Firefox 3 Beta Is Finally Released

After months of waiting, sometimes impatiently, Firefox 3 entered the beta stage of development on Monday night. Reaching this milestone, albeit significantly later than expected, is a major step for Mozilla towards the public release of this highly anticipated browser.

Security is a top priority in version 3, with new malware and web forgery protection included. Also, Firefox will now proactively inform your anti-virus software when an executable file is being downloaded through the browser. This helps prevent maliciously crafted files from slipping through the cracks. Firefox 3 does more to ensure the security of add-ons by disabling older versions as well as stifling those which provide updates in an insecure fashion.

Dozens of new features as well as enhancements on existing ones make Firefox 3 an exciting web browser in many ways. The Download Manager, viewed by many as one of version 2's more evident weaknesses, has been completely revamped. Resumable downloading has been added, so progress will no longer be completely wasted when Firefox is restarted or your Internet connection is reset. The Bookmarks system has been overhauled with easier search and addition tools. Enhanced integration with both Windows Vista and Mac OS X is also included.

Built on the new Gecko 1.9 engine, Firefox 3 offers better performance and more stability for both standard users and developers alike. New graphics and font handling, color management, and offline support highlight this improved platform. Finally, hundreds of memory leaks have been plugged and early tests show that Firefox 3 is a lot less resource-intensive than its predecessor. Firefox 3 Beta 1 is available for download for developers, testers, or anyone looking to get a sneak peek at Mozilla's latest creation.