If you are like me and make use of a number of different web
browsers, then it can become a little confusing to keep up with release
schedules and what has actually been included when a company like Mozilla or
Google pushes out a new update. For those who use Firefox regularly, you will
probably be aware that for one reason or another Mozilla have changed the way
they release updates, and whether or not that is to keep in line with
competitors is open for discussion
Regardless of the company's release philosophies, as
consumers we are more concerned with getting our hands on the updated and
up-to-date software in order to try out any new features that have been added
and test them out, if it meets our browsing requirements.With
FireFox being developed and released by a non-profit organization, the theory
is that it is one of the only browsers that is actually made with users in mind
without the need to compromise on performance. I am sure there are a lot of
people who may disagree with that, but the usage figures speak for themselves
with FireFox being one of the most popular and widely used offerings around.
Although version 13 of the browser is not officially set to lunch until
tomorrow, it is possible to get the final build now thanks to some download
links from the Mozilla site.
Although Firefox 13 doesn't come with any huge updates that
will rock the very foundations of the web browsing world, it does come with a
number of improvements, fixes and the odd addition here and there that makes
whole experience a little bit more pleasant for users. The addition of a new
homepage option allows users to see a very useful page that includes quick
access to shortcuts, downloads, add-ons, bookmarks, history, settings and synchronization
options. The custom homepage is accessed by typing 'about:home' into the
address bar and hitting enter.
The frequently used tabs page has also been re-imagined with
this release and mimics a look and feel straight out of Google Chrome. The main
interface of the browser provides a tiled view of previously visited pages
along with a thumbnail of each site. Fans of the older, more traditional page
can toggle this new feature on or off, but it really does become a very useful
addition after taking the time getting used to it. As we find with any major
release of web browser, a number of changes and improvements have also been
made from a developer point of view, with team making large scale enhancements
to the HTML Panel, Page Inspector and Style Editor,
The Changes may not huge, but certainly represent an
evolutionary shift for Firefox by implementing some of the popular features
which Chrome has been presenting to users for quite some time. The official
release will come tomorrow, but let's be honest, it does feel like a small
victory being able to get your hands on it a day early by using the download
links below.
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