9. Firefox 3
Mozilla
Free
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
While Microsoft readies its Internet Explorer 8 for a 2009 release, second-place Mozilla keeps claiming valuable turf in the browser wars. Its Firefox 3 was downloaded by some 8 million Web users on June 17, the day of its release—a new one-day record for downloads—and helped Mozilla surpass 20% share in November. Its boldest new feature, the "Awesomebar," is a drop-down menu that appears when you start typing a Web address or keyword, quickly scanning any site in your browsing history for that word. It's also faster, and as BW's Wildstrom noted, it has robust new measures to enhance online security. "I'm impressed with an assortment of features designed to simplify navigation and protect people from various kinds of Web-based nastiness," he says.
