A quick list on new features in Firefox 1.5:
That is brief, for more details check out the Firefox 1.5 page at Mozilla.com.
November 30, 2005
New Firefox New Address
Well, Firefox 1.5 has officially been released. If you haven't been using the beta or release candidates then you will want to go get this one. (http://getfirefox.com). And while you're there if you don't really recognize the place that's because Mozilla just gave their two top products (Firefox and Thunderbird) a new home. (http://mozilla.com) The site is clean and simple. No more clutter about things you aren't interested in if you are strictly there for one of these products.
A quick list on new features in Firefox 1.5:
Faster back/forward navigation Drag and drop tab functionality to order your tabs the way you want Automatic updates Clear all private data with the click of one button.
That is brief, for more details check out the Firefox 1.5 page at Mozilla.com.
A quick list on new features in Firefox 1.5:
That is brief, for more details check out the Firefox 1.5 page at Mozilla.com.
November 6, 2005
Browser Bash
I'm watching Black Hawk Down today. A really great film in my opinion. The things that happened during the events that this film is based on were hard to swallow. The soundtrack to this film is awesome as well, one I think I will probably purchase eventually.
Anyway, sitting here with the movie playing in the background I am messing around with the many browsers I've downloaded. The internet browser is in probably as many homes as the television these days. Most people don't realize what is available to them, they usually just use what comes on their Operating System, and since that the majority of the world today used Microsoft Windows their main browser is Internet Explorer (IE or, if you've done much web development, Internet Exploder). It just goes to show that just because everybody used it doesn't make it the best. Probably one of the worst browsers to use is IE yet it still holds well over the majority of the browser market.
Currently my personal favorite is Firefox. A browser that has it's roots in an open source company named the Mozilla Foundation. Firefox is a very customizable browser and with it's roots in teh open source community it has tons of techy computer nerds out there just cranking out useful and easy to install extensions. They have incorporated the highly requested tabbed browsing ability (a favorite alternative browser feature for years before Firefox for the tech junkies out there). Tabbed browsing helps you keep your desktop free from multiple windows and helps save system resources by not having 10 or more IE windows open. Firefox is very easy to begin using and has a very light download (if you are dial up it still seems big, but it could be worse). Live Feed Bookmarks are also a nice things about Firefox. If you use any sort of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader or service then you'll love the ability Firefox gives you to add live feeds to your favorites and view the latest headlines you're interested in without having to go directly to the site. There are many other features and extensions that I love about Firefox but I have other browsers to talk about and I don't want to make this post any longer than it has to be.
Before Firefox began I used several different alternative browsers. Mozilla's orginal browser that came with the Mozilla Suite was ok, but pretty much a clone of Netscape Navigator. What I don't like about Mozilla and Navigator is that they have a pretty large resource footprint and load time. They are relics of the mammoth browser age and I really prefer not to use them.
Over the years I've also used Opera several times. Opera is probably one of the more mature browsers around, being older than internet explorer. The people behind Opera have done a pretty good job at keeping it sleek and efficient. Rivaling Firefox at page load speed this browser has had a pretty solid following over the years. Until within the last couple of months the biggest set back that held Opera at bay was that they didn't offer their standard product for free. They offered a free version, but it was riddled with an ad banner that was pretty tough to get rid of. Many people didn't want to pay to use the standard version, so they either toughed out the ads or just settled for a free browser.
Recently I've come accross a new browser that is just getting it's start in the world, Flock. The Flock community has based this new Web 2.0 browser on Firefox and added some pretty nifty tools that come standard on the browser. If you blog any then you may consider this browser (although you may want to wait at least until they release a more mature version, currently they're at version 0.4.10). They have a built in blogging interface that currenlty works with most major blogging services, and with intentions to work with most others. One thing that is neat but not useful to me is that their bookmarks are integrated with del.icio.us, if you use that it's good, if you're like me it isn't very useful. This browser is very young but I expect it to pick up pace as it matures.
Until next time,
Les Martin
Anyway, sitting here with the movie playing in the background I am messing around with the many browsers I've downloaded. The internet browser is in probably as many homes as the television these days. Most people don't realize what is available to them, they usually just use what comes on their Operating System, and since that the majority of the world today used Microsoft Windows their main browser is Internet Explorer (IE or, if you've done much web development, Internet Exploder). It just goes to show that just because everybody used it doesn't make it the best. Probably one of the worst browsers to use is IE yet it still holds well over the majority of the browser market.
