From CIT Wiki
Firefox Capabilities
As you may know, Firefox is an open source internet browser that benefits from many features not present in the most widely used version of Internet Explorer (6.0). The most important features are:
- 1. Tabbed Browsing
- 2. Custom designs
- 3. Live Bookmarks
- 4. Integrated Searching
Tabbed Browsing
Tabbed browsing is an aspect of Firefox not present in Internet Explorer. For those not familiar with tabbed browsing, it is a way to stack different webpages inside a single browser window. To do this with Firefox, open the File menu and choose New Tab, or press ctrl + t. To alternate between tabs, one needs only to select the desired tab from the tab list at the top of the web browser, which will be labeled with the name of that page. For all practical purposes, the number of tabs allowed is unlimited. In addition, Safari also employs tabs.
Custom Designs
Another unique aspect of Firefox is the fact that it's available in alternative appearances, which are called "themes". This customizing arises from Firefox being open source software. With Firefox, users are no longer limited to a static look and feel, and can change the personality of their internet experience. To do this, click open the Tools menu and click Themes. A window will pop up listing all the themes currently available. To find more themes click "get more themes" in the bottom right side of the window. Any themes one downloads from here will be added to the list of themes available. If one wishes to change themes this can be done by choosing one from the theme list. It will become viewable once Firefox is restarted.
Live Bookmarks
Live bookmarks allow you to stay up to date with the most current headlines, blogs, and other content from sites. Live bookmarks are a powerfull tool because they are always in reach from the web browser and update themselves automatically.
Integrated Search Engine
With Firefox there is never a need to visit Google because the search engine is embedded into Firefox. Just use the search box in the top right corner to enter your search, and the results will show up once you press enter.
Additionally, you can also search a variety of websites including Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, and IMDb just to name a few. To add new search searches, click the symbol in the box and a pull down menu will appear. At the bottom there is a chose that reads, "Add searches...” Clicking that will take you to a web page that has a list of all the available databases to search. Simply click on the search you want to add, a small dialogue box will appear and click OK. The search will now be available from the pull down menu in the search box.
