Some Tips To Speed Up Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is an excellent web browser that does a much better job than Internet Explorer when it comes to protecting your privacy and computer security. Unfortunately, Firefox can sometimes be slower than Internet Explorer. The speed difference between the two browsers is one of the main reasons why most people do not change their browser from the quicker yet more vulnerable Internet Explorer to the slower but more secure Firefox browser, the other reason being that Firefox introduces many new features that simply take more time to learn than some users are willing to invest. To get the best of both worlds - speed and security of browsing - you can download Mozilla Firefox and speed it up with these tips.

Pipelining

This tweak is very easy to accomplish. On your Firefox web browser address bar, type about:config, then press Enter. Scroll through the list of values and look for these three crucial pipelining settings: network.http.pipelining, network.http.proxy.pipelining, and network.http.pipelining.maxrequests. You can use the filter to easily find each of these entries.

For the pipelining entry, you should change the value to true. Just double click the false value to make this change. For the maxrequests entry, the default setting is four. Change the value to your desired number. This value determines how many page requests Firefox is capable of making. You can go as high as 8 to speed up your tabbed browsing. Finally, go to proxy.pipelining and change the value from false to true.

Doing the above steps will give you greater browsing speeds by allowing Firefox to process and send requests simultaneously instead of waiting until a response has been received from a previous request. This will also reduce network bottlenecks by packing multiple requests into a single data packet.

Increase Your Firefox Memory Cache

Your computer will automatically allot a memory cache for your Firefox browser. Increasing your browser cache will actually increase the amount of objects that your browser can retain, which cuts down on time spent retrieving information from your hard disk or a web server. As a result, your frequently visited pages will load much faster.

You can modify the cache settings by going to the Firefox tools menu and clicking on Options. From here, click on the "Advanced" tab, then the "Network" tab. On the network tab, you can specify any cache size you like, but it is doubtful you will need more than about 32 Megabytes of cache.

Block Unwanted Advertisements

One of the best ways to speed up Firefox is by using an Ad Removal extension, such as AdBlock Plus. AdBlock Plus can be installed at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865, and it works to block annoying banner ads. AdBlock Plus also features a "learning" feature, meaning you can right-click on unblocked ads and set them to be blocked, as well. Even with no other optimizations, Firefox will load most pages much faster than Internet Explorer when using AdBlock Plus, because it does not have to worry about downloading all of the annoying, unwanted ads that clutter up so many webpages.

Another plugin, called FasterFox, implements a large number of tweaks based on increasing the speed of your browsing. FasterFox is available from: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1269.

With these tips, you can speed up Firefox considerably, so don't let the slow performance you may have experienced deter you any longer. Firefox works to provide a much safer browsing experience than Internet Explorer, and its plugin interface allows for unprecedented levels of customization and convenience.

Firefox 2 Why Things Will Never be the Same

Way back in October, the Mozilla Corporation released Firefox 2.0, the third major release of its award-winning Web browser (1.0 and 1.5 were the previous milestones)s. As a long-time Firefox user?I was using the product back when it was originally called Phoenix?you might have expected me to jump all over Firefox 2.0. But the truth is, Mozilla really let me down with this one. Unlike its major competitor, Internet Explorer 7 (see my review), Firefox 2 doesn?t include any truly major new features. And its graphical overhaul is ugly, especially in Windows Vista.

Most egregious, however, is Firefox?s pathetic new anti-phishing feature, which is almost laughably bad.A lackluster Firefox upgrade doesn?t signal the end of times. But coming as it did right as Windows Vista development was winding down, Firefox 2 was a bit of bad timing for me. The problem was, I needed to test Vista features like IE 7 regularly, and since IE 7 was so good, I had little reason to jump ship to a new version of Firefox that, frankly, was rubbing me the wrong way. Had IE 7 been a dog like previous versions, or had Firefox 2 been a bit more exciting, things would have gone differently. As it was, I was surprised to see myself evolving into an IE user over the last few months of 2006.

Ultimately, old habits do die hard. I kept installing Firefox 2 for compatibility testing, and though I had primarily switched to IE 7, I would occasionally fire up the new version of my old favorite and see how things were evolving. Since October, Mozilla has issued at least one minor update to Firefox 2, bringing it up to version 2.0.0.1 by the time of this writing. And I?ve found ways to work around some of my bigger Firefox 2 problems.

So I?ve been remiss in not reviewing this browser, but I?m going to make up for it now. FireFox and FoxFire 2 still represents a viable and even desirable alternative to IE, even though the latest upgrade didn?t add any exciting new features. If you can get over the lack of progress, you might be happy to discover again, as I did, that Firefox is a neat product that still deserves your attention.

Firefox - Use Me!

Research has shown that only 25% of the users who download the Mozilla built browser Firefox use it regularly. That is a very good start but not enough...

Why is it so hard to outrun Internet Explorer?

First of all and most importantly - Internet Explorer comes with Windows and is ready to use. There is no additional work for the user and all Windows applications work hand-in-hand with it.

Another part of the users will simply not want to switch because they feel more comfortable with Internet Explorer and don't see the reason why to make the switch.
How to increase the Firefox market share?

