IE7 Beta 2 vs. Firefox 1.5

It was roughly 18 months ago when IE6 began to meet it's demise; a new competitor came about got the attention of everyone at Microsoft. The release of Firefox (a Mozilla project) in November 2004 marked the start of a steady downhill slide for IE. In fact many web logs will show that where IE once held 98% of all web traffic it now only holds 60% in those same locations; Firefox holds the other 40%. For only 18 months on the market, that's a pretty nice size bite for Mozilla and crew. After a solid beginning, reliable updates, dedicated support, and a mountain of available extensions, Firefox is, by most objective measures a better browser than Internet Explorer 6. Firefox was a giant wakeup call for the boys at Redmond, WA. And as they proclaim on the Microsoft IE website, "They listened to our concerns..." and now we have IE7 as a result.

Firefox has been proof that if you go to bed the leader of the pack one day, you might loose your lead role while sleeping. Microsoft's developers are by far the one's playing catch up at this point in the game. But playing catch up alone isn't enough. How do you convince all those who left your software to return to it? Is there such thing as browser loyalty? Can Firefox users be persuaded to "Switch" back? The IE7 team has now attempted to make long overdue changes the interface and core features of IE With a single and very long stride; all an in an attempt to catch up with Firefox. With the official release of IE7 Beta 2 Microsoft has made vast improvements since the first release of IE7; the result being a much more polished and stable beta than the name "beta" would imply.

The final release of IE7 likely won't be until the last quarter of 2006, but the real question isn't whether or not people will upgrade, it's will they use it? will they use the free upgrade to simply keep their system up to date, or will it be their core browsing application? Microsoft claims IE7 is a major update to one of its core programs, something that fixes numerous bugs, security issues, and long-standing annoyances - something that's much easier to use than it's predecessor, IE6. Can Microsoft get those it's lost back? Perhaps only time will tell.

If you've previously tried any of the Beta 2 preview editions, you've likely already got a good idea of what IE7 really is. You'd have to look pretty hard to find the minute changes since the release in February 2006. Beyond a few icon changes and rearranged Tools menu the changes mostly have occurred internally. End point being that the bug fixes needed back in February and March of this year to go ahead with a public release are now complete, and thus, a public build stable enough to use and test.
 

So getting down to the nitty gritty of IE7 and how it stacks up against Firefox 1.5 I decided to put them head to head. In some ways this might not seem completely fair because, after all, Microsoft still has a "Beta" product here. None the less, at least for now, this will show us how well IE7 competes with the likes of Firefox. There aren't likely to be many more changes in IE7 (beyond internal bug fixes) before a final release, so this should be a pretty accurate match up. I'll be making my comparisons of IE7 Beta 2 and Firefox, version 1.5.0.2 on Windows XP SP2. So let's take a look at these two competitors and see which browser handles the basics better. I'll cover this in the order I imagine them being important to users...

Basic Layout & Features

One of the first things most users switching from IE6 will notice are the new menu bars and navigation menu. While relatively unchanged since the Beta 2 preview in February, the change from the IE6 interface is pretty dramatic. IE7's page layout is probably it's greatest change though, in a good way. Compared to IE6 or Firefox, IE7 provides more room for viewing the contests of the current page you're on. I installed the Google Toolbar on both and then took screenshots of both IE7 and FF at the same screen resolution to show the difference: (IE7 Sample) vs (Firefox Sample).

One change in IE7 that can be slightly confusing is the fact the traditional top-level menu is hidden until you hit the Alt key. While the standard toolbar vanishes as well, the fact it only shrinks down to a much more compact version of itself is less confusing than one that disappears all together. Granted I don't think this will be any major concern to most users, bc the top-level bar is rarely used anyway. The most common command, printing, can be done directly from a new button on the top right-hand corner of the "tab menu".

IE7's new 'Favorites Center' combines the Favorites menu and Explorer Bar into a single drop-down list that users can choose to pin to the left side of the browser window (much like Explorer in Windows). IE7 also includes a rather nifty new Zoom button located in the lower right-hand corner. Clicking on the various zoom levels will increase the page size from 100% up to 400% (view screenshot). Printing pages is also significantly easier in IE7; the browser automatically shrinks the pages to fit on a single sheet of paper (width-wise) and offering a very helpful preview screen (view screenshot) as well.

The best part of all the changes in IE7's user interface however is that while it's new it's also familiar. It's easy to accomplish common tasks, and the menu's that aren't needed are kept out of the way. Ultimately it's a much cleaner look for the IE browser that takes it ahead of Firefox. It's also easier to use for everyday tasks like printing. Is it enough to switch (back) for? You'll have to decide...

