Firefox is very easy to install and manage. Because Firefox is very compact (~5MB) and installation is largely automatic, a corporate rollout isn't difficult. There are relatively few options that need to be set as part of the installation. One Fortune 500 company is currently evaluating switching their 44,000 worldwide employees to Firefox and many smaller companies are already Firefox shops.

One of the best parts of the installation process is that Firefox will import favorites, bookmarks, settings, display preferences, and other information from other browsers automatically. I was able to install Firefox, converting from IE 6.x with 40-50 folders containing ~350 favorites to Firefox in less than five minutes from start to finish on a Windows 2000 computer. It's not a difficult operation; in fact, it went far smoother than my conversion some years ago from Netscape to IE.

Q: What cool things can users do to customize Firefox?

While Firefox works fine as-is, there are a number of extensions, small modules that augment existing features or add new feature sets that are incredibly desirable and that have a place in any business installation. Some of my favorites are:

• Adblock, which filters ad images from Web pages
• MouseGestures, which lets me perform a number of common commands (back, forward, open new tab, etc.) by right-clicking and moving the mouse pointer
• Bandwidth Tester, a quick bandwidth testing utility
• Tabbrowser Preferences, which extends the built-in tabbed browsing features
• Download Manager Tweak, which extends the built-in download manager features

You can also change Firefox's look-and-feel using themes, which change the display colors, the button styles and toolbars, and menus. Both extensions and themes can be previewed and downloaded from the www.mozilla.org website.

Q: Microsoft recently announced IE 7. Why shouldn't users just wait for this version to be released instead of switching to Firefox?

Details on the new version of IE announced in March are few and far between. There may be support for some of the Cascading Stylesheet standards; there probably will be interaction with Microsoft's new anti-spyware service (currently in beta), and it's likely that there will be tabbed browsing and RSS features. It's unlikely the source code will be released and no plans for extensions or themes have been discussed. The Microsoft Security Zone Model is likely to continue as the basis for IE's architecture. The one really solid piece of data is that the start of the first beta cycle for the product will be this summer. No release date has been targeted at this time, but it's likely that this release of IE won't see the light of day until sometime in 2006. In addition, unless you're using Windows XP with SP2 installed, you won't be able to use IE 7.

But even assuming that Microsoft brings out a new version of IE with all the features and appeal of Firefox and with a new product architecture, you're still going to have to wait until next year at least before it's released. We may live in hope, but it's a poor way to browse the Internet or plan your security. Use Firefox now and if and when Microsoft comes up with a product with as many security and user features, you can always switch back.

I use Firefox almost exclusively, but there are still a few sites that I have to access that require me to use IE. Firefox doesn't support ActiveX or VBScript, so any Web site that uses either of these won't run correctly when viewed with Firefox. Some of the Web sites that still require IE are sites for online accounting programs, a few travel sites, a major weight watching site, and (of course) the Microsoft site. While I understand the desire to run MS-free computers, IE is still a requirement at least for some Web sites. Fortunately, many Web sites are being modified so that they're no longer browser-specific to reflect both the steady rise in Firefox use as well as the potential risk of using ActiveX or VBScript. More importantly, if you're running a Windows computer, removing IE can in some cases destabilize the system if it's simply yanked out. It's best to have IE available for those increasingly rare cases where it's required and not use it unless you absolutely need to.

Q: Why should users switch to Thunderbird?

Users should switch to Thunderbird for several reasons. First, Thunderbird contains a number of features that will help preserve their security and privacy. If you value your time, Thunderbird's junk mail filtering can make your life a whole lot easier, since it lets you keep your inbox spam-free. Thunderbird contains a robust set of features, including an integrated spell checker and RSS support. If you need added functionality, Thunderbird has a wealth of extensions available that can be installed to extend its capabilities. Finally, Thunderbird is under continuous development, and is always fresh due to the fact that many eyes are on the code every day. Getting continuous feedback from the Open Source community lets the developers produce a dynamic product that's always forward-thinking.

Q: How would migration to Thunderbird work for users who have been using their current e-mail client for a long time and have lots of e-mail, lots of rules and filters, and lots of folders?

Thunderbird lets you import options, account settings, and address book information from a number of other mail clients (see the book for a list of all of the clients that are currently supported). Before doing this, we recommend users back up their important information and keep their current mail client on their computer until the transition is complete. Mail is important to all of us, and because there are so many machine configurations and different mail setups, it's important to follow these steps. I would encourage everyone to try Thunderbird to see what it can do for them - they won't be sorry.

Q: Is Thunderbird more secure than other mail clients? If so, how and why?
Thunderbird is more secure than other mail clients. First, Thunderbird doesn't let any scripts run by default. Second, its remote image-blocking feature lets you control remote content that may be embedded in e-mail messages. Thunderbird lets you define your trusted list of senders so you only accept mail from people you trust. In the next release, we're taking things a step further by adding anti-phishing support, which is another way to ease the minds of those worried about this prevalent practice.

Q: What distinguishes Thunderbird from Outlook and Eudora?

I did a Web chat with the washingtonpost.com last week, and one of the poster's chief complaints about Outlook was the fact he could never find the e-mails he was looking for with the search. One of the great things about Thunderbird is that it offers you numerous ways to search your mail, and I think that is one of its greatest strengths.

The other advantage that Thunderbird has is the fact is very secure, and it has the added RSS functionality, which is something that other mail clients do not have. RSS is becoming more popular every day, as users are catching on to the fact that it makes content delivery very easy - no more hunting around as information changes.

Q: What cool things can we do to customize Thunderbird?

One of the great advantages of Thunderbird is the fact you can customize the product with extensions and themes. Again, this lets you add functionality where you need it. For example, if you handle a great many attachments in your daily e-mail, you can install an extension such as Thunderbird Attachment Tools that gives you much more control over them that you get in e-mail messages. If you need extra dictionary functionality, you can install DictionarySearch to look up and translate words. You can even configure a music player (FoxyTunes) and play your music while you dive into your mail. There are countless other examples of extensions that can be added to Thunderbird to extend its already powerful capabilities. On the themes side, there are some great iconographic themes out there for Thunderbird. I personally like the Mostly Crystal theme, but there are a lot of other really cool ones.

Q: How can I manage my RSS feeds and newsgroups using Thunderbird?

Managing RSS is a snap using Thunderbird. You simply create an RSS account, and then you can either drag-and-drop the XML links onto the account, or you can right click on the account and enter the feed URL. There's also an extension called Forumzilla that gives you extra functionality in the RSS space.

Creating a newsgroup account is just as easy. All you have to do is create the account, enter the name of your newsgroup server, and then you can subscribe to the newsgroups you want.

Conclusion
Firefox and Thunderbird afford the user a great deal of flexibility in the Internet space. With a robust set of features and unparalleled extensibility, both products put the user in the driver's seat. There are over 600 extensions and themes available that let users configure the browser and the e-mail client to their specific needs. Firefox and Thunderbird are also proactive in their approach to security, letting you know when bad things may be looming on the horizon. Both offer a number of features that will help protect your privacy and security. Finally, the Open Source development engine that drives both of them ensures that they are always fresh and never stale.

For more information about the products and to download them for free, go to www.mozilla.org.