Mozilla has build valuable partnerships to further increase their market share. Google Pack now includes Mozilla Firefox. When a user downloads and installs the software pack the possibility is given to choose to install every single item separately but also as a bundle. It is all about the ease of use - and the possibilities are much higher for people to install the software if less work = less hassle is involved.

Mozilla Firefox has agreed on a new strategy with a 12 point plan retention to increase its usage:

1. Change Firefox icon label to resemble action of getting to the Web
2. Put the Firefox icon in a better location
3. Make default browser settings easier to use
4. Big outbound marketing program driving brand recognition
5. Improve download page and first run pages
6. Improve support page
7. Make plug-ins work out of the box
8. Make add-ons and personas more accessible
9. Make the Web feel more human
10. Improve messaging through communications channels
11. Stickier start page
12. Explore Changing the Firefox icon image to closer resemble the action of getting to web

Tetridia's advice - be adventures and you will not regret it: download Firefox !

Why you should use Firefox

By now, just about everyone has heard of Firefox, and most understand that it's an
Internet browser similar to Internet Explorer. You've also probably been told that you should use it because it's more secure. But what does that mean to you? Why should you give up Internet Explorer, one of the most familiar programs that you use on a daily basis so that you can say you're "more secure"? Well, I'll tell you why, and also explain dozens of other benefits that Firefox offers that will make your online surfing safer and definitely more entertaining.

The topic of security between Firefox and Internet Explorer really grinds down to open source versus proprietary software, which I will only touch base with at this time. Naturally the two programs have completely different features, but the "secure" part refers to the architecture of how the programs are built and how quickly newly discovered security flaws are patched. The beauty of an open source project, like Firefox, is that countless programmers world-wide contribute their expertise to continually enhance Firefox to perform as stable and secure as possible. When a security flaw is discovered, it is often patched within hours of the discovery. Very often by the same person or persons that discovered the glitch. With proprietary software like Internet Explorer, a potential security issue has to be reported to Microsoft, researched, and then their team will develop a patch and release it hopefully within the month. Some mischievous weasel seeking to hijack some data, or otherwise cause trouble is very aware of this and will exploit IE as their number one target. Firefox's code is reviewed by experienced programmers across the globe to ensure safe Internet browsing. Assuming your a "hacker" (I use the term loosely) and your goal was a malicious attack on an unsuspecting user's workstation, would you attempt to crack a program written by a global army of coders, or Microsoft's IE team? That's what it means when they say Firefox is a "more secure" browser.

There are also several features that set Firefox apart from it's competitors. Tabbed browsing was an idea that Firefox popularized, and is now emulated by several other browsers fighting to usurp Firefox from its ever-growing command in the ongoing browser war. This function enables you to open up "tabs" in the same browser window so that you can view several pages without having to launch the same program several times. Internet Explorer 7 now offers this exact same feature. However, have you ever tried to completely erase your tracks from the browser history? In Internet Explorer 6 there about so many places you have to go (history, temporary files, cookies, etc...), and they are all in different locations. Firefox makes this easy by going to "Tools - Clear Private Data", and it swipes clean all your personal information out of the program (another idea IE 7 copied). You can also customize the placement of the toolbars and icons, and add, remove, or rearrange buttons the way you want them. For example, if you want to add a button to open a new tab, you go to "View - Toolbars - Customize" then drag and drop the "New Tab" button to where you want it to sit in the navigation bar. This way you won't have to hit "File - New Tab" or press "Ctrl+T" to open new tabs. The same process can be repeated for the other available buttons. For a complete list of Firefox shortcuts click here.

Now comes the best part of the Firefox revolution; themes and extensions. Extensions are basically additions to the browser created by various contributors that enhance or add features to the browser. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of extensions available so I will only mention some of the more popular ones. DownThemAll! is an incredible extension that will enable you to download every picture on a website, instead of having to click each pic, right-click, and choose "Save As". Forecastfox allows you to specify a specific location and then displays the current temperature complete with a clever symbol of the current weather (sunshine, clouds, etc...) in the bottom right hand corner of Firefox. Another more entertaining extension is StumbleUpon. Ever wonder how other people find all the cool stuff on the Internet? Using StumbleUpon, you can specify your individual interests, and when you click the "Stumble" button it will take you to a random page in one of the categories you specified that others have ranked as "Thumbs Up". From there you can rate it thumbs up, thumbs down, or simply Stumble again. Just try it, you'll see what I mean and how fun it can be. There are several other extensions that I'm sure you'll find interesting, just go here to check them out.

Firefox Themes allows you to customize the look and feel of the browser design. Themes can be thought of the same way some other programs refer to "skins". You can select a theme that is more sleak, perhaps reflects your personality, or stick with the default. The best way I can describe this awesome feature is to go there and browse around.

But how do you keep up with the latest versions of Firefox, its themes, and its extensions? When a new version of Firefox is released, it will actually download the updates and notify you that the next time Firefox is restarted it will automatically install the newest version; which is exactly what it does. To update themes and extensions, go to "Tools-Extensions" and "Tools-Themes", respectively, and click "Find Updates". If there are any new versions available, you click "Install" on each one and the next time you restart Firefox you'll have the latest and greatest version.

