Unless you don’t like Firefox or you have been living in a cave, you know that Firefox 2 has been released. In fact, it’s been released and it’s been downloaded – a lot. Actually, that’s an understatement. It was downloaded 2 million times in the first 24 hours. And to quote Tommy Boy, can you say, “Holy Schnikey.” That equates to roughly 30 downloads per second. This would be the time to pick your floppy drive off the ground. But Firefox 2 has been met with mixed reviews. Let’s take a look at some of the features of Firefox 2.
Tabs
One of the things that made Firefox a huge hit was tabs. Firefox 2 takes suggestions from users serious and adds some much desired features. Now each tab has its own “X” to close it. Also, once you open too many tabs, Firefox 2 moves ones off the page to a drop down. That makes navigating your 300 tabs of ESPN easier to navigate. And they also keep a history of closed tabs in the history menu. That allows you to easily reopen the tab if it has been closed.
Utility Goodies
Some of these were in the previous version of Firefox, but we’ll run them down anyway. Firefox 2 allows for inline spell checking. This is helpful if you’re blogging or emailing on a platform that doesn’t have spell checking. It also includes suggestion on search. This is also known as auto-completion. One of the things that I really like is the session restore feature. Now, if FF bombs out, it will reopen where you left off. And, of course, there is the RSS utility. Now you have control over your RSS feeds. Another cool feature is live titles. This allows you to watch stuff, like an ebay auction, in real time on your toolbar. Keep in the loop. And who could have forgotten the integrated pop up blocker. And Firefox 2 also has much better accessibility support.
Security
A very big problem on the net is phishing. This is when a website is claiming to be something that it isn’t. There are lots of scams going on involving ebay, paypal, and banking institutions. Firefox 2 incorporates anti-phishing functionality. You can go to this site to test if your browser can spot a phisher. And Firefox 2 does automatic updates, keeps automatic downloads from happening, and allows you to clear your private data.
Extend
If you are not using Firefox, I’m sure you have your reasons. And if the above features haven’t been enough to convince you, just check out the addons that are available. You could spend a couple of years adding on to FF.
Critics Sound Off
Alright, alright – so you’re still not sure. Let me give you some links on what others are saying:
- CNet gives Firefox 2 their editor’s choice
- Boing Boing’s quick take says it kicks
- Laughing Squid really seems to like the new internet home
Tips and Tweaks Rundown
And I can’t post about Firefox without including some links to great tweaking, add ons, and tricks links:
- TechCrunch’s recommended addons
- QuickOnlineTip’s 50 best firefox extensions
- LifeHacker’s Top Firefox 2 Config Tweaks
- And my Firefox Hack Trick Smackdown…mmm, good stuff.
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