Mozilla Firefox 3 Beta 1

Mozilla is also working on a number of security enhancements, which again were not all available in this beta. I was able to test a revamp of the saved-password feature, which lets you postpone saving site credentials until after you've successfully logged in. The final release will block known malicious sites that attempt to install Trojan horses or other malware (the blacklist of such sites isn't yet in place). Overall the extra security should help make for safer browsing, but none of the upgrades will prove a major deterrent for malware pushers.

Other updates include a new downloads manager that allows for resuming downloads after browser restarts, a full-page zoom, and security and usage improvements for handling browser add-ons. Be sure to see the full list of changes in Firefox 3.

If you're interested in trying out version 3's new features, keep in mind that this beta release has known bugs. You can't log in to Yahoo Mail's slick new interface, for instance, though you can read Yahoo Mail via the old interface. Also, many popular add-ons, including Foxmarks (for bookmark syncing) and SiteAdvisor (for Web surfing security), don't yet work with the new Firefox. You can install and uninstall Beta 1 alongside Firefox 2, and in our tests the old version--including­ bookmarks, add-ons, and settings--was unharmed.

This beta, because of its bugs, is not well suited for everyday browsing. Using it, however, makes clear that the final Firefox 3 will include some nice extras but won't push the boundaries for browser upgrades.

--Erik Larkin