If you always wanted to know which add-ons would enable you to enable some of Chrome's best features in Firefox, you've looked in the right place. Through several add-ons, some of Chrome's best features would be able to be included into Firefox.
New Tab Page:
Chrome's new tab page shows you thumbnails (and links) to your nine most visited sites as well as your recent bookmarks and search engines in addition to an option to reopen closed tabs. Google has recently created a version of this for Firefox although it doesn't currently show recent search engines.
Google Toolbar 5 for Firefox includes the new tab page. After installing and agreeing to the license, go to Options by clicking on the Wrench icon:
On the Search tab under Web Browsing Tools, check "Enable the Google new tab page." Click Save and Voila! You're done! See screenshot below for details (click to enlarge).
If you would also like to change your Firefox home page to this, simply go to Firefox options and on the Main tab under "Startup" change your home page to: "chrome://google-toolbar/content/new-tab.html" (without the quotes). Note: In order for this to work if you have the add-on Tab Mix Plus (TMP) installed, go to TMP options, in the Events options, under the Tab Opening, choose "User Location" for Load on New Tabs, and then type in (or copy) "chrome://google-toolbar/content/new-tab.html" into Location without quotes. For details on this, see the following screenshot (click to enlarge).
Google Toolbar provides a lot of helpful features that will enhance your search and more. But if you don't use it and think it wastes space, simply right click on the menu bar and uncheck "Google Toolbar." This way, you can keep the tab page, but hide the toolbar. Google Toolbar 6 gives Internet Explorer users this too, but if you minimize the toolbar in IE, the whole thing is disabled. (As always, click to enlarge)
Incognito (Private Browsing) Mode:
Google Chrome as well as IE8 and Safari include Private Browsing. In this mode, cookies and history won't be stored in your computer. Firefox 3.1 (planned to be 3.5) will include this too but if you're desperate right now, there is a solution available. The Stealther add-on enables this. However, the one difference is that for this as well as Private Browsing in Firefox Beta is that in Chrome, the regular mode stays open while a new Incognito window opens, while for Stealther and Firefox 3.1+ Private Browsing, its enabled globally. If you don't want to install this add-on, future releases of Firefox will include this so it won't be long.
Domain Highlighting:
In Google Chrome, the entire domain including subdomains are highlighted. This isn't really as effective as highlighting simply the main domain, like in IE8. The add-on for Firefox known as Locationbar², adds domain highlighting as well as extra features including linkifying the address with many colors available. It is easily customized for strong highlighting. If you want the subdomain highlighted as well, it can be changed to do that as well. By knowing the main domain, fraudulent sites can easily be spotted.
Download Statusbar:No download manager window in Chrome. Enable that with an add-on Download Statusbar. Have all your downloads show in a tidy statusbar with an option to make it a mini notification as well as have speed colors.
Application Shortcuts:
In Chrome, you can make an application shortcut to load a webpage, like Gmail in a separate window without loading Chrome's toolbars so it is running as its own separate application. This can be enabled in Firefox using Prism for Firefox add-on. It has been developed by numerous developers including Mozilla Labs. These applications run as separate processes apart from the regular "firefox.exe" process, just like Chrome.
Omnibar:Chrome combines the search bar and address bar into one. Enable this on Firefox with the Omnibar extension. It integrates the two just like Chrome and works similarly.
Isolated Tabs:Unfortunately, there is no replacement available for this at the current moment. Perhaps Mozilla will incorporate it into future releases. This feature allows each tab to be run in its own process, however, it often causes excessive memory usage. However, the closest thing to this would be the application shortcuts mentioned above which DOES run as a separate process.
Top Tabs:
This is available through a theme package known as Chrome Package. It makes Firefox look a lot like Chrome with top tabs and the interface itself however many add-ons are incompatible with this. In addition, it does not look like Chrome on Windows versions with the Aero glass interface. The title bar retains the blue interface like in all other versions of Windows (including Vista Home Basic). Users also report difficulty uninstalling. Use at your own risk as this is an experimental add-on.
Note: Drag and drop tabs have always been available although it isn't as smoothly done as Chrome. Drag and drop into new windows are available in future releases although Detach Tab is available with add-ons such as Tab Mix Plus (TMP) which is mentioned above.Look and Feel:
An alternative to Top Tabs is the following.
Triton has created three experimental addons that duplicate some functionality and the look of Google Chrome. These are Chromifox Companion, Chromifox Extreme, and Chromifox Extreme Carbon. The latter two do much the same thing, but both duplicate the chrome, so to speak, of the Chromium platform browser. However, these are still experimental addons so until they are released out of alpha/beta, your best bet is to use Chromifox Basic by Falconer. This is a simple theme, which gives you a basic feeling of Chrome. Hopefully, Triton will finish soon, and then we will all be happy. The two developers are working with one another to create the best pseudo-Chrome experience possible. See links for screenshots.
If you're still using Internet Explorer, start surfing the web faster, safer, and more personalized with Firefox. Get Mozilla Firefox today!
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