Difference Between Internet Explorer and Firefox

Internet Explorer and Firefox are widely used web browsers. Internet Explorer is developed by Microsoft while Firefox is developed by Mozilla. Internet Explorer comes pre-installed in Windows operating system. Since Internet Explorer comes pre-installed, it is used more as compared to Mozilla Firefox

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is a widely used web browser. Its first version was launched in the year 1995. It is developed by Microsoft. Till 2010, nine versions of Internet Explorer have been launched and the latest one is called Internet Explorer 9. This web browser is free to download from Microsoft’s website.

The original version of Internet Explorer was heavily based on web browser named “Mosaic”. The developers of Mosaic allowed Microsoft to adapt the software program in a way that better suited their operating system and then Microsoft modified it according to their needs and released the browser with a name “Internet Explorer.”

The 1995 version of Internet Explorer didn’t have so many features. But it was the third version that introduced the features such as address books and internet mail. Even some experts though that Internet Explorer stands short as compared to other web browsers but with the popularity of the Windows operating system and other technological advancements, Internet Explorer was able to catch up with other web browsers.

Even though Internet Explorer is widely used but according to some experts it has some flaws. Many feel that it is vulnerable to spyware, viruses and other types of attacks on the system. Although Microsoft has released number of patches to address this issue but some experts still think that this web browser should be used with some powerful anti-virus software program.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is a web browser developed by Mozilla. It is the same company that created Netscape web browsers. In November 2004, the first version of this web browser was released. It became popular instantly as it has number of features and it was open source too. A number of versions have been released after the first version and each of them added more features and security.

Advanced privacy settings and pop-up blockers are some of the specialized features provided by Firefox. Tabbed browsing is also offered by Firefox. More than one website can be opened in the browser’s window and users can easily switch between the tabs.

Firefox also supports advanced search options. For example, there is built-in Google search in the toolbar. It also has the ability to make smart keywords that work with favorite websites of the user just like Google toolbar search. The information can be accessed directly without even navigating to unnecessary menus and websites.