Productivity Portfolio

Although Firefox takes longer to open, we found it faster for browsing. This was more apparent when we were browsing multiple sites.

A related feature to tabbed browsing is I can set multiple pages as my Home page. I simply add a pipe sign | between the URLs in the Home page section. When I start Firefox, each address will open in its own tab.

8. Smart Keywords

Smart keywords are a feature we like more than we thought we would. A smart keyword is a word or letters you type in the address bar that maps to a URL. For example, I could associate the URL http://www.timeatlas.com/ with a keyword of "prod". When I typed "prod" in the address bar, the site appears. This process can be faster than navigating your bookmarks.

Editor's correction: I previously stated that the keyword couldn't be a domain name. As example, I couldn't use "ta" since there was a ta.com. I was politely informed this is not the case. I'm guessing I mistakenly typed Ctrl and Enter which automatically appends the .com to an address. My apologies for any confusion.

9. Searching for Information

Firefox, like IE, allows you to enter in terms in the address bar for searching. So long as the term isn't a smart keyword, Firefox will search Google for the terms. However, Firefox goes a step further by allowing you to search Google for a term or phrase on the current web page. You simply highlight the term, right-click, and select the "Search Web for" menu option. The results will appear in a separate tab.

10. Printing

For those people who print web pages, you'll be glad to know Firefox's Print Preview has some unique options such as "scaling" and "shrink to fit". These options are great for conserving paper. You can also change the page orientation.

One item that caught me off guard was Firefox had turned off background color and images. If your page looks like it's missing elements, you should check your options in Page Setup.

While there is a lot to like about Firefox, there are some people who may not like the browser. Certain sites such as Outlook Web Access (OWA) won't appear or behave the way people expect. In some ways, Firefox is not as forgiving as Internet Explorer. Usually, this happens when the site doesn't adhere to web standards. This is something we've noticed with our site templates. Other sites may have custom code or ActiveX controls that won't work with Firefox. In these cases, Firefox might suggest a component needs to be installed. In our testing, we only found one site that would not work at all with Firefox.

Unless you're in an organization that restricts you from installing programs, we'd suggest you try Firefox. The program provides a pleasurable viewing experience that even diehard Microsoft enthusiasts can appreciate.