Firefox in the dust: Opera poised to reclaim browser performance lead Exactly what is it that convinces a Windows 7 user to drop the Web browser that came with her operating system – Internet Explorer – and try one of its many free competitors? The very name “Firefox” implies both speed and savvy, two factors its predecessor – Netscape Navigator – did not always possess. “Faster” and “better looking” are the two factors that make folks trade up for a sports car, though with a Web browser, “free” is a nice incentive you don’t find in the automotive market.
