.
Support for web standards
Hands down, Mozilla provides the best support for web standards among all currently available browsers. Why is this important? Read more at The Web Standards Project.

* RealPlayer required