Which Internet Browser do you prefer and why?

Most of the time when you purchase a computer, Internet Explorer is the browser you are expected to use.  It is right there, already on your computer; just click and start browsing.

But, there are other choices!  Really!  Firefox, Opera and Safari are choices...real choices. 

Internet Explorer is slow, clunky, behind-the-times and because of that it takes up so much of your valuable time.  Add up in a day how much time you spend waiting, waiting, waiting for IE to load something.  And then, when you are right in the middle of an important item....uh oh...IE needs to shut down for the millionth time for an internet error!  AAAGGGHHHH!

The competitors:  Firefox (mozilla.com), Opera (opera.com) and Safari (apple.com/safari) really make your work day much more enjoyable.    Tabbed browsing is one of the features that these innovators added to their browsers before IE.   It is not just about the features, though, it about their overall execution.

Safari 3.1, which just migrate to Windows, is about twice as fast as IE7--even faster than Firefox.  Speed depends on many factors so you may experience different results.  Because these browsers are not bogged down by the OS like IE7, the systems operate much quicker.

Firefox 3.1 and Opera 9.51 come in Mac versions too.  Both download and install effortlessly.  To configure to one of these new platforms, just import your exxisting bookmarks and set your homepage.  Also, download plug-ins like Foxmarks to sync your Firefox bookmarks across all devices on a network.

Safari's look and feel (operation, menus and toolbar placement) are very similar to Firefox.  Safari's private browsing mode does not leave tracks in your history or autofill menu.  Safari is less customizable than Firefox.  Some of the better qualities are:  security and multimedia. 

Firefox now has tagging, a search library and other ways to build a browsing history so its new location bar can pop up sites more quickly.   Firefox's best features are:  it's overall responsive browser with a great set of features for daily use.

Opera has page management which is unbeatable and in-browser widgets.  But, its default look probably devotes more screen space to icons, pull-downs and panes that the average user wants to look at every day.    This browser and a lot of its features really seems more geared to the web page builder than the web page viewer.  There is also Opera Mobile 9.5 if you are on the go!  Opera's better qualities are:  cutting-edge activities.

All three are worth taking a look at as an alternative to Internet Explorer.  I don't know about you but I am pretty fed up with IE shutting down right in the middle of my activity.  I believe IE is overworked and used by far too many people in the world for it to be the best choice any more.

What is your opinion?  Which Browser do you prefer and why?