The browser should be invisible. 

Browser software, as the centerpiece of the Internet experience, must be constantly updated with the latest bug fixes and security patches. So updating the browser is a central part of the Internet experience.

The makers of Firefox get this.

I have been using several of the major browsers lately to test unreleased web apps. Most of the concern in the websphere is over web standards, CSS support, and the like. But there’s a bigger problem: how much “attention” I have to give to upgrading browsers.

Attention is absolutely precious. So every time an application interrupts me with a question it could have figured out on its own, I run the risk of losing focus and productivity. Like web popups, this is a huge annoyance.

Again, the folks who make Firefox understand this. Rather than annoy you with inane questions and endless ”Next…” buttons, it just asks a single question at runtime: “There’s a new version of Firefox. Do you want to upgrade now or later?”. You choose and it basically says, “You got it!” and goes away. Next thing you know, you’re browser is upgraded. No fuss.

This philosophy has gone into every area of Firefox: “The browser should be invisible.”

And this philosophy is why Firefox wins.

Firefox should be on iPhone. Firefox should have been on Palm before it died. Firefox should be on Windows Mobile.