Firefox 2 is now "officially" released.

[eddie]

Firefox 2 has now been "officially" released

What's New in Firefox 2

* Visual Refresh: Firefox 2's theme and user interface have been updated to improve usability without altering the familiarity of the browsing experience.

* Built-in phishing protection: Phishing Protection warns users when they encounter suspected Web forgeries, and offers to return the user to their home page. Phishing Protection is turned on by default, and works by checking sites against either a local or online list of known phishing sites. This list is automatically downloaded and regularly updated when the Phishing Protection feature is enabled.

* Enhanced search capabilities: Search term suggestions will now appear as users type in the integrated search box when using the Google, Yahoo! or Answers.com search engines. A new search engine manager makes it easier to add, remove and re-order search engines, and users will be alerted when Firefox encounters a website that offers new search engines that the user may wish to install.

* Improved tabbed browsing: By default, Firefox will open links in new tabs instead of new windows, and each tab will now have a close tab button. Power users who open more tabs than can fit in a single window will see arrows on the left and right side of the tab strip that let them scroll back and forth between their tabs. The History menu will keep a list of recently closed tabs, and a shortcut lets users quickly re-open an accidentally closed tab.

* Resuming your browsing session: The Session Restore feature restores windows, tabs, text typed in forms, and in-progress downloads from the last user session. It will be activated automatically when installing an application update or extension, and users will be asked if they want to resume their previous session after a system crash.

* Previewing and subscribing to Web feeds: Users can decide how to handle Web feeds (like this one), either subscribing to them via a Web service or in a standalone RSS reader, or adding them as Live Bookmarks. My Yahoo!, Bloglines and Google Reader come pre-loaded as Web service options, but users can add any Web service that handles RSS feeds.

* Inline spell checking: A new built-in spell checker enables users to quickly check the spelling of text entered into Web forms (like this one) without having to use a separate application.

* Live Titles: When a website offers a microsummary (a regularly updated summary of the most important information on a Web page), users can create a bookmark with a "Live Title". Compact enough to fit in the space available to a bookmark label, they provide more useful information about pages than static page titles, and are regularly updated with the latest information. There are several websites that can be bookmarked with Live Titles, and even more add-ons to generate Live Titles for other popular websites.

* Improved Add-ons manager: The new Add-ons manager improves the user interface for managing extensions and themes, combining them both in a single tool.

* JavaScript 1.7: JavaScript 1.7 is a language update introducing several new features such as generators, iterators, array comprehensions, let expressions, and destructuring assignments. It also includes all the features of JavaScript 1.6.

* Extended search plugin format: The Firefox search engine format now supports search engine plugins written in Sherlock and OpenSearch formats and allows search engines to provide search term suggestions.

* Updates to the extension system: The extension system has been updated to provide enhanced security and to allow for easier localization of extensions.

* Client-side session and persistent storage: New support for storing structured data on the client side, to enable better handling of online transactions and improved performance when dealing with large amounts of data, such as documents and mailboxes. This is based on the WHATWG specification for client-side session and persistent storage.

* SVG text: Support for the svg:textpath specification enables SVG text to follow a curve or shape.

* New Windows installer: Based on Nullsoft Scriptable Install System, the new Windows installer resolves many long-standing issues.

Release notes: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/2.0/releasenotes/
Grab your build: www.getfirefox.com

The visual refresh now shows through the related websites as well. At least main firefox page and Addons page have been revamped to look uber cool

[abhinav]

Great news....

Now heading over to the final version

[naveen_reloaded]

very good news...but nothing comes near in rendering a page like internet explorer

why is that like that???

another thing there are many problems with other browser in case f yahoo mail....

and also the way the page is rendered......

anyway downloading...... the latest version....lets see how it is ???

[teknoPhobia]

I got it yeaterday

[Third Eye]

great news..i am downloading it..

[eddie]

A little better explanation of the new features is provided on mozillazine.
http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=20112

I wanted to edit the original post but couldn't.

[mohit sharma]

@ EDDIE
Thanks for the info. , and keep doing work like this , for updating us all

[montylee]

Just downloaded it. Looks cool with new features.

