ANTenna Blog -- Internet/Web

Download the Firefox 3 Web browser now. Right now. You'll be glad you did.

I can't put it any more simply than this: As of today's release of Firefox 3, you should make it your primary Web browser.

Really, I'm serious. Download it now and improve your Web work. It's free, it's easy, and it will make your online life better in so many ways.

The first and most important thing you'll notice is that Firefox 3 is fast. Not just a few ticks faster than Firefox 2 and IE6 or IE7, but significantly and noticably faster. I was stunned the first time I loaded a page in FF3. It finished loading while I was still getting ready to see how long it would take. There's lots more to Firefox, but it would be the browser of choice for that alone.

Once you catch your breath, you'll discover a bunch of other cool stuff in FF3:

1. The address bar has gotten smart. Begin typing a URL and it automatically searches your bookmarks and history for matches. You may never have to type a full Web address again. And that's not all. Click on the site icon at the left of the address bar, and you'll find out who owns the site -- and the icon turns blue if the site is verified. That's still not all. If the site has an RSS feed, you can subscribe to it by clicking on RSS button right in the address bar. And finally, clicking on the star at the right end of the address bar makes it unbelievably easy to add or modify a bookmark. And the new Smart Bookmarks Folder makes it easier to access your bookmarked pages.

2. There's a new download manager that makes it easy to pause and resume downloads. Plus you can search your download history by file or site, no more fumbling around trying to find a file you've downloaded.

3. Increased security comes in the form or warnings about sites "known to install viruses, spyware, trojans or other malware." Plus a new Web Forgery Protection page, clearer and stricter error pages for sites with invalid SSL certificates, automatic disabling of older, less-secure add-ons and plug-ins, integration with popular anti-virus programs, and more.

Beyond that, there are some 15,000 technology improvements that make a big difference even though you may not see them right away. Most importantly, FF3 fixes literally hundreds of memory leaks in FF2, making the browser much less likely to crash.

Is there any downside? Well, if you absolutely have to work with a Web site designed specifically for IE6's non-standard behavior, it may not work with FF3. (Hey, if you work on a Windows machine you can't delete IE anyway.) Similarly, any extensions or add-ons you've previously installed for Firefox 2 may not work with FF3, but most developers are already busy updating their stuff, so that shouldn't be a long-term problem.

Other than those minor caveats, there's really no risk here. So if you really want to show your love for the new Firefox, download it today and help set a new world record for downloads in a single day.

I'm going to do my part!