Firefox 12

Pros

Firefox has a secure privacy mode and a new minimalist interface that enables easier and more intuitive navigation.

Cons

There are no thumbnail previews or mouse gestures, but you can get the latter through an add-on.

The Verdict

: 9.33/10

Firefox is a versatile and feature-rich browser ideal for both advanced and beginner users.

Like many other major internet browsers, Firefox has adopted a useful synchronization feature. You can sync your browsing so you can access your history, passwords, bookmarks and more on your desktop or mobile browsers. The browser also has tabbed browsing, allowing you to quickly navigate between webpages in a single window. You can reorder tabs, organize them into customizable groups using the Panorama feature and perform a redo function when you accidentally close tabs.

The browser also has a handful of convenience features that make browsing easier and quicker. The find-on-page function is sleek and non-intrusive, allowing you to easily find a word or phrase on a particular webpage. Firefox puts the feature right on the bottom of the browser so you don’t have to deal with a pop-up window. The internet browser also has a voice interaction add-on. The feature allows you to browse the internet through simple voice commands.

Firefox is an ideal browser for college students and other individuals who conduct research online. Mozilla has developed virtual sticky notes, a feature unique to Firefox. You can add your own notes to specific webpages and access them through the toolbar. You can also access your saved bookmarks, archived browsing history and pinned apps. The “pin as app tab” feature allows you to save frequently visited websites – think Facebook or your web-based email – as icons on the toolbar. That way, you can easily access them without opening a new tab.

The browser’s innovative Smart Location Bar will adapt to your use and preferences. This handy tool makes it easy to return to websites you've previously visited, even if you don't remember the exact URL. It also helps you locate sites based on titles and content. Firefox also includes form complete, a pop-up blocker, a password manager and parental controls. Another nice feature is the drag-and-drop functionality, which allows you to drag text or a link from anywhere on a web page and put it directly into your search bar.

A few of the features Firefox doesn’t have include thumbnail previews and mouse gestures, or mouse movements that represent specific shortcuts. These would be convenient built-in features to have but aren’t essential. You can also install extensions compatible with Firefox that enable mouse gestures and voice interaction.

Firefox has integrated private browsing; you can easily enable and disable the private mode, browsing seamlessly in complete stealth. Furthermore, unlike other browser privacy modes, there is no noticeable icon or change to the interface when in private mode.

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Firefox protects against viruses, spyware, malware, phishing sites and pop-ups. The internet browser also has automatic updates, so your browser is always up-to-date on the latest security fixes. The internet browser also provides customized security settings. You can control the level of scrutiny placed on sites and customize settings for cookies, downloads, passwords and add-ons.

Another impressive security feature the internet browser possesses is the one-click site info. You simply click on the site in the address bar to view important safety information. You can easily clear your personal information, including history, cookies, passwords and web-form entries with the click of a button. You can even remove all traces of your visiting a specific site.

Firefox has always been a fast internet browser and now it's even faster. It beats most of the competition, though not all, in terms of speed, and we had no problems loading Firefox or quickly navigating from page to page. Firefox provides a fluid web browsing experience from start to finish and boasts compatibility across the web. Furthermore, Firefox is fully equipped to accommodate multi-touch gestures with OSX and Windows 7.

Similar to our other top-rated internet browsers, Firefox is well organized and intuitive. The browser has an easy-to-use interface stocked with the essentials, but it’s far from cluttered.

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Firefox features are powerful and useful, yet simple and accessible. Firefox has several additional features that further improve usability. A fully integrated spell-checker allows users to work directly on the web and still have spell check. Another great function is an automatic session restore. When Firefox reopens, you can pick up where you left off, even if the browser closed unexpectedly or by accident. Session restore can restore text you were writing in an email and even downloads in progress.
The Firefox download manager is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with the browser interface. The download manager gives you the ability to pause downloads and then pick up where you left off. This straightforward resume function is even available after a system restart.
One thing we were surprised by was Firefox still has an address bar and a search bar, one of the last few internet browsers to separate the two. This doesn’t hinder usability, but it does seem a bit outdated, considering other major web browsers have a single bar for both.

Mozilla provides a lot of useful online documentation, including FAQs, a knowledgebase and a tutorial. The knowledgebase is searchable and includes standard help as well as personalized help in the form of live chat with the Firefox community. You can also get direct support via email.

Summary:

Firefox is an early adopter if not an innovator of advanced web browsing, evidenced by the browser’s latest release. It is a simple, user-friendly browser, with numerous add-ons for advanced users looking for a fully customized browsing experience as well as a basic, hassle-free interface for more casual browsers. The internet browser trails a few competitors on some benchmarks, but the differences are nominal and Mozilla Firefox proves to be one of the top internet browsers around.

Download Link Firefox 12