After much fanfare, Firefox 3 was released June 16th and was downloaded more than 8 million times during the first 24 hours alone. I was one of those who installed it within hours of it's release and I'm having a great experience so far. The most notable improvement for me is the increased speed and performance. The previous version was slow to start up and there was a slight hesitation when opening pages, but the new version is very smooth, with no lag. The decreased memory usage is also a welcome surprise.
There are many new security features in Firefox 3, including the changing favicon background which shows you if you are on a regular, unencrypted page or secure, encrypted page. For further information about the website, click on the favicon in the address-bar (see screen-shots):
regular web page:
secure web page:
Other Improvements:
- Malware protection prevents Firefox from opening web pages on websites known to install viruses, trojans or spyware.
- Password management has been improved with the addition of a smarter, less intrusive, password bar.
- New download manager resumes downloads if your connection is reset or your browser is restarted.
- Improved bookmark organization includes one click bookmarking, enhanced search, bookmark import and backup.
During installation you can choose whether to make Firefox your default browser (the one that opens when you click a link). If you change your mind about making it your default browser, the setting can easily be changed by going to Tools, Options, Advanced, and clicking the General Tab.
The first time you open Firefox after installation, you will be guided through importing your settings and bookmarks from Internet Explorer (don't worry, importing your settings will not edit or change anything in Internet Explorer). If you choose not to transfer your settings at that time, you can do so at a later date by manually by going to File, Import, from within Firefox.
Once you have Firefox installed, visit Firefox Add-ons to read about and download add-ons to help personalize your online experience.
Experience the difference….download Firefox today.