Browser Wars: The Saga Continues

Round 5: Firefox 1.0/1.5 vs. Internet Explorer 6.0
Ever since Netscape's code was made public in 1998, however, members of the open-source project Mozilla.org had been quietly working to build a better browser. The Mozilla 1.0 suite, which included a Web browser, an e-mail reader, and a chat client, was released in 2002 -- but the group didn't seriously threaten Internet Explorer until it released a standalone browser called Firefox in 2004.

		15 Years Of The World Wide Web
		Introduction  WWW: Past, Present, And Future  Browser Wars: The Saga Continues       •  Rounds 1 & 2       •  Rounds 3 & 4       •  Rounds 5 & 6  The Skinny On Web 2.0  WWW Pop-Up Timeline  Browser Image Gallery

Powerful and flexible, Firefox boasted key improvements such as tabbed browsing (which had already appeared in less-known browsers such as Opera) and an integrated RSS reader, as well as a multitude of independently developed add-ons known as extensions. An interim 1.5 release in November 2005 added a few new features and brushed up existing ones.

Firefox was just the kick in the pants Microsoft needed -- its browser had remained unchanged for years. Redmond began adding Firefox-like features and better security measures into a new version, IE7, which is due to be released as a standalone browser for Windows XP later this year and incorporated into next year's Windows Vista operating system.

A vast array of add-ons known as extensions gives Firefox an edge over IE6 today. Click image to enlarge and to launch image gallery.

Today, Microsoft remains squarely in the lead in the battle for browser market share, but Firefox has made substantial inroads, reducing Microsoft's market share to 83 percent by July of 2006.

The Winner: Depends on how you measure it: Firefox leads in features and security, but IE still commands the lion's share of the market.

Round 6: Firefox 2.0 vs. Internet Explorer 7.0
What is clear is that the browser wars are far from over. With both Firefox 2 and IE7 due for release this year, the next round is just beginning.

Microsoft has come charging back with new features such as Quick Tabs in IE7. Click image to enlarge and to launch image gallery.

Microsoft has done a decent job of catching up to Firefox's features with IE7. Will those features, coupled with IE7's integration into Vista, short-circuit the Firefox juggernaut, or will Firefox's army of dedicated volunteer developers manage to keep the momentum going? The next few years in the browser arena promise to be very interesting indeed.

The Winner: Too soon to call.