Firefox: The Best Mac Browser

Simply the best... (Mac) Browser

Firefox 3.0

Apple recently removed the beta tag from Safari 4 and released an (apparently popular) final version for both OS X and Windows. I used Safari 2 when I first switched from PC to Mac but later began using Firefox, as it allowed me to keep my bookmarks synchronized between my iMac and my Windows PCs via the fantastic little plugin Foxmarks. Now that Foxmarks allows bookmark sync with Safari (and sports a new, browser-neutral name, Xmarks), I thought I would try using Safari for a week to see if there were any compelling reasons to switch back from Firefox. I didn't find any.

Apple has been bragging about Safari's speed advantage over Firefox and Opera, but my informal and completely subjective browsing tests haven't left me convinced that it's any faster. Safari seems to load just as quickly as Firefox, and it even seems that new tabs load more slowly in Safari than in Firefox (at least with Safari's default "Top Sites" feature enabled). Speaking of Top Sites, I find this feature visually appealing--my browsing history has never looked better--but not particularly productive. All of my frequently visited sites already appear in my bookmarks bar, which is both faster and easier for me to use than Top Sites.

The key phrase in that last statement is for me--Safari 4 just doesn't fit into my workflow as well as Firefox, and I've found myself becoming increasingly irritated at the way Safari handles some of my routine web browsing tasks.

Downloads

I don't like clutter, physical or digital. I like my desk and my office to be organized, and I expect the same thing of my computer. When I download a file, therefore, I immediately want to file it away in the proper folder, which by the way is rarely the Downloads folder. Unfortunately, Safari forces me to save all downloaded files to a single folder, which then requires me to open the Downloads folder and drag my recently-downloaded files to their proper place. Why require this extra step? Why not allow me to choose where to store each new download?

Tabs

Firefox gives me precise control over the behavior of its tabs so that just about everything I open appears in a new tab instead of a new window. Safari's behavior is not nearly as customizable, and I was frequently annoyed by links that opened new windows instead of new tabs. I also sorely missed Firefox's ability to reload all previously opened tabs when I start the browser. This allowed me to restart my browser or computer without having to worry about remembering where I had left off in my browsing. With Safari, I had to make sure I was finished with all tabs before closing the browser.

The "Awesome Bar"

Both Firefox and Safari have an "awesome" navigation bar that attempts to save the user a great deal of URL typing by guessing which page she would like to visit. Firefox's implementation of this feature worked far more effectively than Safari's for me. Safari seemed to suggest only pages that I had bookmarked or recently visited, while Firefox added Google search results to the mix. For instance, typing "fox news channel" into Safari's navigation bar returns an error page that suggests performing a Google search for the term "fox news channel." Firefox, on the other hand, takes me straight to foxnews.com.

Add-ons

Another venue in which Firefox trumps Safari is customization and extensibility. There are literally thousands of add-ons for Firefox that make web browsing much more productive and enjoyable, and I really began to miss the functionality added by plug-ins such as AdBlock Plus and Hyperwords.

Final Thoughts

Safari 4 isn't a bad browser, and given some time, I could probably get used to its idiosyncrasies. At the end of the day, though, Firefox allows me to work and browse more efficiently, even if it may render pages and JavaScript more slowly than its competitor from Cupertino. And with Firefox 3.5 right around the corner, I'm perfectly content to restore Firefox to its "default browser" status on my Macs.

What Mac Could Learn from PC

Three years ago, I purchased my first Apple computer, a shiny white Core 2 Duo iMac. I had grown so tired of dealing with the instability, insecurity, and inelegance of Windows PCs that I decided to sample Apple's wares in hopes that Macs really were better than PCs. To make a long story short, I became a Mac convert. I love the design, simplicity, and performance of my iMac and OS X.

As much as I love my Mac, though, it's not perfect. As a matter of fact, there are some elements of the Mac experience where Apple could learn a thing or two from Microsoft (a fact that is even more relevant with the impending release of Microsoft's slick Windows 7 operating system). In no particular order, here are some lessons I think Mac needs to learn from PC.

1. Adding media shouldn't be hard. Apple's iTunes software is probably the most popular music jukebox application on any operating system (thanks to the ubiquitous iPod), but it still inexplicably lacks a feature included in Windows Media Player for years: the ability to monitor folders and automatically add new media to a user's library. If I download an album into my music folder, I shouldn't also have to drag it into iTunes to add it to my library--it should be added automatically!
2. Buttons aren't all that bad. Everyone knows about Stephen P. Jobs' disdain for buttons (Exhibit A: the button-less iPod shuffle), but it's time for Apple to realize that two-button mice (and touchpads) make our computing experience more productive. No, I don't want to control-click, and no, the Mighty Mouse isn't good enough (just try playing a game where you have to click the left and right buttons simultaneously). Just give us our second mouse button already!
3. When it comes to media, more is better. There's no question that OS X's Front Row interface is clear, uncluttered, and easy to use--textbook Apple design--but there's also no doubt that Windows Media Center can pull in more content from more sources. I understand that Apple has a vested interest in channeling users to the iTunes Store for all their media cravings, but the simple fact of the matter is that I'm not going to pay for the privilege of watching a show that I can view for free on Hulu, Netflix (with a subscription), or via an over-the-air antenna.

Again, I absolutely love my Mac, but it's not perfect. These are just a few areas in which Cupertino could learn a thing or two from Redmond and make OS X an even better product. Are there any lessons you think Mac could learn from PC? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!