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Alix

Alix

Everymom
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Hey all, I just installed Firefox for my Mac and a bunch of AWESOME addons. I thought I'd start this thread as a place to share stuff for our computers that everyone might find useful.

I know some folks were having issues with the drop down ads, and other things so lets use this as a helping spot.

I use Firefox now exclusively (thanks GB) although I didn't mind Safari on my Mac. There are so many addons that make it easy to use, and connect all the various computers I use. My favorites are Adblock (for obvious reasons) and I like Colorful tabs too. (Mostly cuz its pretty! :cool:) I'm off to investigate a few of the ones GB told me about, but I'm hoping he'll post some here too.

Anyone have any useful tips to post?
 
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I have a bunch that I love. I will try to post more later. My current favorite is Integrated Gmail. For those that use a lot of Google products (gmail, calendar, reader, google voice, etc.) it is awesome. It lets you put all of that on one page and customize how it looks. I would be lost without it these days. I can read my email while checking my calendar and sending a text all at the same time from the same page.
 
How about some information on Firefox for the uninitiated? I keep hearing about it, but know nothing and am frankly, frightened of making such a change.
 
It is nothing scary at all PF. As a matter of fact you don't even need to make the change. You can use FF right along with Internet Explorer or any other browser. It does not have to be a one or the other sort of thing.

All FF is is a way to access the internet just as IE is a way to access the internet. Download it and try it out. You have nothing to lose. You do not have to change anything to do it. You just download it and run it and if you don't like it you uninstall it and nothing has changed.
 
I've used it on a PC and it works better than IE. The add-ons make it.

I now have a MacBook Pro but have stuck with Safari. Maybe I should switch again.
 
PF, add-ons are little programs that let you customize how the browser works. For instance, the one Alix likes the most is called AdBlocker. Its only job is to block ads. Once you turn it on you no longer see any of those annoying ads on any internet page.

There are ad-ons for just about anything you can think of.
 
I was having lots of trouble with IE8 crashing all the time and Alix turned me on to FF. With the AdBlocker I see no ads anywhere in DC. The only ones I ever get are a couple of pop-overs on some of the recipe newsletters I get.

I still have IE8 that I use for things I want to keep available all the time, like my sudoku solver which is signed in to the current issue of the sudoku book I'm working on. I use this because the one thing in FF that I haven't been able to achieve is for it to always open in a new tab. If there is something I need to keep open, I use IE8. Like tracking an order being shipped to me.

You really ought to try it Princess. Like Alix said, you aren't changing anything, just adding another internet browser.
 
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For Firefox, I really like the add-on: TabMix Plus.

I am currently using Google Chrome. I really like it. It has a nifty feature called an "Incognito Window". You can open an icognito window while you leave your regular window open. It doesn't save any of your cookies, once you close it. It makes it really easy for someone to check their Gmail account or log in to Facebook, and I don't have to log out first. What they do in their incognito window is completely separate.

I just download the portable version and will be installing Chrome on my USB keys.
 
Andy M. said:
I've used it on a PC and it works better than IE. The add-ons make it.

I now have a MacBook Pro but have stuck with Safari. Maybe I should switch again.
Click to expand...

I just downloaded Firefox for my MacBook and I have fallen in love all over again.

Zhizara, there is an extension for Adblock that deals with the text ads you are getting on the other sites. I don't know if this will work for you, but can you right click on the bookmark for your Sudoku solver and click Open in New Tab?
 
I don't know who uses what, but I know on our PC we use freeware for everything.

Grisoft is our anti virus software.
Ad Aware is our spyware cleanup tool.
Zone Alarm is our firewall

These are all free downloads and they work really well. No need to spend big bucks on Norton or McAfee with these around IMO.
 
PrincessFiona60 said:
How about some information on Firefox for the uninitiated? I keep hearing about it, but know nothing and am frankly, frightened of making such a change.
Click to expand...

