Search Engines || Information Architecture

Firefox tunning

Originally uploaded by Antonescu Razvan.

This is part 1 of a 3 parts article on how to optimize your Firefox browser for a better browsing experience. Topics that will be covered:

• General Customization
• Extensions and themes
• Wishlist and Conclusions

At the end your browser might be looking like the above screenshot. Don’t worry it won’t be so crowded, not all the features being needed all the time to be open.

Target audience:

• Power users
• Bloggers

General Customization

A few steps to tune your firefox can be accomplished without additional installs.

• Homepage. For a long time I disliked the idea of having a homepage opened when my browser opens. Too many commercials and redundant information. With the AJAX desktop trends luckily we have a few choices:
  -Netvibes (recommended) ->Official Blog || Techcrunch review
  -Start.com ->Techcrunch review
  -Google personalized homepage
• Tabbed navigation. One of the core functions of Firefox (first implemented by Opera) is the tabbed navigation. Unfortunately this option is highly overlooked by newbies and is not facilitated by the default installation. To activate this do the following:
  - Go to Tools->Options->Tabs
  - Check:
  • Open links from other applications in: A new tab in the most recent window
  • Force links that open new windows to open in: A new tab (note: this is useful for the sites that use for external links target _blank BUT it might be not so pleasant for requested pop-ups. If you use regularly sites that use requested pop ups then do not use this feature but rather click on the external links with middle mouse button. That will open external links in new tabs and requested pop-ups as usual)
• Manual optimization. By typing about:config in your URL field you will get a list of Firefox options to customize. This subject is very well covered on the following articles:
  Firefox tweak guide:(Advanced tweaking)
  Firefox tunning
• GUI. One of the biggest advantages of Firefox is the fact that allows a great flexibility for the GUI. To gain more working space do the following.
  - Right click anywhere on a blank space in the area of URL box and you will get a “Customize” option.
  - First of all set your icons to small
  - Add and remove icons (through drag and drop) as needed. I currently have only the following buttons: Back, Forward, Refresh, Stop, Homepage.
  - Move your remaining icons from the Navigation Toolbar near the File menu.

Now you have completed the first part of your Firefox optimization. You can familiarize now with the keyboard shortcuts for better productivity