Firefox
Firefox is a free and open-source web browser developed by Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, Mozilla Corporation. It was initially released on November 9, 2004, under the name Phoenix, then Firebird, before settling on Firefox with its 1.0 release on November 9, 2004. Here are some key points about Firefox:
- History: Firefox's development was spurred by concerns over the direction of the then-dominant browser, Internet Explorer, particularly regarding security and privacy issues. The project began as an experimental branch of Mozilla Suite, known as the Mozilla Firefox project.
- Features:
- Privacy: Firefox includes features like Enhanced Tracking Protection which blocks third-party tracking cookies by default, and Total Cookie Protection which isolates cookies to the site where they were created.
- Customizability: Users can tailor their browsing experience with extensions and themes available from the Mozilla Add-ons site.
- Security: Firefox has a strong focus on security with regular updates, sandboxing, and anti-phishing and anti-malware capabilities.
- Performance: Quantum, the major update in 2017, significantly improved speed and efficiency through a new CSS engine and multi-process architecture.
- Market Share: Although Firefox has lost some ground to competitors like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, it still maintains a significant user base, particularly among privacy-conscious users.
- Development Model: Firefox is developed through an open-source model, where the community can contribute to its codebase, report bugs, and suggest features. The source code is available under the Mozilla Public License.
- Versions: Firefox releases updates frequently, with major versions roughly every four weeks, and security updates in between. The ESR (Extended Support Release) version provides updates on a longer cycle for organizations needing more stability.
- Platforms: Firefox is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, though with some feature differences between desktop and mobile versions.
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