Firefox 3
Apparently, the latest trend is blogging about browsers, possibly related to both Firefox and Opera releasing new versions in the last 24 hours. I’ve done Opera; now it’s Firefox’s turn.
It’s okay. I’ve got it, but I’m not convinced.
It has some nice new features. Like Opera, you can now save passwords after you know whether they’re right or not. It drops down a bar beneath the tabs bar, which is nicer than Opera’s popup method, but it’s not a deal breaker.
They boast one click bookmarking, which I’m assuming has something to do with the star in the “Awesomebar” - but I use del.icio.us anyway, because I use lots of computers and my phone to access the Internet. The Awesomebar is a good concept, but the only bookmarks I have saved are in my bookmarks bar, serving as an untidy replacement to Speed Dial, so although I have saved keywords, I’m unlikely to use the feature.
The security features to prevent scams and unsafe transactions are a good idea. Personally, I always check the address bar to make sure I’m browsing securely, and that the address is what I think it should be (for example, when paying by PayPal, I’d expect https://www.paypal.com).
Ad blocking in Firefox still requires Ad-Block Plus whereas Opera has it built in.
Enough with the negativity, now: I prefer the colour scheme in Firefox to that of Opera, even if it does kind of feel like a Safari clone, which Mozilla call a feature. Personally, I think Safari is ugly, so platform native look and feel isn’t much of an attraction to me.
Opera 9.5 has its flaws, true, but I really like Speed Dial and the ability to lock tabs from being closed, which I don’t think Firefox has. I’m missing having alt+tab to cycle through my open tabs and cmd+z to open the ones I closed by accident. (Of course, there’s the recently closed tabs in the history menu, but that’s two clicks instead of a keyboard shortcut.)
I’ve resolved to stick to Firefox for a couple of days and see if it grows on me, but I don’t have high hopes.
Posted: June 18th, 2008 under geek, photography.
Tags: geek
Comments
Comment from Katie
Time June 18, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Call me a purist if you like, but I prefer Opera’s method: building it into the software.
Comment from Athan
Time June 18, 2008 at 12:48 pm
The default to cycle through tabs on Firefox is Ctrl+PgUp/Dn. I don’t know if there’s an (easy) way to change this.
I *think* you can change any HotKey assignment, but I forget how right now (probably something to do with fiddling GTK options on linux, and I dunno on Windows).
Comment from Katie
Time June 18, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I knew the shortcut already. Unfortunately, being on my laptop at the moment, I don’t have PgUp/Dn, and I only use Linux once or twice a year, and Windows only forced, so I’m stuck for now. I maintain that I prefer Opera so far.
Comment from Bondagewoodelf
Time June 18, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I’ve used Opera when it was version 3, right up to version 6. When it turned to crap (IMO) with version 7, I switched to FF 1 (and later to FF 2). Now I use FF 2 everywhere, but lately I’ve looked at Opera again when heard FF 3 would become unavailable for Windows 98. (Sue me: I run W98 on my desktop at home: it’s the only one I have a license for on that machine and I’m not going to _buy_ one).
I tried Opera 9.5 this weekend for the first time and I must say I agree with your findings: I still like 9.2 better. Upgrading made me lose some of my passwords and all of my speed dial sites. I don’t like the default theme, and the tab buttons are not the best: I must try that theme you mentioned in one of your previous posts yet.
Comment from Nat
Time June 18, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Firefox is designed to be small and streamlined so most less commonly used features are add ons. It’s really easy to choose/install add ons. Just consider this an extension of the preferences page.
Comment from Katie
Time June 18, 2008 at 6:10 pm
As I said in response to Athan earlier; call me a purist if you like, but I prefer Opera’s method of building features into the software.
Even now I have discovered the shortcut for re-opening tabs, I maintain that I prefer Opera: sure, Firefox does the stuff I want it to do, if I install this and that and something else, but Opera just does it.
Besides, Firefox has loads of fanboys, and fanboys suck.
Comment from Jen
Time June 18, 2008 at 7:18 pm
TVM for the headsup on a new ver$ of Opera. Was still on 9.02.
Comment from Bondagewoodelf
Time June 18, 2008 at 12:18 pm
You can lock tabs (even with FF 2) if you have the ‘Tab Mix Plus’ add-on installed.