Best Firefox Extensions

Best Firefox Extensions

When you ask most people what Web browser they use, the answer often will be Internet Explorer. After all, it comes preloaded on Windows PCs, so most people just use it by default. But while IE maintains a stranglehold on the majority of computer systems, Mozilla's open-source solution, called Firefox, has made significant inroads into the browser market. Handy extra features are part of the reason for its growing success, as is the continual supply of third-party add-ons.

Recently, the folks at Mozilla started a contest offering prizes to developers who come up with the best Firefox extensions. To get more people involved, we put together a list of our favorite existing add-ons. If you've made the jump to Firefox, check out some of these superuseful extensions--and if you haven't, this collection may twist your arm. Developers who want to see if they have what it takes should head over to the Extend Firefox Contest. | Read more...

Well these are my favorites,

SiteAdvisor

With the threat of spam, spyware, and pop-ups lurking around the Web these days, it's tough to know which sites have them and which don't. The folks from SiteAdvisor run tests regularly so you can see which sites to avoid before you go to them. You can even get a full security analysis of particular sites with a click of your mouse.

GooglePreview

When you perform a regular Google search, your keyword turns up a list of links that fit your search, along with text snippets from each of the pages. But if you have the GooglePreview extension, Firefox will display a screenshot of each page in the list so you can see it before clicking the link.

Dictionary Tooltip

When surfing the Web, sometimes you'll come across words you don't know the meaning of. Instead of reaching for a dictionary or heading to its online equivalent, use Dictionary Tooltip. With this extension you only need to double-click a word to bring up a window with pronunciations, definitions, and thesaurus entries.

IE Tab

Do you have a favorite site that only shows up correctly when you use Internet Explorer? Great for both users and Web developers who want to see how their pages look in Microsoft's browser, this plug-in lets you open a link in a new tab that uses IE Web standards and architecture. (I have to say that this one is not always working perfectly, so if you want both engine in one browser you have to download Nestscape.)

Separe

Those who use a lot of tabs when they browse the Web will love Separe. This simple add-on lets you keep tabs tidy by adding a separator to the tab bar. In addition to being able to divide up your sites into groups, you can click on the seperator to get a thumbnail of the pages in each tab so you can find what you need quickly.

Adblock

Do you have a favorite Web site that takes a long time to load because of certain ads or images? With the Adblock extension, you can pick and choose which content elements of the page will load so your favorite site comes up quickly every time.

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