What is 'Firefox'?

Firefox is a web browser that is rapidly gaining in popularity. It is based on the Mozilla/Netscape codebase and its main features are as follows:

Popup blocking

Stop annoying popup ads in their tracks with Firefox's built in popup blocker.

Tabbed Browsing

View more than one web page in a single window with this time saving feature. Open links in the background so that they're ready for viewing when you're ready to read them.

Privacy and Security

Protects your computer from malicious spyware by not loading harmful ActiveX controls. A comprehensive set of privacy tools keep your online activity your business.

Smarter Search

Google Search is built right into the toolbar, and there are a plethora of other search tools including Smart Keywords (type "dict " in the Location bar), and the new Find bar (which finds text as you type without covering up anything).

Live Bookmarks

RSS integration lets you read the latest news headlines and read updates to your favorite sites that are syndicated.

Hassle-Free Downloading

Files you download are automatically saved to your Desktop so they're easy to find. Fewer prompts mean files download quicker.

Fits Like a Glove

Simple and intuitive, yet fully featured, Firefox has all the functions you're used to - Bookmarks, History, Full Screen, Text Zooming to make pages with small text easier to read, etc.

Customizable

You can customize toolbars to add additional buttons, install new Extensions that add new features, add new Themes to browse with style, and use the adaptive search system to allow you to search an infinite number of engines. Firefox is as big or small as you want.

Easy Setup

At only 4.7MB (Windows), Firefox takes just a few minutes to download over a slow connection and seconds over a fast connection. The installer gets you set up quickly, and the new Easy Transition system imports all of your settings - Favorites, passwords and other data from Internet Explorer and other browsers - so you can start surfing right away.

A Developer's Best Friend

Firefox comes with a standard set of developer tools including a powerful JavaScript and CSS error/warning console, and an optional Document Inspector that gives detailed insight about your pages.

In my opinion, Firefox is a solid, dependable browser. It is full of useful features - these days you certainly want to have tabbed browsing, and the optional document inspector is a great unique feature for web masters. To find out more, or download Firefox, go to the Firefox website.

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