Basic Layout & Features Advantage: Just barely, IE7

Most Secure in 'Windows Vista'?

If you're an individual using genuine (IE7 checks) version of Windows XP (SP2) or Windows 2003 Server then IE7 is a free upgrade. If you're using Windows Vista then you're already set, as IE7 code is build into Windows Vista (due later this year to corporate customers and in early 2007 to retailers.) Both versions incorporate the same security improvements over IE6, but Vista is especially unique in the fact that it along with IE7 provides protected Mode browsing. Even when trusted add-ons are used they are quarantined and given write access only to a select set of virtualized folders (see our Vista area for more details on Virtual Folders in Windows Vista). Combined with Vista's more strict user Account Control this feature should make it significantly tougher for malware and spyware to sneak onto any system.

Security in Windows Vista Advantage: Currently, IE7


Support for Web standards

It's hard to believe this is often an overlooked part of browser review, at least from a end-user point of view. After all, most users just assume the internet looks how it looks (given they use one browser consistently). For those of us, especially developers, who use multiple browsers however, we know the story isn't quite as simple as "it looks how it looks." Fact is, the way it looks from IE6 may or may not be how it looks through Firefox or another browser.

IE6 has been the poster-child for years of how NOT to develop a web engine in regards to web standards. Developers have to utilize countless unnecessary hacks and workarounds. Even here on PROnetworks we've had to use specific and quite useless code otherwise to make IE6 work with our layout. This is why the site runs so much faster in Firefox for most users; IE6 has to compute all the "work around" codes so it'll look right. IE7 is a god-send for developers, as it promises to fix the most critical bugs and generally do a better job of following those all important web standards (it's about time Microsoft; how about making FrontPage do this too?). Granted IE7 still is a little quirky, but all-in-all favors much better in regards to web standards. Ultimately Firefox still provides the best support for web standards however. That may or may not change by the final release of IE7.

Support of Web Standards Advantage: Currently, Firefox


Managing Tabs Inside the Browser

When I first switched to Firefox the idea of tabs amused me but didn't seem that useful. As time has gone on I've realized these are the greatest tools in the world, and now I can't live without them. Microsoft too has noticed this popular feature and has added it to IE7. But it's what Microsoft did that really makes them shine here. They didn't just add Tabbed browsing to IE7, they made it easy to use and they made it better than anyone before them (score for Microsoft).

IE7's controls for opening, closing, and managing tabbed windows are noticeably simpler than those in Firefox, with a button on the tab bar to open a new window and a red X to close the active Web page. You can view a screenshots by clicking here and here.

If there is one feature I absolutely love about IE7 in regards to tabs, it's the fact you can click the "Quick Tabs" button to view thumbnails of all the open tabbed pages (view screenshot). This is where IE7 really puts the nails in the coffin for Firefox in regards to tabbed browsing. Firefox's ability to handle multiple tabs at once is very poor. While you can manage two or three open pages easily enough, opening a dozen or more pages the tabbed interface becomes essentially unusable (view screenshot).

Compared to Firefox, IE7 is much simpler to use in regards to tabs, especially closing them. Firefox may eventually change how it utilizes tabs, but for now IE7 has it beat.
Tab Management Advantage: Undoubtedly, IE7


Managing RSS feeds

If there is one growing technology online that has captured the heart of millions, it's RSS feeds and their ability to be used as "live" bookmarks. Firefox was the first to offer the capability of turning RSS feeds into such bookmarks since version 1.0 in November 2004. Clicking on any of the Live Bookmark icons from the Bookmarks menu displays a list of headlines available from that specific feed. And that's great for feeds with well written descriptive headlines, but it's horrible for information-rich feeds with graphics and lots of text.

In IE7 RSS feeds appear as formatted web pages along with a link subscribe to that specific feed; overall a much simpler and more elegant way of using the popular RSS feeds. What's even better is that the box on the right side of the page lets you filter the list by entering search terms or clicking category names, which are automatically extracted from the feed (view screenshot). But one of the greatest features is the fact the RSS feeds can be shared with other applications, like Officer 2007 (due late 2006). We'll likely hear much more about this new feature later on, but it looks really great so far because you can view your RSS feeds in your browser (view screenshot) or right alongside your email messages.


