Review: Firefox 3.0 has Lots to Like -- and It's Free

The real vision behind Firefox is in the very essence behind the open-source movement. Mozilla is not-for-profit and is completely open with their source code. This means that anyone in the world can check it out, offer improvements or create their own new super-cool software to interact with it. Why do it any other way?

This is a relief, since Firefox 2.0 was more than a little disappointing. It got to the point where Arlene (my trusty assistant) and I couldn't recommend 2.0. This left us in a bit of a quandary. Internet Explorer is a kluge.

Although I consider IE version 7 far superior to version 6, it falls short of the speedy, secure, lightweight Web browser that Firefox promised with its initial offerings.

When Firefox 2.0 was released, there was excitement in the air; however, it proved to be unstable, which has been attributed to memory leaks. Firefox, I am willing to forgive and forget, especially because you did right with version 3.0. I am happy to talk about it and recommend it.

First, this has been the fastest install I've ever known. In a world where software installation means downloading the software, connecting to the Internet, checking the authenticity and only then starting the install, the quick install is appreciated.

Second, you'll notice the slickly designed user interface. Hands down, aside from not crashing, this is my favorite thing. There are things that make sense, like the back button doesn't light up unless you have a Web page to go back to. These are small but intuitive improvements that make me happy.

Maybe I lied. My favorite aspect is the speed of Firefox 3.0. Things are loading much faster. Firefox attributes that to its new Gecko 1.9 platform and a handy memory application that monitors and cleans up unused memory.

You don't care? Me neither. It's fast, and that's all I need to know.

Support for online applications is another great improvement. It's now possible to choose a Web-based e-mail site (i.e.: hotmail, gmail, yahoo) to open when you double click on a Web site.

Live Computer Support and Technical Support is now offered at all hours of the night via chat, Remote, Online and over the phone.

I have fallen prey to the sad little habit of my generation: I never answer the phone, and I talk on it as little as possible.

The real vision behind Firefox is in the very essence behind the open-source movement. Mozilla is not-for-profit and is completely open with their source code.This means that anyone in the world can check it out, offer improvements or create their own new super-cool software to interact with it.

Why? Well, Mozilla states it best: Being open means the next big idea can come from anyone across the world, rather than just relying on a few dozen employees at company offices. Why do it any other way?

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Firefox Ctrl+Tab Popup Menu Switcher

The Tab Mix Plus extension has a gem of a feature buried deep within the settings: The ability to turn the Ctrl+Tab key from a direct tab switch into a popup menu that works similarly to the Windows Alt+Tab feature. It'll pop up a tiny dialog window that gives you a list of your tabs, and then on release of the keys will switch to that tab.

I've been using this for a while, but I only realized it's one of those things I can't live without when I actually had to go without it for a few minutes earlier…

To turn on this setting, open up Tab Mix Plus Options, click on Events and then the Tab Features tab. You'll see a checkbox titled "Ctrl-Tab displays a tab list popup menu" which you'll want to select.

Just try it for a while… if you use as many tabs as I do, you'll want to always keep this setting on.

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Installing Windows Media Player Plugin for Firefox

So you just bought a training video and popped it into your computer. You click on the menu in the autoplay dialog and it opens up Firefox, your default browser. Now you are staring at a blank screen. What now?
The problem is most likely because you don't have the Windows Media Player plugin installed for Firefox, so all we need to do is install it.
Note that you'll usually have the same problem anytime you try and view video files in Firefox using Windows Media format, such as .wmv files.
Installation
Just download and run the plugin installer linked below. You'll probably want to close Firefox during the installation.
Verifying Plugin Installation
After running through the very quick installation wizard, you might be curious if the installation actually worked. While the easiest method is to just open a Windows Media video, you can also type the following into the address bar to see the list of loaded plugins:
about:plugins
And you should see the Windows Media Player plugin in the list. You can also see which file types Firefox will use the plugin on.
And now I can view this Windows Media format video file in Firefox…
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