Monday, December 8, 2008

Firefox + Add-ons

Many people use Internet Explorer (IE) to surf the web and probably to view this blog. However, a significant number of people of internet users also use Firefox. Firefox has increased its percentage of use over the last year. I like Firefox for a number of reasons...

First, I like the tabs and interface on Firefox. Yes, I know IE has tabs but the Firefox interface makes better use of my screen and I like the button locations better. It also does a better job of opening new tabs rather than cluttering my desktop with windows as I click on links. Maybe it is preference & previous experience, but it is intuitive and easy to navigate through multiple websites simultaneously. I can open to my homepage or the tabs I had open when I closed the program the last time. Many preferences are easy to access and set.

Secondly, I like the add-ons. What is an add-on? It is a simple download that integrates into your browser. I use Foxmarks Bookmarks Synchronizer. This handy little tool automatically synchronizes my bookmarks between my computers. If I bookmark something at school, I can also access it from my computer at home. Additionally, when I am on the road on a public computer or a friend's, I can go to Foxmarks.com and access all my bookmarks on the web. It is easy, and runs in the background without me doing anything.

I also like the AdBlock Plus add-on. I install it and it automatically blocks some annoying banners that I get. Since I installed this on my Firefox, my spam has gone down. I can't promise there is a correlation but it is supposed to keep advertisements from dropping unwanting things onto your computer.

Other add-ons of interest include Google Notebook, Google Gears, and Pronounce. Overall, I find these add-ons run seamlessly in the background but make my productivity easier and more convenient. Many themes are also available for aesthetics.

Lastly, I also like the search bar on Firefox. It allows me to easily search Google, Amazon, and Creative Commons among others. (I'll talk about Creative Commons in a later post.)

More browsers are available to search the internet. Some people like IE but others just use because they don't know about other options. Firefox is a good choice to consider. Some people also like Safari. Chrome is a new browser that has gotten some attention lately.

Choose what works best for you and makes you most productive.

1 comment:

  1. I like Firefox and use it part of the time. Currently I've been enjoying Chrome. I like the simplicity and quickness. There are not a lot of options, which usually allows for a more sleek design. I find it convenient to move the tabs around and even out into new windows. I like the combo address / search bar and right click menus associated with this (you can paste & search in one click of the mouse). Unfortunately it doesn't have add-ons (but then it would not be as sleek). Also it's partially closed source made by Google (which I worry that they are becoming way too powerful).

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