Firefox can be customized to each user’s preferences with add-ons. For example, mobile users might want an add-on that takes advantage of their phone’s GPS. Add-ons from popular websites can make it easier to access Internet features with one click.

Sync allows users to access their bookmarks, history, and passwords from multiple devices. Buying a new device no longer means minutes of tedious input to make bookmarks match. Simply use Firefox’s Sync to make data on every device the same.

The mobile version of Firefox is designed specifically for portable devices. It works speedily and efficiently with all of the same capabilities as the desktop version.

Mozilla Firefox for Mobile can adapt to any situation. Numerous add-ons and support are available. While people who use Firefox on their traditional computer may benefit the most, the smart phone version of Firefox is suitable for everyone.

Having been an old Netscape fan, I was not thrilled when Mozilla came on the scene and took their place. However, I was no IE fan at all. None of that has changed. However, I found that virtually nothing was different with Mozilla Firefox and Netscape in the fact they both were faster and easier to operate than IE and I personally liked the overall screen look better.

However the big thing always seemed to be that Firefox was so much faster than IE. And just in case you are wondering, yes, I had them both on my computer. I have a gaming computer so it is not only big, but also fast. In side-by-side trials of doing virtually the same thing, I always chose Firefox over IE. It is a choice you will have to make for yourself, but you should definitely have a look at them both.

The main thing that sets Firefox apart from other browsers would be the fact that it is open source. This allows users and programmers to make extensions for the program and work on the actual programing of the browser itself. For an open source program, Firefox is one of the most stable such programs. It was listed as a Tier One product by the American Management Systems in 2004.

Since then, there have been a number of updates to the browser. The option for live chat support and an updated layout engine were added in early versions. With the release of 3.5, Firefox became the most popular browser. Firefox 4 is the most recent version, with version 5 to be release sometime in 2011. There are several large updates such as a integrated sync and application tab that are certain to be in these future updates.

• Get rid of your old Java. Just as you don’t want to let coffee sit around on your desk, there’s no reason to keep around old versions of your Java Console. Each time you update Java a new version is downloaded, but the old version is not deleted. You can get rid of these by right-clicking on the Firefox icon and choosing “Run as administrator.” Go to the Add-ons list and delete all but the most recent.
• Set Firefox to instantly switch to new Tabs. In the Tools menu, click Options, then Tabs. Enable the option that says “When I open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately.” This will save a few seconds each time you open up a new tab, but those few seconds can quickly add up.
• Clear your Downloads list. If your Downloads list gets too long, you may experience freezing whenever downloading a new file. To combat this, just hit the Clear List button to empty it (you can open the list by pressing Ctrl-J).

A number of other reviewers claim that editing your about.config file can speed up the browser as well. For one example, see Mick Gill’s tutorial at MWD, “How to Speed Up Mozilla Firefox and More.” This option is recommended for the more computer-savvy users out there, but the tutorialis pretty straight-forward.

• Adblock Plus: This useful feature goes beyond a standard pop-up blocker and eliminates scrolling ads, banners, trackers, and more. Why have them cluttering up your screen if you’re not going to click on them in the first place? You can also customize it to create varying degrees of permeability.
• Personas Plus: This “skins” extension offers free access to more than 60,000 designs, from celebrities like Lady Gaga and Bob Marley to fashion brands like Vans and H&M. With over 24,000,000 downloads, this extension appeals to anybody looking to liven up their browsing experience.
• No Script: This add-on won the “2006 PC World Class Award” and has been updated since then to provide continuing support. The extension blocks scripting from un-trusted sites, included cross-site scripting attacks and router hacking. If you appreciate the help, contribute to ensure continuing updates.
• Firebug: Many users agree that this is a must-have for any web-developers using Firefox. It offers the opportunity to edit, debug, and monitor any web page for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. The site http://getfirebug.com also offers support for older versions of Firefox, if you’re not willing to catch up with the times.
• FlashGot: For anybody who finds themselves constantly downloading files from the internet, this add-on will end up saving you a lot of time in the long run. It gives you the option to download all the links on a page at once, along with video and audio clips.

• Smaller icons. We’ll start with an easy one. Just go to the “View” button on the Toolbar, select “Customize”, and click “Use Small Icons”. Depending on how many icons you’ve got on your Toolbar, this can drastically free up your viewing window.
• Keyboard shortcuts. You may have already discovered that Spacebar will page down, but did you know that Shift-Spacebar will page up? Some other combinations you’ll find yourself using are Ctrl-K, which brings you directly to the search box, Ctrl-L, which brings you to the address bar, and Ctrl-W to close tabs.
• Complete web addresses. This shortcut deserves its own section. If you enter a site name in the address (just the part between the “www” and the “.com”), Ctrl-Enter will fill in the rest for you and automatically take you there. You can also do Shift-Enter for .net and Ctrl-Shift-Enter for .org.
• Add keywords to bookmarks. By right-clicking on a site in your Bookmarks, you can go to Properties and add a keyword. From now on, just entering that keyword in the address bar will take you the bookmarked site.
• Add keywords to searches. If you find yourself regularly searching a particular site (like CNET), right-click on the search box and select “Add a Keyword for this Search”. Choose something easy to remember like, say, “cnet”. Now, whenever you want to search CNET, type “cnet search item” in the address bar, and be brought directly to your results.

There are a number of other tips if you want to fool around in Firefox’s config files. If you’ve got the stomach for it, you can find more here.