The Mozilla Foundation has released a trial version of the next-generation Firefox browser, featuring numerous enhancements such as pop-up blocking, improved support for web standards, and more intuitive navigation.
Currently, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Release “Candidate 1” is available on Mozilla’s website for beta testers to conduct final adjustments before the final version is released. Mozilla also advises that this version is intended for testing purposes only and does not support end users. Those who do not wish to download Mozilla Firefox 1.5 for the purpose of “seeing how it performs” should remain loyal to the current version 1.0.
It is expected that Firefox 1.5 will release its final version before 2006, following one more beta version (also planned for this November), provided that “Candidate 1” receives positive feedback.
New Features
The new features of the next-generation Firefox include a more efficient software update system, faster navigation courtesy of two tabs labeled “Back” and “Forward,” along with a redesigned Options/Preferences window that allows the addition of several new category icons and moves them from the left side of the window to the top.
Moreover, Firefox 1.5 supports many new web standards, including SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), JavaScript 1.6, and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). SVG is an XML-based language used for creating complex two-dimensional graphics applications, while JavaScript represents the latest version of the Java language. CSS is a standard set by the World Wide Web Consortium for adding font styles, colors, and spacing in web documents.
Additionally, Firefox 1.5 features improved DHTML access and better support for Mac OS X. (DHTML is an extension of HTML that uses JavaScript and style sheets to embed small graphics and dynamic menus within web pages).
Recently, Firefox has quickly gained market share and emerged as an alternative to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. In October alone, the number of downloads for this browser reached 100 million.
Cầm Thi (According to PC World)
