Nearly a year in development, Firefox 2.0 was released yesterday. I didn’t test any of the pre-release candidates, but have downloaded the new version and have given it a quick run-through. On first look, nothing earth-shattering but it’s a nice upgrade. My three favorite features so far:
Tabbed Browsing Improvements
Browser tabs got a pretty big overhaul. Each tab now has its own close button (no need to switch to a tab to close it), and tabs no longer get so small that you can’t tell which pages are which. If you open enough tabs, Firefox adds scroll buttons to allow you to view all the tabs, and also adds a drop-down list that shows full page titles for open tabs. The history list also shows recently closed tabs to you can easily get back to a tab if you accidentally close it.
Session Restore
If Firefox (or your computer) crashes for any reason, the next time you start it, Firefox will restore your session to the exact point it left off. You can also tell Firefox to always resume at the point you left off, so when you open Firefox on Monday morning, you have the same pages/tabs open that you were working on when you closed Firefox on Friday.
Phishing Protection
Phishing scams often work by directing you to a fake web site that looks like the real site (e.g. a recreation of citibank.com, amazon.com, etc.). Firefox 2.0 helps keep your personal information safe by warning you if you visit a web site that is a suspected forgery.
Other Features
Other notable additions and improvements include a spell check for online forms, search suggestions, improved RSS feed handling, streamlined interface, and improved spyware protection. You can find an overview of everything new at the Firefox web site, or this nice Firefox 2.0 review from mozilla links.
Firefox 2.0 at Wabash
Computer labs and classrooms will be upgraded to Firefox 2.0 during the semester break. We encourage faculty, staff and students to upgrade to 2.0 at any time. To download the new version, go to http://www.getfirefox.com and follow the on-screen instructions. As always, feel free to contact the Help Desk for assistance.
