When Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7.0 last year, people were happy with a lot of the updates. Tabbed browsing was a big hit. Finally, here was a way to open new web pages without having to open more Internet Explorer windows. The new way to add-on functionality via plug-ins was also a success. The new download manager was most welcome, as well. The catch? All of those things had been available for years in the Firefox browser.
When you are working in the corporate office, you have to use the software your IT group gives you, but when you are working in a home office you
are free to use the best of the best. Here is your chance.
Firefox is a free web browser managed by the Mozilla foundation. Firefox is an open-source program, meaning that the actual computer code for the program is available to anyone who wants to see it. Literally thousands of computer programs help update that same code and suggest improvements to it. The result is a remarkably stable web browser that works based on the way users want it to work, because it is the users who write it. What is missing is just as important as what's there though. With no corporate agenda to push, Firefox doesn't include unnecessary technologies or gimmicks. Compare that to Internet Explorer which Microsoft routinely uses to push its technologies or standards. Remember ActiveX?
So, what new goodies are available in Firefox 3.0?
First off, the one knock Firefox did have against it was that it seemed to chew up memory the longer it was open; not anymore. Now, Firefox uses less memory per open page than IE 7.0. Other improvements include the "AwesomeBar." The AwesomeBar learns as you use Firefox, so that your most likely targets are helpfully suggested as you start typing the web address. So, if you go to denverlibrary.org on a regular basis, that will be the first address in the list as you type "den". The old address bar (and the one in IE 7.) just suggested based on where you had been last. So, if you go to denverlibrary.org every day, but paid a parking ticket yesterday by visiting denvergov.org, those old versions
would have suggested denvergov.org because you had been there most recently. The AwesomeBar is too smart for that, and will continue to suggest denverlibrary.org instead. This can save you hours when working from home on a deadline and you need to get back to websites that you only partially remember.