Yesterday, I found out that internet explorer had a new version, so I went and downloaded it. I like to have a backup for firefox; my default brower. I've haven't had IE as my default browser for a long time. This has changed.

The new IE 8 outside looks just about the same as IE 7. However, it comes with a feature known as accelerators. (firefox users will know these as add-ons) Going through both sites, you'll find that firefox has by far has a bigger selection. What can you do with these? In IE for example, I have the ability to highlight a text, right click and define, blog about it in blogger, map (if its an address), translate, search for it in google, wikipedia and youtube. For the most part, these are already added in IE 8. Firefox has most of these abilities sans the youtube one, but the problem is that you only can have two search providers; google (or yahoo) and wikipedia. I also found the translator program in IE better both at translating, and allowing for the whole page to be translated. (not that I use that feature much, but still)

For many people, its all about speed. You just want to hurry up and get there. Firefox 3 beats IE 7 in speed; no doubt. This time, they are about even, with USA Today saying Ie is faster. Other sources state the other. Personally, I can't see much of a difference now. I think this is true if you got broadband and a relatively fast computer. If you look at the stats for who is faster, you'll notice the difference is in hundreths of a second. *blink of an eye*

Privacy. Some of you guys are doing things you really shouldn't or you simply don't like to be tracked by anyone. IE and Firefox has different ways of helping you cope. IE has something they call InPrivate browsing. When using it, it "prevent Internet Explorer from storing data about your browsing session. This includes cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and other data. Toolbars and extensions are disabled by default". In contrast, firefox will have you go your Tools, and click Clear Private Data. It gives you options to clear or not various things, like cookies and temp files; like IE. That is cool, but the problem is that you'd have to remember to do that after you're done browsing; I think its easier to remember to do it before than after. Plus, I like IE's InPrivate filtering. (different than its InPrivate browsing)

In "InPrivate Filtering (it) helps prevent website content providers from collecting information about sites you visit. Here's how it works. Many webpages use content—such as advertisements, maps, or web analysis tools—from websites other than the one you are visiting. These websites are called content providers or third-party websites. When you visit a website with third-party content, some information about you is sent to the content provider. If a content provider offers content to a large number of the websites you visit, the content provider could develop a profile of your browsing preferences. Profiles of browsing preferences can be used in a variety of ways, including for analysis and serving targeted advertisements." As far as I know, firefox doesn't have this.

Other IE stuff I like is the zoom button on the bottom of the browser, easy access to favs and the more obvious tab buttons. The web slices feature lets you get updated info about a site on the fly. With firefox, I like the fact that I am prompted to save the password and user name always; easily being able to login to various sites. IE has that but it isn't as easy to use. Firefox allows for one click ability to add a favorite. I also like the size of the icons on firefox.

At the end, I think IE 8 is better than firefox, but not by that much. I didn't review the browsers: Opera, Chrome, Safari, netscape and whathaveyou as they all lack many of the core features these two have. So get IE 8. It may not have the computer geek coolness rebel browsers such as firefox seem to have, but I think you'll like IE.