if connected

Foxmarks bookmarks sync
This is the killer feature for me and the reason I’m going to stay loyal to Firefox for now: Foxmarks delivers reliable and secure sync of bookmarks across multiple computers whatever OS they are running. In a recent version there’s an option for users to define whether each computer is ‘work or ‘home’ and then sync a different set of bookmark folders with each type of machine. Foxmarks stores a copy of all the bookmarks either on the Foxmarks server or one a user specfies. The advantage of syncing with Foxmarks own server is that the ‘my foxmarks’ website allows users to log in and access their bookmarks from any web browser, for example using a shared computer in a cafe.

Add bookmark here 2 (Windows only)
I really miss this when I’m not using Windows. Puts an ‘add bookmark’ item into each folder in the your bookmarks. So, to add a bookmark you just navigate your folders, as if you were choosing to load an existing bookmark, then pick the appropriate add button when you’ve navigated into the right folder.

Openbook (Windows only)
This causes the ‘add bookmark’ dialog to appear with the folder tree extended. Handy. Although it’s largely, but not entirely, superceded if you have the ‘add bookmark here’ extension. Again I really miss this when I’m not on Windows, especially on the Mac version of Firefox.

Tiny menu (Windows only)
This is a fantastic extension for use on laptops (especially) or any machines that are low on vertical screen space. It collapses the entire menu to a single word with a hierarchical sub menu. However, there is a downside: Once installed, you need to manually configure the space to the right of the word ‘Menu’ with whatever buttons you desire (back, forward etc) and then hide the standard ‘navigation’ toolbar.

Tab preview
Adds mini previews of each tab as the mouse hovers over the tab’s name. IMO this is especially useful if there are a lot of tabs open.

Adblock Plus
I used to use the original Adblock, but found that it interfered with Flash working on some websites, especially movie trailer sites for some reason.

Cute menu crystal svg
Pure eye candy. I suppose you could argue that the icons next to menu items improve usability….

Web developer toolbar
…what it says. I especially like the ability to fiddle with what CSS elements are active.

Pdf download
Offers options for how to handle pdfs when they’re left clicked.

Tab Mix Plus
Offers customisation of the way tabs work. On Firefox 3 it’s less essential but still has some nice features.

Others that I have installed, but don’t use very often:-

Downloadthemall
Useful download manager but I use it occasionally and not all of the time: my main use is to grab multiple things for download from a single web page without a lot of manual clicking.

Copy plain text
Does what it says via the right click context menu.

IE tab
This isn’t as useful as it appears. The goal is to enable incompatible websites to be opened within the firefox UI. In reality, the only problematic site I’ve come across in recent years, a UK stockbroker, crashes in this too!

IE view
I find this more useful: it adds an ‘open in IE’ link to the right click menu.

Chatzilla
An IRC client

Streetmap

Freetranslate

Quicktime video playback wasn’t working at all within Firefox on the Mac. Safari was fine. I did the usual thing and Googled the problem — always a good idea with any tech issue — and found lots of people had the same experience. But I couldn’t see a fix anywhere.

I found Adblock (original add-on) was the cause. I uninstalled it and I switched to Adblock Plus instead, and Quicktime now works fine in Firefox.