RSS Feeds Advantage: Undoubtedly, IE7


Resistance to Viruses, Spyware, and Online Attacks

One of the most common reasons people give for switching to Firefox is security. Since it's introduction 18 months ago Firefox has tempted millions to switch to it's more secure browsing experience. After IE6 was plagued with infestations of viruses, spyware, and other malware it was a simple choice for most users. Now that IE7 is here, the playing field is a bit more level; perhaps how much though remains to be seen. We've already seen how Vista and IE7 will relate, but what about users not upgrading to Vista? Will they be protected? Here's what IE7 seems to promise:

-It includes the latest updates to code introduced in Windows XP SP2 that blocks downloads, including ActiveX controls, unless you specifically approve them by clicking the Info Bar and selecting the appropriate menu.

-A new URL-parsing module should lessen the impact of "specially crafted URLs" that exploit flaws in browser code, especially buffer overruns that can lead to malware installation. In theory, at least, the URL parser should be able to identify and discard dangerous URLs before they reach potentially vulnerable code.

-With IE7, you manage ActiveX controls and other potentially dangerous browser extensions using the same Manage Add-ons dialog box that was introduced to IE6 with Windows XP SP2. One noteworthy change: a new Delete ActiveX button lets you automatically uninstall an ActiveX control. And a Web page won't be able to use an ActiveX control installed with Windows unless you specifically approve.

-IE7's optional Phishing Filter automatically checks Web sites to see if they look suspicious or are on a list of known sites used by online thieves to steal identities, displaying a bright red bar for a known phishing site and a yellow bar for suspected but unconfirmed sites. Access to known phishing sites is blocked with a bold red bar -- continue at your own risk.

Whether all of these new features are security gimmicks or genuinely useful layers of protection remain to be seen. Will the criminals who worked there way around the bugs of the first version be able to do so here as well? Perhaps. The greatest weakness of IE is perhaps the bad rap it has coming onto this playing field to begin with. All-in-all IE7 looks a lot better than it's predecessor, but no one will be able to pronounce IE7 suitably secure until it has survived a year or more without an embarrassing security crisis. And quite honestly, if Microsoft can't get their act together on this, it might spell a lot of trouble for their browsing future. For now, Firefox remains the best choice for secure browsing, and they got it right the first try (score for Mozilla).

Security Advantage: Firefox, at least for the time being.

Final Thoughts & Conclusions

IE7 is truly a vast improvement over IE6. However it still has a few areas that greatly concern me, and I'm sure countless other users who have made the switch to Firefox. The first is the ever-expanding library of Firefox extensions, small user-written programs that add features and fix annoyances in the officially released browser. By contrast, the number of add-ons for Internet Explorer is much smaller -- not surprisingly, the tightest levels of integration are between IE7 and Microsoft Office. If you're a fanatic about tweaking and tuning your browser, Firefox offers many more choices. Providing many of those who switched are 'advanced' computer users, luring them back with the current features in IE7 likely won't work for Microsoft. For 'normal' users, IE7 seems to provide users with what they felt was missing before (security, tabbed browsing, RSS feeds, etc); so like me, they'll likely consider switching back. That is, unless the other critical failing in IE7 significantly bothers them. IE7 has a weak set of password management tools. Just as in previous versions, IE7 can save a username and password combination for any Web page, but there's no way to edit saved passwords or copy them to a secure location. By contrast, Firefox allows you to view and manage saved passwords; it even imports saved passwords from IE7's protected store (score for Mozilla).

So looking at IE7 and Firefox side by side for a feature-to-feature comparison, IE7 performs very well against Firefox (especially for a Beta). If security can be improved to match that of Firefox and if Web Standards can be tuned in the browser, then IE7 has a very good chance of not only keeping Microsoft's grip on the web secure, but tempting many Firefox users back to what they know best, Microsoft itself.

One of the biggest hurdles that IE7 and Microsoft will have to overcome however is themselves and a bad reputation earned with IE6 and previous browser versions, especially in regards to security and features available. Even if the final release of IE7 improves mightily over the current beta, building that new and improved reputation will be an uphill climb. For now, I'll at least humor Microsoft by playing with IE7, but Firefox will remain my personal browser of choice until the Final IE7 debuts. Then I'll make my final decision, as I'm sure will countless others.

There are really only two or three major browsers out there today. First Mozilla's Firefox and then debatably, Internet Explorer and Opera. IE used to be the gold standard a while ago but Microsoft got lazy, sat back and watched as Mozilla blew them out of the water (performance wise) with Firefox.

For Windows Vista, Microsoft is going to reveal Internet Explorer 7. Based on what we have seen so far, Firefox still remains the value proposition.

*from Paul Thurrott's SuperSite..