IBM (NYSE: IBM) created a buzz late last month when it directed its 400,000 employees to start using the free, open source Firefox as their default browser; appearing to capitalize on the momentum, Mozilla released an initial test version of Firefox 4 this week. The latest iteration of the browser comes with a new interface, improved performance, privacy protection, crash protection and high-definition video capability, Mozilla's Mike Beltzner wrote in a blog post Tuesday. 

Early reviews have some good things to say about the first test version of Firefox 4, but some are hoping Mozilla will make some additional changes prior to the official launch:

Simon Mackie at WebWorkerDaily complained that Firefox 4 still runs too slowly. Other recently upgraded browsers, particularly Chrome Web Browser, perform faster, he writes: "[G]iven the rapid release cycles of the other browser vendors, will Mozilla be able to keep up? Firefox still has a few aces up its sleeve--a giant extension ecosystem, an enormous user base and some innovative new features, like in-browser contacts management--but on raw speed it's still losing out to its main competitors."

At the same time, Firefox 4 shares a number of noticeable similarities with Chrome, notes Gregg Keizer at Computerworld: "Both put the tabs above the address bar; both sport a minimalist look with few buttons; and on Vista and Windows 7, both dispense with the traditional menus spread across the top of the screen."

For business users in particular, there are some security improvements in store that may be of interest.  One "minor but useful change," according to Seth Rosenblatt at CNET, is a feature that stops websites from looking at a user's browser history. Additionally, the new version of the browser is slated to come with a content security policy for helping to detect threats as well as an account manager, he writes.

For more:
- see Mike Beltzner's post at the Mozilla blog
- see Simon Mackie's post at WebWorkerDaily
- see Gregg Keizer's post at Computerworld
- see Seth Rosenblatt's post at CNET

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