Mozilla has launched Firefox 2, the next generation
release of its open-source browser, which is second in the browser
market only to Internet Explorer.
Firefox 2 has been released a week after Microsoft launched its
Internet Explorer 7 browser with improved security and extra
functionality.
Internet Explorer has around 85% of the browser market and
Firefox more than 10%, but its share is continuing to rise at the
expense of IE.
Firefox 2 also offers greater security protection and improved
functionality.
The user interface has also been updated to improve useability
without altering familiarity, said Mozilla.
Built-in phishing protection warns users when they encounter
suspected fake websites, and offers to return the user to their
home page.
Phishing Protection is turned on by default, and works by
checking sites against either a local or online list of known
phishing sites.
This list is automatically downloaded and regularly updated when
the Phishing Protection feature is enabled.
Enhanced search capabilities see search term suggestions now
appearing as users type into the integrated search box when using
the Google, Yahoo! or Answers.com search engines.
And improved tabbed browsing sees Firefox open links in new tabs
instead of new windows, with each tab having a close-tab
button.
Power users who open more tabs than can fit in a single window
will see arrows on the left and right side of the tab strip that
let them scroll back and forth between their tabs.
The History menu keeps a list of recently closed tabs, and a
shortcut lets users quickly re-open an accidentally closed tab.
The new Session Restore feature restores windows, tabs, text
typed in forms, and in-progress downloads from the last user
session.
It will be activated automatically when installing an
application update or extension, and users will be asked if they
want to resume their previous session after a system crash.
Users can also decide how to handle web feeds, either
subscribing to them via a web service or in a standalone RSS
reader, or adding them as Live Bookmarks.
A new built-in spell checker also enables users to quickly check
the spelling of text entered into web forms without having to use a
separate application.