What's so great about Firefox?

[Thundero13]

Here's the thing, my experience with Chrome is that it crashes CONSTANTLY! My experience with Firefox is that it doesn't, therefore, I use Firefox
On another note, dn't mention adblock, I see you're only new but the mods here get annoyed when people talk about it, so in future, just don't

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

Firefox was a must have several years ago before we had Chrome and when IE was actually worse than it is now (hard to imagine, I know) and I've stuck with it. Chrome seems to be a bit faster but it's also quite minimalistic and I've got used to how things work in Firefox so using Chrome can piss me off a bit. Nothing wrong with using Chrome, though - use it if you prefer.

 

[Evil Top Hat]

Well it's a lot faster and safer than internet explorer, not that that's saying very much.

No idea why you're getting problems with it though, probably isn't on firefox's end.

 

[70R4N]

I don't use Opera because it doesn't have a good addblock extension.
I don't use Chrome because i can't change the layout of the icons in the toolbar(refresh, home etc.).
Firefox has both of these things.

 

[basedg0d_a0s]

i've always used firefox so i'm used to it. overall i like it though because it is fast and there is the adblock add-on.

 

[bam13302]

IMO, the difference is visual preference, do you prefer toolbars and spread out menus, or a more compact view, less centered on the browser and more centered on the websites themselves
That is the last common argument i have heard of for firefox
i personally love the larger window of chrome

 

[Alexnader]

It's fully open-source, something which can't be said of Opera, Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer. This is a big deal for me.

Why? Nothing wrong with more traditionally developed software.

(Opera user right here)

 

[Zukhramm]

It's not IE, and Google wants your soul. So that leaves Firefox and Opera. Now, I prefer Opera but it's not hard to see why Firefox is popular.

 

[Esotera]

The add-ons. Especially noscript, DownThemAll, and webmail notifier. Plus it's mostly open-source.

The only thing that sucks is the direction that they're taking with a 6-week release schedule. There is no noticeable difference between firefox 4 or 5. Development needs time.

 

[Qitz]

I love Firefox, specially as a Web Developer, because it's got a lot of Addons( Add Blocker+, Firebug, Fireftp, Noscript) it's also one of the easier browsers to code for, CSS wise anyways, I.E. is a ***** (screw you people and your IE6 I'ma smack you all) Chrome and Safari share the same CSS so that's not too bad but Firefox just wants to work.

The only bad thing is it can be a bit of a resource hog.

 

[Voodoomancer]

Chrome and FF are very similar. Both are customizable, FF having an advantage in that department; Both are fast, both are secure.

Personally I use Chrome because of the Bookmark sync feature and the fact that it segregates tabs as specific processes (so one tab crashing won't crash the browser).

 

[phYnc]

Ad-Block in Chrome doesn't block adverts in Flash videos such as 4OD.com. Thats the only reason I use Firefox instead of Chrome.

For Firefox in general though it is good because you do have alot of customisation and of course Addons which other browsers just can't compete with.

 

[Chad Hyou]

Honestly? I switched from IE to Firefox because I couldn't seem to avoid getting malware infections. Even after changing antivirus programs several times and TRYING my best to be careful, IE would continuously get hijacked and infect me with malware, which led to constant repairs and more often than not reformatting my computer.

Firefox along with Adblock and Noscript helped to put a stop to this problem, and I've been malware free ever since. Noscript tends to get very annoying at times, but it's a fair trade for the feeling of security.

My problem was I really loved the browser interface and functions of IE, so I was hesitant to make the switch. I don't use tabs for browsing and I didn't like most of the features in Firefox that apparantly couldn't be de-activated. Thankfully a computer-savy friend helped me to reconfigure Firefox to match that which I was more comfortable with.

At its core, I just really wanted a more secure browser, since IE has the defense of wet tissue paper. I'm glad I made the switch just in time, since shortly afterwards the newest version of IE came out and it is just HORRIBLE.

 

[Vrach]

Not sure what you are talking about here, Chrome allows you to use both tabs and individual windows for browsing.

Gah, quoted 4 times for the same crap. Serves me right for responding early to a thread.

What I meant is that Chrome doesn't give you the option of using a new window as a default for clicking a link, something pretty much every single other browser gives you the option for (and has indeed been the standard for over 10 years). It's something they're actively refusing to allow as they wanna push people towards tabbed browsing and something that pisses quite a few people off.

 

[TheBaron87]

It isn't Internet Explorer, that's pretty much the first thing I look for when choosing a browser.

 

[Continuity]

So Firefox users, what makes it your browser of choice? What are the great features I'm missing out on if I stick with Chrome?

I used FF for several years before switching to Opera for a year, then I switched to Chrome for a year... Now i'm back on FF.

Chrome is great, its fast, it renders pages really well, its good with java... but thats it. If you want a great "out of the box" browser look no further than chrome. However if you want to customise your web browsing experience and actually have some power over what you see and what the web pages you visit are doing, then you better get FF because if you try that stuff with chrome you will find that its extremely unfriendly to customisation and just gives you ugly sever not found images everywhere if you try and block web page elements.

So in summary chrome is the best browser by some margin if you don't want to tinker, if you want to tinker FF is pretty much the only way to go (adblock plus and noScript have my undying fanhood). PLus if you dont like something about the way FF works you just get and extension (there will be one) and bam, its doing what you want, with chrome you're pretty much stuck with what they give you.

ON the downside FF is a bit bloaty, sluggish and doesn't always render pages well. Small price to pay for the freedom.