I think Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and even Opera should all thank Mozilla and Firefox for continuing to push the bar for innovative browsing. It doesn’t matter who had what feature first.  The thing that does matter is that with all the most recent browser innovations, like the search box or tabbed browsing – Firefox made it cool and useful to do so.

What Mozilla needs to do is find out what the next best feature is going to be.  What can they do that the other browsers can’t?

One more important feature to Firefox’s success is the huge fan base that Mozilla has built. Don’t write Firefox out of the browser wars just yet. I have a feeling that Mozilla will see to it that they stay competitive out there. The browser competition is good for all of us because it means we will get better web browsing experiences – no mater which browser we use.

Here are some quick links to the customizations you can make:

Change the Firefox Button Icon
http://userstyles.org/styles/51118/fxchrome-firox-button-icons?r=1311430549

Change the App Button Back to Normal
http://userstyles.org/styles/54955/change-the-app-button-back-to-normal?r=1318606186

New Tab Button with a Plus
http://userstyles.org/styles/55686/new-tab-button-with?r=1320316319

Change FXChrome Minimize/Maximize/Close(Windows XP)
http://userstyles.org/styles/55689/change-fxchrome-minimize-mazimize-close-winxp?r=1320317556

When you are done, your theme could look something like these –

Like it? Go grab FXChrome from the Firefox Add-ons website.  It is a really nice theme that allows you to keep it simple or snaz-it-up the way you see fit to do so.

FXChrome is a nice mix of both Firefox 4′s theme and Google Chrome’s theme mashed together.  While many people would argue that the themes are pretty similar already – and I might have to agree there – I do like the flat buttons from Chrome that FXChrome brings to the table.

Want to download it and give it a shot? You can grab it on the Firefox Add-ons website.

Over at Download Squad, they have been doing some really interesting browser testing.  In a 4-way HTML5 speed test, Firefox 3.7 beat Internet Explorer 9, Opera and Chrome.  The Video really speaks for itself, but if you want to learn more – be sure to check out this post over at DownloadSquad.com.

Tired of seeing your tabs under your navigation or bookmark toolbars? Maybe you just want to see how Firefox would look with tabs on the top?  With the Firefox extension, Tabs on Top – you can easily move your browser tabs to the top of the screen.

Once this add-on for Firefox is installed, your tab bar will work more like its Chrome browser cousin from Google.  Also, if you have TabMixPlus – you can use the multi row feature to have multiple rows of tabs across the top of the Firefox browser window.

You can pick up the Tabs on Top add-on for Firefox on the official Firefox Add-ons web site.

I know I’d pay good money to see it.  Maybe insert some covert Google Chrome or Microsoft spies into the mix?  We have next summer’s blockbuster in the making.

Chromifox Basic

Chromifox Extreme

Chromifox Extreme Carbon

Chromifox Extreme Blade

Chromifox Extreme Green

Which is your favorite Chrome-like theme for Firefox?  Eventually, we will probably see more Chrome inspired themes, than Apple ones – then again, there are an awful lot of those Mac-looking themes out there, so perhaps it might be longer than we think.  However here you have five great looking Chrome inspired themes to decorate your own Firefox browser with. 

Pinned tabs are shifted to the left side of the tab bar where their tab will be changed to just show the favicon for the web site in question. Thanks to the Pin Tab add-on for Firefox, you can bring that functionality to your favorite browser.

Another neat feature of this Firefox add-on is when you type something in the address bar, or select a result in the address bar while a pinned tab is selected, the address you selected will open in a new tab – leaving your pinned tab alone.

How do you pin a tab?

You can also pin a tab by dragging it to the left of already pinned tabs.

How do you un-pin a tab?

You can unpin a tab by dragging to the right of unpinned tabs.

Overall, this simple extension, once added to Firefox, will help you save space in your browser.  By shrinking down those web sites you keep open all the time, you can also add a little more organization to your daily browsing routines – which is something I am always in favor for.   Pick up Pin Tab for Firefox, on the Firefox Add-ons web site.

Update: Looks like Mozilla might have taken this plugin down, not sure for the reasons why.  If you still want to pick it up, an alternative link and a little more backstory to the situation has been posted here:  Pin Tab Thread on mozillaZine.org

As you can see, the idea here is to make it look as much like Google’s browser as possible.  You have tabs on top, you have those happy go lucky chrome icons, what else could a Google loving web citizen want?  I also highly suggest you pick up the Chromifox Companion add-on for Firefox if you want to be able to customize the interface and get that real Chrome look and feel. 

By far, Chromifox Extreme 3 has to win praise for being one of the best browser interface translations from one browser to another, don’t you think?

So we are to believe that Firefox and Chrome are both insecure, difficult to use, and unreliable?  The Internet Explorer team might want to check their calendars, because last time I checked – it is June 26th, not April 1st. 

If that isn’t enough – they also have a MythBusting page.  What is your favorite “fact” they are claiming?