Mozilla isn't quite at full release 1.0 status yet. But it's achingly close. What's more, if it continues to improve, Internet Explorer may have quite a battle on its hands.

We've waited more than four years for Mozilla, the Netscape-backed open-source browser--and we're still waiting for the completed version. But Mozilla has finally posted its official Release Candidate 1 (RC 1) and plans to release the final soon. In our unofficial tests, RC 1 ran nearly as fast as Internet Explorer 6. Plus, it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, which no other browser does, and it promises a greater ability to customize than competing browsers do. Best of all, Mozilla is completely free: no fees and no strings attached. Sure, we found some flies in the ointment, but we're hoping that the gold code cleans them up. Stay tuned for our final word.

Steals from the best
Netscape's 6.x browser borrowed Mozilla's back end. Hence, the similarities abound, from their interfaces to their e-mail clients, which can handle multiple POP/IMAP accounts. But Mozilla's open-source heritage promises greater flexibility than its sister app. For example, anybody with a cool idea for a new feature or add-on can tweak the source code and send it to Mozilla.org. Similarly, if the browser does a task too slowly, anyone could locate and correct the problem in the source code. And Mozilla does have a few new, if not entirely original, tricks up its sleeve.

For instance, Mozilla's Web page tabs look an awful lot like Opera's similarly convenient tool. It consists of a little row of tab icons between the menu bars and the main browser window that let you load multiple Web pages into one browser window, then switch quickly between pages. It's a clean alternative to opening multiple browsers or hitting the Back button. (To set a tab, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking a link.)

No strings attached
In our informal beta tests, Mozilla 1.0 displays Web pages almost as quickly as IE 6, and it seems faster than Netscape 6.2.2. The Quick Launch feature (Edit > Preferences > Advanced, then select the Enable Quick Launch check box) preloads parts of Mozilla during Windows start-up so that the browser loads faster. How very Windows XP.

Surprisingly, such speedy performance doesn't cost a cent. Sure, other browsers say they're free, but most have hidden costs. Mozilla, on the other hand, doesn't come bundled in your OS like IE, doesn't plant AOL icons onto your desktop like Netscape 6.2, and doesn't bombard you with banner ads like Opera's "free" version.

Sibling rivalry
Nonetheless, a few worrisome bugs plague RC 1. For one, Mozilla doesn't play nicely with Netscape. When we installed Netscape 6.2.2 and Mozilla on our Windows XP test machine, the sidebars, panes that display bookmarks and similar items, disappeared in both browsers. Mac users can't even run the two browsers simultaneously; if one browser is running, the other won't launch. At present, we cannot reach Mozilla reps for comment, but we hope the company fixes these glitches before final code.

Need help? Do it yourself
Unfortunately, since Mozilla is freeware, there's no huge support department to help you debug problems such as these. Although Mozilla.org hosts some newsgroups, they're aimed at developers, not end users, so you're pretty much on your own. This Netscape help group offers the best help on Mozilla.org we've found.

Bright future
Despite the bugs, we're excited by the promise we see in Mozilla 1.0 RC 1. This browser preserves Netscape 6.x 's best features, including an e-mail client that handles multiple POP/IMAP accounts. Still, if Mozilla cleans up its act before the final release, it may actually best its two most powerful competitors.

Mozilla 1.0 Release Candidate 1
Company: Mozilla
Price: Free download

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