I resisted the change for a LONG time PF. (Ask GB!) I finally got frustrated with IE crashing on me and made the switch. I've never looked back. Firefox has tabs, it will import all your bookmarks, and generally make surfing the web easier and faster. The biggest selling feature is that you can customize it to be virtually your perfect browser. Bothered by ads? Install Adblock. Want it to look prettier? Colorful Tabs is here! Once you install Firefox the add-ons are easy to cruise through. And nothing is permanent, you can uninstall them just as easily as you install them.
 
Alix said:
I resisted the change for a LONG time PF. (Ask GB!) I finally got frustrated with IE crashing on me and made the switch. I've never looked back. Firefox has tabs, it will import all your bookmarks, and generally make surfing the web easier and faster. The biggest selling feature is that you can customize it to be virtually your perfect browser. Bothered by ads? Install Adblock. Want it to look prettier? Colorful Tabs is here! Once you install Firefox the add-ons are easy to cruise through. And nothing is permanent, you can uninstall them just as easily as you install them.
Click to expand...

Using Firefox on my PC I found it to be not much different from IE as far as learning to use it. Any differences are really minor as far as navigation. The real differences are the extras and the stability. It should also be faster than IE.
 
Alix said:
I just downloaded Firefox for my MacBook and I have fallen in love all over again.

Zhizara, there is an extension for Adblock that deals with the text ads you are getting on the other sites. I don't know if this will work for you, but can you right click on the bookmark for your Sudoku solver and click Open in New Tab?
Click to expand...

Opening in a new tab doesn't stop it from being covered up by any new site I open unless I take the time (and remember) to open a new tab page first. Since I work on the puzzles any time of day, it's just easier to open the solver in IE and leave it there where it won't get "bumped" by the next site I open. That way I don't have to sign in again. This is also especially helpful when I order something from WalMart and am tracking the shipment. If I have it open in FF, it will eventually get bumped and I have to go back to the original email from WalMart, go to my account to get the tracking number then go to the FedEx (or other) to find out where my order is. When I leave it open in IE, it stays open and all I have to do to check my order is to refresh.

Other than those sites, I use FireFox for everything.

One of my biggest frustrations at first, was being able to use my Favorites. Bookmarks are just not as good, but I was able to solve that completely with the add-on plainoldfavorites. Not only does it give me a Favorites category in the toolbar, but any updates or changes I make works on the Favorites both in FireFox as well as IE.

The only nitpick I have is that it automatically sorts my favorites alphabetically when I'd rather keep my favorite Favorites in the top couple of places and the bottom couple of places so they are quick to find, but that's easy to fix by creative naming of the favorites so they end up where I want them.

I did try the colored tabs, but I couldn't tell which tab I was on and they were hard for me to read so I just went back to regular tabs where the tab I'm on is highlighted.

I also set up a persona color because I was having trouble reading the toolbar. The lighter color makes the black print stand out.
 
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Thanks for all the info, Everyone! Do I just Google "Firefox"? This is not something I will do tonight, I'll wait for the weekend when I can play with it, learn it and get it set up.

Then I can do a demo for Shrek and get him to change!
 
PrincessFiona60 said:
Thanks for all the info, Everyone! Do I just Google "Firefox"? This is not something I will do tonight, I'll wait for the weekend when I can play with it, learn it and get it set up.

Then I can do a demo for Shrek and get him to change!
Click to expand...

I posted the links in my first post. One is just to Firefox for PC, the other is Firefox for Mac. That will make it easier for you.
 
I installed Firefox on my Mac today. It is much faster than Safari. I have not added any add-ons yet and am not bothered by ads.

However, I do have an issue. With IE, Safari and Firefox on my PC, a read post on DC caused the Thread title to go from bolded to regular type. That enabled me to keep visually track of which threads I had read and which I had not. I use the New Posts to read new activity.

With this new Firefox on my Mac, the thread title stays bolded after I have read the last post or after adding a post.

Any ideas?
 
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