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Cool Mac Gear• iPod Video • iPod nano • iPod 1G-2G • iPod 3G • iPod 4G • iPod Mini • PowerBook-iBook • Garageband |
I’ve been checking out the latest, and reportedly last of the “fat” Mozilla browsers for a week or so I hadn’t been using Mozilla much since Safari beta 2 was released a while back, but this 1.4 build is the best Mozilla yet, and in some respects I find it preferable to Safari; in others not. 
Mozilla 1.4 is very fast. I continue to maintain that it’s faster than Safari, at least on a dial-up connection, although the difference is not dramatic, and I did not run any formal comparison timing. I also prefer the interface appearance of Mozilla (which sports a new icon in 1.4), and the way it renders (most) Web pages, to Safari, and I like its traditional Bookmarks configuration and management (although iCab is even better). On the other hand, Mozilla is big, although not ponderous, something that will be addressed as Mozilla.org switches to the leaner “Firebird” motif for future Mozilla browsers. There will no longer be Mail email and Composer Web-authoring modules integrated in the browser application. The Mail function will be replaced with a new, freestanding email client called Thunderbird, and Composer will just be abandoned I guess. I’ve tried a Firebird alpha build, and it should be the basis of an excellent browser along the lines of Camino, but it has a way to go to match the polish and solidity of Mozilla 1.4. The things I miss most compared with Safari are support for OS X Services, and the little close buttons on window tabs. Neither of these browsers will save plain text from Web pages decently (unlike iCab, which does an excellent job of this), but I’ve become addicted to using Services in Safari to save selected text directly to the DEVONThink database program. With Mozilla, I have to highlight, copy, switch applications, and paste. I prefer iCab’s Download Manager to the download support in either Safari or Mozilla, but Mozilla does a adequate job. I’ve never used the email module in Mozilla or Netscape beyond checking out how it works, so I can’t comment on whether there are any improvements in that regard in Version 1.4. I’ve never had any support problems with Mozilla on the several online baking websites I use, while Safari is not supported on at least one of them. In general, Mozilla 1.4 is an excellent browser, and an attractive alternative to Internet Explorer for Mac users who for whatever reasons prefer not to use Safari. It is now a mature product, offering smooth and elegant performance, and the speed isn’t hard to take either. New in Mozilla 1.4: System requirements: Mozilla is freeware For more information, visit:
The OS X Odyssey archives may be accessed here: Note: Letters to Moore's Mailbag may or may not be published at the editor's discretion. Correspondents' email addresses will NOT be published unless the correspondent specifically requests publication. Letters may be edited for length and/or context. Opinions expressed in postings to Moore's MailBag are those of the respective correspondents and not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Editor and/or Applelinks management. If you would prefer that your message not appear in Moore's Mailbag, we would still like to hear from you. Just clearly mark your message "NOT FOR PUBLICATION," and it will not be published. CM
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