Indispensable add-ons for Firefox

These are the first add-ons I look for when I have a new computer, or re-set one up for whatever reason. I also set these up for other family members, as needed.

Bookmark

• Xmarks (formerly Foxmarks) Save your bookmarks on their site or your own site. This is totally a cool/hot add-on since it works to have the same bookmarks on any computer you use this add-on with, and sign in with the correct info to the account you want to use. Set it up and then just add bookmarks as usual, and they’ll show up anywhere you have this installed with that account. For instance I have an old WIN XP laptop with profiles for everyone in the family to use with Firefox. I have my own stuff there, same as I have on my primary newer Vista laptop, and also have on my user account on the WIN XP desktop comuter. This bookmark add-on make using each computer so easy, same bookmarks and not having to think about adding the same bookmark elsewhere.

  Even nicer, the next add-on (Fast Dial) works with Xmarks such as if you add this one to a profile in Firefox, Xmarks saves those bookmarks you create with Fast Dial, and if you then add (FD) to another profile, when it loads the same FD bookmarks appear.

• Fast Dial Make your home &/or start page a page of Visual Links. Think blocks that show what the linked page looks like in the browser, customizable number of blocks vertical & horizontal.

Browsing

• Reload Every Right-context menu, set pages to automatically reload based on seconds available on the menu, as well as setting a custom time. Useful for online auction pages, watching a flight status page for Delta for instance, and any other usage you would like to use a regular interval reload automatically to.

Weather

• ForcastFox Accuweather.com‘s information on your status bar. Customizable with different weather “profiles” for different cities, and placement on status bar, and icons that are used, and how clicking interacts with your browser.

Social Updates

• TwitterFox Your Twitter.com profile in the status bar, update via TwitterFox, view Recent updates (as Home shows on twitter.com/home) Replies (now called “mentions” on twitter.com @yourusername usage in updates) and Messages (Direct Messages.) If you Twitter you might like this one. I didn’t always Twitter but have started and love using it.

View page in Internet Explorer

• IE View Lite A useful add-on for when a site just doesn’t render properly. Plus it’s a smaller version that does that same thing as IE View. Very useful (wish it wasn’t needed!)

Theme

• LittleFox This theme makes the browser have as much space to view pages as any I’ve used, mostly nice, sometimes squashes some menu windows, but never messes up viewing sites for me. Basic look of browser is flat and out of the way, text-ish and basic. I like it, it’s not for everyone though.