[piyush gupta]

Downloaded yesterday

[hemant_mathur]

Time to try ff

[busyanuj]

the new version has been crashing unexpectedly (not just for me, but many ppl). the "restore session" functionality is good, but who'd want his browser to crash in the first place?

i'm waiting for mozilla to release a fix for it.

[planetcall]

The last build v1.5.0.7 is set to automatically upgrade in event of new release. I just checked that even if the newer version i.e. FF2 is out , still my browser doesnt show any update required. I think mozilla team is fixing a few things before they set it for global automated update for all FF users.

[Vishal Gupta]

And the new homepage of firefox is looking more sexy now

[Suhas M]

Great news.....Thanx!

[TechGuru#1]

Originally Posted by Vishal Gupta

And the new homepage of firefox is looking more sexy now

that's KORREKT!

[samrulez]

Cool......I've been waiting for this since months!

i updated today, most of the old extensions don't work, so i had to look for replacements, this is the biggest problem with firefox, same thing happened with me when Firefox 1.5 relesed & i switched from 1.0, extensions were no longer usable. Can't they just use one extension engine

Although, I m used to IE 7 now, so i was looking for a few extensions for firefox, to make it behave like IE in functionality, & i found one extension for firefox, which emulates the IE 7 Quicktab feature



It called Tab Catalog extension

[TechGuru#1]

Originally Posted by gxsaurav

i updated today, most of the old extensions don't work, so i had to look for replacements, this is the biggest problem with firefox, same thing happened with me when Firefox 1.5 relesed & i switched from 1.0, extensions were no longer usable. Can't they just use one extension engine
...........................

That's xcatly WHY i am NOT yet ready 2 use FF2?
I really cant help the Net w/o the FF 1.5 extensions which i have become so much used to!

* & morever FF1.5 is still NOT giving a AUTO update 2 FF 2.0 so i would b ONLY Upgrading after all the issues r more or less setteled particularly abt the EXTENSION part!

[[xubz]]

Originally Posted by gxsaurav

Can't they just use one extension engine

The Extensions work.. IF They're updated..

For those who're Blabbing about Extensions, Here's a Small Tutorial..

1. Search for the Extension you want, But instead of Clicking the "Install Now" Button, Right click it and Select "Save Link As" and Save the .xpi File to your HD.
   
2. The XPI File is basically just a ZIP File with a Different Extension.., So Extract it with WinRAR.
   
3. Open the Folder in Which you've Extracted, and Open the "Install.rdf" with your Fav. Text Editor.
   
4. You can See its a XML File.. Edit the Part that Says
   

   <em:minVersion>1.0.*</em:minVersion>
   <em:maxVersion>1.5.0.*</em:maxVersion>

   and Make it
   

   <em:minVersion>1.0.*</em:minVersion>
   <em:maxVersion>3.0.0.*</em:maxVersion>

5. Save the File, and Repack the Files as a ZIP File and Rename the Extension to XPI
   
6. Open Firefox, Open Addons (Tools->Addons)
   
7. Drag and Drop the XPI File into the Addon Box..
   
8. Profit!!!

Now you can Install any Extension..

Do not try Installing Themes that Way.. Many Things have changed since the 1.5 version.. so you'll have a Ugly Looking One..

firefox has changed many of the core functionality of how extensions work, so even this install.rdf file trick does not helps those extensions

For me Firefox 2 = Firefox 1.5 + extensions integrated

[eddie]

Originally Posted by gxsaurav

Can't they just use one extension engine

No...
They put so much of work to improve the add-ons management. The revamped add-on management is one of the major features of Firefox 2 and you want them to live with the same old engine? What kind of development would that be?

In any case, releasing upgraded versions or improving extensions according to the current Firefox release is extension developer's job and not Firefox devs'. Firefox or its developers should not be blamed about it.

[goobimama]

Thanks a lot GX! I didn't know about this tab catalog thing. Its excellent!

[ax3]

bt do top\popular old extension work ?

[eddie]

All of my 24 extensions have been ported to FF2...so they do seem to be working...