New features in Mozilla Firefox 3

By silki

So, finally, Mozilla Firefox 3 has almost arrived. With the launch of Firefox 3 RC2, it is now clear that the final version of Firefox 3 is just round the corner.

This seems to be the most appropriate time to let us have a look at the most distinguishing features of Mozilla Firefox 3, which make it a promising browser. Our favorite Firefox features are given below.

• Location bar and auto-complete. This is so unique abd useful, that people have nicknamed it as "awesomebar". Type the title or tag of a page in the address / location bar and it quickly finds your desired site based upon your history and bookmarks. I find it so handy, that almost in 90% of the cases, it gives my my desired website within 5-6 keystrokes. Favicons, bookmark, and tag indicators help you see where the results are coming from.
• New Download Manager. The download manager makes it easier to locate your downloaded files. The download manager now also has the capability of resuming the downloads after restarting the browser or resetting your network connection.
• More Features in add-on installation. It is easier. Now you can search the Firefox addons based upon keywords and install them within fewer clicks.
• Tab scrolling. Tabs are easier to locate with the new tab scrolling. They now move smoothly to give a smoother look and feel.
• Full page zoom. From the View menu and using keyboard shortcuts, you can now zoom in and out on the content of entire pages — this scales not just the text but the layout and images as well.
• Easier Bookmarking. Mozilla Firefox 3 has a star button in the location bar, which lets you quickly add a new bookmark with a single click. Another click lets you file and tag your new bookmark. 
• Tags. Now you can categorize your bookmarks with tags. A very useful feature.
• Smart Bookmarking. Firefox 3 has a Smart Bookmarks folder, which offers a quick access to your recently bookmarked and tagged places. This is one of my favorites.
• One-click site information. Just click on the favicon of a site, on the left of the locationbar. It gives you a quick access to more information about the website and its security concerns.
• Enhanced Malware protection. Firefox 3 warns you if you arrive at a web site that is known to install viruses, spyware, trojans, or other dangerous software (known as malware).
• Web forgery protection enhanced.
• Anti-virus integration. Firefox 3 automatically informs your anti-virus software when executable files are downloaded. It quickly scans them for any virus.
• Reliability. Firefox 3 now stores bookmarks, history, cookies, and preferences in a transactionally secure database format. This means your data is protected against loss even if your system crashes.
• Speed. Firefox 3 has gotten a performance boost by completely replacing the part of the software that handles drawing to your screen, as well as to how page layout work is handled.