Get Firefox!
I’ve recently been helping some friends ditch Internet Explorer and move to Firefox for their web-browsing. In the past this hasn’t always been an easy sell, especially to non-techies who just want to get their job done and have little interest in installing new toys to play with. Let’s face it, most people don’t have the time to understand security and compatibility issues, they just want to visit their favourite websites. I’m now finding that just a few simple ‘add-ons’ form the silver bullet. The range of Firefox add-ons available is incredible, they extend out-of-the-box functionality to enable extra features, and there are a few killer add-ons that once you have used you’ll never be able to go back to IE.
Here is my list of ‘must-have’ add-ons that close a Firefox ’sale’ every time:
Dictionary
Does your webmail, forum, Facebook page, or blog have a spellchecker? No? Most of them don’t, and we’ve become far too dependent on those wiggly red underlines that help us right-click away our fat-fingered mistakes. This add-on automatically brings in-line spellchecking to every text entry block on the web. Simple, effective and fantastic.
Must-have-rating: 5/5
Bookmark with del.icio.us
This has completely changed the way I use bookmarks, helped me keep track of far more sites than I ever could before, and massively improved my productivity. Most of all this add-on guarantees I always have an up to date bookmark list in my browser no matter which PC I am using (laptop, desktop, work, etc.). It enables searching, tagging and sharing too.
Must-have-rating: 5/5
You will need a del.icio.us account, don’t worry it only takes 30 seconds to sign up.
Tabs Open Relative
A long name for a small add-on. This is essential for those currently using IE7. It forces new tabs to open next to the current tab, mimicking IE7’s new tab behaviour. A great help for keeping tabs the ‘relative’ to each other. Simple and effective.
Must-have-rating: 5/5
Capture web pages with FireShot
Have you ever wanted to save or capture a web page? Need to include a web page in a document, or to archive a page for posterity? The ‘Save page as …’ function often fails and <ALT>+<PRTSCR> is useless when half the page is off-screen.
Step in Snapshot – one click image capture for the web page you are viewing, either the viewable portion or the entire page (no scrolling required). Edit and annotate if required and save to a file, clipboard or email.
Must-have-rating: 4/5
(Picnik does something very similar. It’s impressively gorgeous in true Web 2.0 style with all the AJAX pop-ups, rounded-corners and pastel colour fabness you could ever wish for. Sadly there are a couple of sites that it hasn’t worked on, and it does take a bit longer to process the image, however for pure eye-candy it’s unbeatable)
Better Gmail / Better Gmail2
One for the Gmail (or should that be GoogleMail) crowd. A neat add-on that adds just enough useful additions to the Gmail interface without overdoing it. It also works with Google Apps for your domain. My favourite options are:
- Attachment Icons (shows attachment icons for word, pdf, excel, etc.)
- Coloured labels (makes labels stand-out alongside message text for easy identification)
Must-have-rating: 4/5
IE Tab
Some sites don’t work with Firefox, and some probably never will. Microsoft’s Windows Update for one. This add-on allows you to open a web site using IE in a separate Firefox tab. The addition of this right-click option saves the effort of copying and pasting URLs into IE, and it keeps all your browsing in one place. Nice and simple, gets the job done.
Must-have-rating: 3/5
These are the ‘essential’ Firefox add-ons. Unlike most on ‘top 20′ or ‘top 50′ lists all of these will add real value and increase your productivity and efficiency. So what are you waiting for? Get Firefox!, Get add-ons! and Get productive! I’ve added some step-by-step instructions to get you started below:
Get Firefox: step-by-step
- Download and install Firefox by clicking on the orange banner above (or here)
- Install add-ons by clicking the add-on section titles in my blog post above
- Browse with efficiency and be more productive
Job done!
Go to Tools/Add-ons/Get Extensions to find more great add-ons, there are loads to choose from.