Currently my personal favorite is Firefox. A browser that has it's roots in an open source company named the Mozilla Foundation. Firefox is a very customizable browser and with it's roots in teh open source community it has tons of techy computer nerds out there just cranking out useful and easy to install extensions. They have incorporated the highly requested tabbed browsing ability (a favorite alternative browser feature for years before Firefox for the tech junkies out there). Tabbed browsing helps you keep your desktop free from multiple windows and helps save system resources by not having 10 or more IE windows open. Firefox is very easy to begin using and has a very light download (if you are dial up it still seems big, but it could be worse). Live Feed Bookmarks are also a nice things about Firefox. If you use any sort of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader or service then you'll love the ability Firefox gives you to add live feeds to your favorites and view the latest headlines you're interested in without having to go directly to the site. There are many other features and extensions that I love about Firefox but I have other browsers to talk about and I don't want to make this post any longer than it has to be.
Before Firefox began I used several different alternative browsers. Mozilla's orginal browser that came with the Mozilla Suite was ok, but pretty much a clone of Netscape Navigator. What I don't like about Mozilla and Navigator is that they have a pretty large resource footprint and load time. They are relics of the mammoth browser age and I really prefer not to use them.
Over the years I've also used Opera several times. Opera is probably one of the more mature browsers around, being older than internet explorer. The people behind Opera have done a pretty good job at keeping it sleek and efficient. Rivaling Firefox at page load speed this browser has had a pretty solid following over the years. Until within the last couple of months the biggest set back that held Opera at bay was that they didn't offer their standard product for free. They offered a free version, but it was riddled with an ad banner that was pretty tough to get rid of. Many people didn't want to pay to use the standard version, so they either toughed out the ads or just settled for a free browser.
Recently I've come accross a new browser that is just getting it's start in the world, Flock. The Flock community has based this new Web 2.0 browser on Firefox and added some pretty nifty tools that come standard on the browser. If you blog any then you may consider this browser (although you may want to wait at least until they release a more mature version, currently they're at version 0.4.10). They have a built in blogging interface that currenlty works with most major blogging services, and with intentions to work with most others. One thing that is neat but not useful to me is that their bookmarks are integrated with del.icio.us, if you use that it's good, if you're like me it isn't very useful. This browser is very young but I expect it to pick up pace as it matures.
Until next time,
Les Martin
November 1, 2005
Changes
I'm fatter than I used to be. My hairline isn't quite as low on my forehead anymore. I can't do 60 push-ups in one go and I'm all around more out of shape than I used to be. One thing is for sure, things change. That is why what I do (software development) is such an awesome job. When you are getting bored with what you do you find that you have to learn something new to meet a new need or new technology. Just over 2 years ago I first learned of PHP, what a new world it was for me, I thought that struts were just things on vehicles. But now, I'm into JEE and STRUTS and JSPs and Servlets and EJBs and on and on. Last year I got hard core into HTML and CSS standards for web development, now I'm constantly reading about modern DHTML on the DOM and AJAX.
It is even evident from a user perspective. 3 years ago I used Internet Explorer, sometime between now and then enter Firefox (Pheonix, Firebird) and I'm off and running with a new browser, but don't forget for short periods I used Netscape Navigator and the original Mozilla browser. Currently I'm writing this entry with a blogging tool built right into a new browser based on Firefox called Flock (experimenting with the 0.5 beta).
Speaking of beta, how about Google and beta testing. GMail was in beta for what seemed a lifetime, GoogleMaps is still marked beta as well as GoogleSuggest and many other Google apps. All of these also have a link with AJAX because they are largely based on it.
2 years ago who used any online map besides mapQuest? (you computer geeks that have a list waiting to rag on me with don't count, I'm talking regular people) Now I don't go anywhere but GoogleMaps, but I guess I am a tech geek. It will catch on though.
Last year the Sooners were at the top of the BCS charts, this week we finally made it back to the polls at 25, not such a great season. Like I said things change.
Until next time.
Les
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