By Jason Parker
(12/8/05)
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.
FlashGot
This handy add-on is the most popular at the Mozilla extension site, and for good reason. In concert with your download manager, you can right-click a link and use FlashGot to download the content from an entire page of links.
ForecastFox
Are you a weather nut? Even if you're not, this add-on comes in handy, letting you see the weekly forecast in Firefox's menu bar. If the sunny, cloudy, and rainy icons aren't enough, simply mouse over them for a more complete forecast.
Tabbrowser Preferences
Tabbed browsing is quickly becoming the standard for most power users. If you want more control over your tabs and how they behave, this extension offers several options designed with you in mind.
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.
StumbleUpon
Most people tend to repeatedly visit the same Web sites, whether for news, sports, or shopping. StumbleUpon offers a new (and great!) way of browsing the Web by randomly picking high-rated sites from categories you select. If you like surprises, this extension delivers.
FoxyTunes
If you spend a lot of time browsing the Web while listening to music, switching to your media player to pause for a phone call can be inconvenient. With FoxyTunes you get basic controls for playing, fast-forwarding, and rewinding, right at the bottom of your browser.
SessionSaver
When you're doing research for work or planning a trip, you'll often have several Web sites open at once with all of the information you need. With SessionSaver, you can save the whole group of tabs so you can easily come back and open them all at once.
Duplicate Tab
This handy little extension adds the kind of functionality that you don't know you need until you have it. With Duplicate Tab, you can duplicate your currently tabbed site with all of the same history so you can use the Back or Forward buttons on the new Tab--very useful when doing research.
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.
