Now that I have been using Firefox 4 (as a beta) I can take a look at some of the neat add-ons I might have missed because they were not updated to run with the current version of Firefox.  One of these neat additions to the browser is Instant Previews.  With this Mozilla Labs created add-on, your browser will start loading webpages found in the awesome bar – without the need of clicking on them.

The idea here is that when you are searching through the address bar (aka the awesome bar) the suggestions will automatically start loading.  So by the time you find the page you want, it should already be loaded up and ready to use. This is all about speeding up the surfing process.

Here is a little more information from the developers:

This restartless add-on makes it so results that get highlighted in the Awesome Bar suggestions will automatically start loading, so by the time you confirm that the first result is the one you want, the page might be all ready for you to use. To glance at pages to check up on some information, e.g., the weather, stocks, or comics, let the page load as a preview, and once you are done, hit <Esc> to get rid of the preview and return to where you left off.

This is definitely an interesting feature – and I am excited to see where the Mozilla Labs team takes it in the future.  You can pick up Instant Previews on the Firefox Add-ons website.

Well, I have finally made the switch to Firefox 4 as my primary browser. (Firefox 4 – Beta 9 to be exact) I figured with the big Firefox 4 release date being next month, it was about time I got used to the new way of browsing with the latest incarnation of the Mozilla browser.  So what are some of my initial thoughts?

• Fonts seem clearer to me.  Not exactly sure why, but they do.
• When you right-click on a link, it looks like they have switched the positions of "Open in a New Window" and "Open in a New Tab".  This is going to get some taking used to.  All day yesterday, I kept opening new links in new windows instead of new tabs.
• I like how the add-ons menu now opens in a new tab, rather than a new popup window.  However, I would like to see them do the same for downloads, the bookmark manager, options and everything else that pops up at me.
• The "Private Browsing" mode is a little easier to access.  All you have to do is hit the Firefox button, and then click "Start Private Browsing".  Might actually use it now that it is not hidden.
• In the Add-ons menu, there is a way to get add-ons without having to visit the Firefox Add-ons website.  You have a mini extensions and themes resource built right into the browser.  Hopefully this doesn’t hurt independent add-on review websites like Firefox Facts.
• I have mixed feeling about having no status bar.  I like that when you hover over links, they still show you a preview in the address bar – but it is going to take some time to get used to.

After using Firefox 4 for a day, these are the only real issues or complaints I can come up with.  I am looking forward to the public release coming in February (cross your fingers) and seeing how the Firefox community at large reacts to this brand new browser.  Firefox 4 is going to be the biggest overhaul to Firefox we have seen in a long time – are you ready?

No, me neither – but they have released and add-on to help you do just that. 

The Live Search add-on is a little late to the dance, however I am not going to totally shoot them down.  At least they are making the effort, right?  What does it do?  It gives you the “suggestion” feature for search terms when you search using Live search via the Firefox search box. 

Definitely, if you are a fan of Live search, give this a shot.  All three of you should be extremely happy.

As an example, did you know you can browse through all of the articles posted here:

• Browse through all the Firefox Knowledge Base Articles

They also provide you with a support forum too, so you can browse through past questions or post your own:

• Check out the Firefox Knowledge Base Forums

You might also want to register, so that you can help out as a contributor or just gain more access to the tools provided as a user. 

• Register to use the Firefox Knowledge Base

Also, you can’t forget about the awesome live chat available too.

• Check out the Knowledge Base Live Chat

As you can see, there is a lot to love about this support resource.  If you consider yourself a Firefox expert, you could always donate your time and contribute in a number of different ways.  If you are just a regular user, this is a good spot to bookmark just in case Firefox isn’t working right.

Has the Knowledge Base helped you, or is it still missing features you would like to see?

• Uncover Firefox secret add-ons install button
• Firefox 3 Beta 2 in Ubuntu 7.10
• Google Auto Pager (Pagerization)
• Spicebird: Mozilla based Outlook clone with collaboration features
• Get Safari-Like Page Return with SnapBack
• it’s about time. r.i.p. netscape browser
• PCWorld.com Year-End Stats: IE7, Firefox, Vista, Mac

Have an interesting link to share or pass my way? Leave a comment or drop me an e-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll be more than happy to share it with the masses.

If I were to do so – what would you like to see changed, removed, added and updated? I am open to any and all suggestions so feel free to just start one big comment post here and give me all the feedback you have. This web site is for you – so I want to make sure you are getting what you want, what you need and what you love.

Thanks! As always I appreciate each and every one of our readers here and look forward to bringing in some more.

It is important to hear it from all sides of the fence, so getting a few more voices in the mix is never a bad thing. Now I can not promise you fame or fortune. What I can give you is a nifty link back to your own web project though and a state of the art “Author” credit in the post.

What type of folks am I looking for? Anybody who has a passion for the Firefox browser, likes to write and can deliver some cool tips, tweaks, reviews or lists for us all to enjoy.

If you are interested, drop me an e-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com and I’ll be in contact with you.

First thing you need to go is point your browser towards GetFirefox.com. This will load up the offical Mozilla Web site for the Firefox browser. Once there, you should see a large icon saying “Download Firefox – Free”. Click on that. Once you click on that, the fun begins and Firefox should be on its way.

Once the download is finished, find where you saved the install file to. The file should be called “Firefox Setup” then with a version number following that. Once you have located this file, double click it to install (this is for the Windows folks).

The install process is pretty easy to understand. Read each screen and hit next when you are done. The default installation should be fine for the general user. When your done you will find a new browser and a new world opened up to you that is just waiting for you to explore.

Just as a word of warning, be careful when downloading Firefox from other Web sites. I know there are tons of Web sites that try to say “Buy Firefox for $14.95!” or something to that effect. Firefox is free, you should never have to pay for it.

Over the past week I have been working on cleaning up some of the back end things here on Firefox Facts. Now I would like to poll you to see what you think. Please vote!

Now that you have done that, if you have any other ideas, feedback, thoughts or suggestions as to what you would like (or maybe not like) to see here on the Web site, let me know. I am open to anything and everything because honestly this resource is as much yours as it is mine.

I want to start up something new here. With all the Firefox Facts fans out there and myself, I think we can do some good and help some folks.

Are you looking for Firefox to do something that it has not done before? Are you having trouble finding the perfect extension to fix your issue? Do you have a request for a Firefox feature that has not been seen before? If you fall into any of these camps – drop me an E-mail at mitch@mitchkeeler.com or use our “submit a tip” link and let me know.

If we get enough, I might make the Firefox Most Wanted a regular feature here on the Web site. Get to it, send me your most wanted requests from the folks at Mozilla and I’ll do my best to either let the world know about it or find a solution for your problem.