Hopefully by now you understand that no matter what proprietary browsers do to try to keep up, it's hard to compete with the collective ideas of the entire world. Not to mention that Google heavily endorses Firefox, so many of the gadgets offered work hand-in-hand with some of Google's products. These techneaks should help you add some personality to your browser, what it means to be "more secure", and how to have a little more fun on your side of the Internet.

Firefox An Alternative To Internet Explorer

Do you have Internet Explorer and are frustrated with the hanging, or the constant updates, or possibly all the different toolbars you need to make it work. Maybe you are like me, need a better way to surf the net, and cannot get the hang of the newest version of IE? Well if any of these pertain to you then I have a web browser for you, Firefox by Mozilla.

Firefox was designed to replace the Mozilla Suite in 2003. Firefox was once known as the Phoenix and Firebird, however both of these names were associated with other applications and so the name finally became Mozilla Firefox in 2004 better known as Firefox for short.

The original Firefox was released on February 9th of 2004 the first version was 1.0. Mozilla then released the more secure and stable version 1.5 on November 29, 2005 with version 2 to follow shortly behind in 2006.

When you go to the Firefox website for your download, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the screen where you will find your language. Once your Language is chosen you will then be directed to the user agreement page, after accepting the rules, after which the download page will load up. Here if you have not already noticed you will see that it comes with the Google Toolbar. The toolbar is your choice, and can be bypassed during the easy installation process.

Yes, IE may come installed on your PC when your Windows was but I have found Firefox to be an easier and definitely more reliable way to search and save web pages both online and off.

Firefox comes with a few Key Features as mentioned on their web page. The first feature is Tabbed Browsing, which allows you to view multiple pages in one browser, a feature that IE does not have unless installed with a toolbar, Pop-up Blocking, Higher Security standards, and the Google toolbar. Another security feature you may or may not notice depending on where you surf on the Internet is the Alert to let you know you have visited an unsafe web page. With all of these safe features and the ease of use, Firefox will become your new way to look as it has mine.

Firefox visual identity

Firefox’s logo has been changed over time. In October 13, Steven Garrity criticized Firefox's logo in an article which got lots and lots of attention . But in the same time Garrity’s article was reasonably criticized mainly in the sense of “where’s the patch?”, which mean “if you don't like it, you can fix it yourself” in the open source world.

After that, Mozilla Foundation invited Garrity to lead the viaual identity team they had.

Shortly afterwards, Garrity was invited by the Mozilla Foundation to head up the new visual identity team.

IE vs. Firefox Security stats

According to washingtonpost , the most used web browser – Internet Explorer – was unsafe to use for 284 days during 2006, and users were at risk .All because of the delays in patching serious known flaws. You can also see all IE’s valanurabilities during the year 2006 here

On the other hand , Mozilla Firefox - the rival – suffered from the same case, but for only nine days during the whole year.

For more detail click here

To be fare, we will have to wait and see how IE 7 will do. Microsoft did put a lot of effort into it, and made many significant changes adding many new features ,not to mention, the security updates.

The bright side of this war goes directly to the end user, as the compitition goes on , the service gets better and better from both sides. One might say that IE7 is a (product) of Firefox!

Articles > Firefox for Dummies review

Firefox for dummies is an excellent book about the world's best and free browser, written by Firefox creator Blake Ross it covers every topic that a person who's considering switching to FireFox would need and beyond.

It begins by firing you up by explaining why a person should use this browser and how to download and install it. Then it moves to cover the essentials of Firefox in Chapter like bookmarking Tabbed browsing, Filling forms quickly, emailing with thunderbird printing WebPages and more. Chapter 14 and 15 cover security while showing you how to clear your tracks and stay safe online. The book ends up by showing you how to fit Firefox with your lifestyle and customize it your own way with the themes and extensions available

What’s really interesting about this book even for power users. It covers the history of Firefox, name changes and digs beyond talking about some technical issues like explaining why certain designs were chosen. This book may not be very useful for an alpha geek but it’s certainly very helpful for beginner and intermediate users. It continues to receive five stars reviews from the readers for it's easy to understand yet very help natural language.

Who is going to be on top? IE8 or Firefox 3

Microsoft has released the beta version of internet explorer 8. The version is now open for public. The new version of Internet explorer has new features like crash restore "a Feature which Firefox 2 already has", in addition to a new feature called activities which allows you to send links, text, images to social bookmarking websites and others

I think the competition is tough and rough now between the two big players in the browsers market, yet I think that Firefox 3 will have more brand new features that any other browser.

Why are people switching to Firefox?

I have found a very interesting survey on SpreadFirefox which aims why are the people currently switching to Mozilla Firefox. The survey aims to know what is important for the users in Mozilla Firefox, thus helping Mozilla to build a more user oriented browser in the future.
Different people use Firefox for different reasons. Me myself, I use Firefox because it is more secure, has useful extensions and because I want to support the open-source community. On the other hand, am sure that there are people who are influenced by Microsoft's monopoly and generally dislike it. You can find the Questionnaire here here