Firefox 2.0 errata
Wednesday, October 25th, 2006
Well, Firefox 2.0 is finally out to the masses. I’ve been using various betas and nightlies for quite some time now to follow the progress, and since RC2 i’ve fallen in love all over again with this browser.
For me, RC2 through the Final Release which I am composing this entry on right now have been just absolutely rock-solid. We’re talking zero problems. That alone is an outstanding achievement, considering that for 12-14 hours per day I am heavily using the browser with numerous tabs, and throwing every sort of javascript error and html oddity at it you could imagine.
On top of that, it’s easier on the eyes thanks to the refined default theme, and many things I previously used extensions for are now standard with the browser. All in all, once I got about:config setup the way I wanted it, I couldn’t be more pleased with 2.0. It is really a great piece of software.
As if that weren’t enough, today while casually perusing my Google Homepage, I saw an entry on Tech Crunch about some sort of top-ten list for Firefox add-ons. I always read these types of articles and end up installing one or two new and nifty extensions, only to end up never using them and uninstalling them a few weeks later. Today, however, is destined to be different.
Among the gems listed are a couple I’ve used for a long time:
Download Statusbar is perhaps a model for the “perfect” extension. I never even think about it when it’s there, but when it isn’t, it’s an intolerable gap in functionality for me. Trust me when I tell you, you’ll love it.
ChatZilla is a really great IRC client, conveniently located in a tab within Firefox. I don’t IRC as much as I used to, but when I do, this is all I use.
Greasemonkey is just art. For the profoundly picky, there is no greater tool. The level of customization of individual websites it allows is practically boundless, and for folks less hackerly, there are a huge number of pre-built scripts available on the web.
AdBlock Plus speaks for itself. Many people prefer to never see an ad, and this will help them achieve that goal. Personally, I prefer to get rid of only the obnoxious ads, because I do occasionally click ads and even buy product from clicked ads on sites I value and enjoy supporting. It allows me that freedom as well.
Web Developer Toolbar has been a long-time stalwart in my extension warchest as well. Troubleshooting webpage code has never been easier, when you combine this handy little tool with Notepad++, the world’s greatest text editor.
In addition to these fantastic Add-Ons, a couple were listed that I hadn’t messed with before. Two are now permanent members of my add-on stable:
FireFTP is a no-brainer. I had heard of this before, but never downloaded it. Who knows why. It’s perfect, and I guarantee i’ll be using it constantly.
Firebug is a logical progression of Firefox’s own error console. It allows you to step through JavaScript code, line by line, for troubleshooting purposes, just like every real development environment has since God only knows when. I anticipate it saving me a lot of time during complex projects.
Another really great extension I use all the time that didn’t make the cut for the Top Ten list is ColorZilla. It allows you to instantly retrieve the hex code for any color on any webpage, just by mousing over it. I can hear web designers out there madly rushing to download it now.
Well, Firefox 2.0 is finally out to the masses. I’ve been using various betas and nightlies for quite some time now to follow the progress, and since RC2 i’ve fallen in love all over again with this browser.
For me, RC2 through the Final Release which I am composing this entry on right now have been just absolutely rock-solid. We’re talking zero problems. That alone is an outstanding achievement, considering that for 12-14 hours per day I am heavily using the browser with numerous tabs, and throwing every sort of javascript error and html oddity at it you could imagine.
On top of that, it’s easier on the eyes thanks to the refined default theme, and many things I previously used extensions for are now standard with the browser. All in all, once I got about:config setup the way I wanted it, I couldn’t be more pleased with 2.0. It is really a great piece of software.
As if that weren’t enough, today while casually perusing my Google Homepage, I saw an entry on Tech Crunch about some sort of top-ten list for Firefox add-ons. I always read these types of articles and end up installing one or two new and nifty extensions, only to end up never using them and uninstalling them a few weeks later. Today, however, is destined to be different.
Among the gems listed are a couple I’ve used for a long time:
Download Statusbar is perhaps a model for the “perfect” extension. I never even think about it when it’s there, but when it isn’t, it’s an intolerable gap in functionality for me. Trust me when I tell you, you’ll love it.
ChatZilla is a really great IRC client, conveniently located in a tab within Firefox. I don’t IRC as much as I used to, but when I do, this is all I use.
Greasemonkey is just art. For the profoundly picky, there is no greater tool. The level of customization of individual websites it allows is practically boundless, and for folks less hackerly, there are a huge number of pre-built scripts available on the web.
AdBlock Plus speaks for itself. Many people prefer to never see an ad, and this will help them achieve that goal. Personally, I prefer to get rid of only the obnoxious ads, because I do occasionally click ads and even buy product from clicked ads on sites I value and enjoy supporting. It allows me that freedom as well.
Web Developer Toolbar has been a long-time stalwart in my extension warchest as well. Troubleshooting webpage code has never been easier, when you combine this handy little tool with Notepad++, the world’s greatest text editor.
In addition to these fantastic Add-Ons, a couple were listed that I hadn’t messed with before. Two are now permanent members of my add-on stable:
FireFTP is a no-brainer. I had heard of this before, but never downloaded it. Who knows why. It’s perfect, and I guarantee i’ll be using it constantly.
Firebug is a logical progression of Firefox’s own error console. It allows you to step through JavaScript code, line by line, for troubleshooting purposes, just like every real development environment has since God only knows when. I anticipate it saving me a lot of time during complex projects.
Another really great extension I use all the time that didn’t make the cut for the Top Ten list is ColorZilla. It allows you to instantly retrieve the hex code for any color on any webpage, just by mousing over it. I can hear web designers out there madly rushing to download it now.