Firefox 3 Review
Wow. Just downloaded the latest version of the Firefox browser, Firefox 3, and it is super-fast! The great thing is that the upgrade from Firefox 2 to Firefox 3 went without a hitch, and all my important Firefox add-ons and plug-ins are working like FireFTP, Gmail Manager, Duplicate Tab, Session Manager, SEO for Firefox, Download Accelerator Plus Integration, and the Google Toolbar for Firefox. Moreover, my bookmarks and browsing history seem to have all been preserved.
Awesome Bar
Also, one of the first things I noticed is that the address or location bar (where you type a site's web address or URL), now displays the titles and not just the web addresses of the web pages it suggests. Mozilla calls this the Smart Location Bar because "over time, it adapts to your preferences and offers better fitting matches." Also, the Smart Location Bar now suggests not just the previous web pages you've visited but also your bookmarks! How cool is that. (Indeed, Firefox fans have dubbed this the Awesome Bar.)
You can also find a star on the right end of the location bar for quick bookmarking. Another added feature is that the location bar and the search bar beside it can now be re-sized. Meanwhile, when you hover your mouse curson over the favicon (small icon) to the left of the location bar, it displays the identity information of the site you're visiting to let you know how secure it is. (While most of the sites right now would display 'The website does not supply identity information,' try going to PayPal.com to test this new feature in a secure site.)
Pop-up Windows
I also noticed that pop-up windows now display properly. For example, before, my Gmail Manager Firefox Add-on with its status icon on the bottom right of my Status Bar messed up the pop-up windows of this site's rich text editor -- some of the pop-up window's content and text would be clipped, but now I can see all the text and content! Not to mention that the pop-up windows now display faster!
More Features in Firefox 3
To learn more about Firefox 3 and its new features, I'm quoting from the press release of Firefox's creator, Mozilla:
What’s New in Firefox 3:
The Web is all about innovation, and Firefox 3 sets the pace with dozens of new features to deliver a faster, more secure and customizable Web browsing experience for all.
User Experience. The enhancements to Firefox 3 provide the best possible browsing experience on the Web. The new Firefox 3 smart location bar, affectionately known as the “Awesome Bar,” learns as people use it, adapting to user preferences and offering better fitting matches over time. The Firefox 3 Library archives browsing history, bookmarks, and tags, where they can be easily searched and organized. One-click bookmarking and tagging make it easy to remember, search and organize Web sites. The new full-page zoom displays any part of a Web page, up close and readable, in seconds.
Performance. Firefox 3 is built on top of the powerful new Gecko 1.9 platform, resulting in a safer, easier to use and more personal product. Firefox 3 now uses less memory while it’s running, and its redesigned page rendering and layout engine means users see Web pages two to three times faster than Firefox 2.
Security. Firefox 3 raises the bar for security. The new malware and phishing protection helps protect from viruses, worms, trojans and spyware to keep people safe on the Web. Firefox 3’s one-click site ID information allows users to verify that a site is what it claims to be. Mozilla’s open source process leverages the experience of thousands of security experts around the globe.
Customization. Everyone uses the Web differently, and Firefox 3 lets users customize their browser with more than 5,000 add-ons. Firefox Add-ons allow users to manage tasks like participating in online auctions, uploading digital photos, seeing the weather forecasts, and listening to music, all from the convenience of the browser. The new Add-ons Manager helps users to find and install add-ons directly from the browser.
For more information about Mozilla Firefox 3 and how it delivers an easier, faster, and safer online experience, visit http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/features.
Mozilla Firefox 3 is available now for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems as a free download from http://www.getfirefox.com.
The release of Firefox 3 kicks off Download Day, the Mozilla community’s grassroots campaign to set a brand new Guinness World Record for the greatest number of software downloads in 24 hours. The worldwide community effort begins the minute Firefox 3 is released and will continue for a full day. For more information, please visit http://www.spreadfirefox.com/worldrecord/.
