Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Posted: 15 Jan 2010 03:51 AM PST

Firefox is my browser of choice on both Windows and OS X. While using Firefox for the past five years, I’ve used a myriad of extensions, and these are the ones I cannot work without.

Xmarks, formerly Foxmarks, initially allowed users to synchronize their bookmarks from multiple machines on a centralized server and browse and manage them via the web. When the service was expanded to include Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Safari, the name was changed to Xmarks.

Since then, additional functionality including syncing with some mobile devices like the iPhone, and social features including website reviews and suggestions users have been added. If you use multiple browsers or devices, Xmarks will help keep them organized.

Echofon, previously Twitterfox, is the cleanest Twitter client I have found in the form of a Firefox extension. The icon resides in the status bar, and displays the number of unread tweets.

When you click on the icon it opens a simple interface with tabs for your friend feed, @replies, and direct messages. Echofon allows you to add and manage multiple Twitter accounts, and automatically shortens urls when you tweet. It is the perfect alternative to a desktop client.

Greasemonkey is an extension that allows you to customize Firefox with scripts. There are scripts for many purposes including skinning websites (i.e., Google Calendar and Gmail) and controlling the behavior of multimedia objects on a website (i.e., keeping video and audio files from automatically playing when you visit MySpace pages). Greasemonkey is the multi-tool of Firefox extensions.

IE Tab (Windows only) allows you to switch back and forth between Internet Explorer and Firefox by clicking a small icon in the status bar. If you use Firefox as your primary browser, but frequent websites that are only IE compatible, IE Tab lets you switch back and forth without changing browsers. This comes in particularly handy if you use SharePoint.

Smart Bookmarks Bar gives you a more control over how bookmarks are organized and displayed in the Bookmarks Toolbar. It allows you display numerous bookmarks by hiding the bookmark and folder names and displaying the website’s favicon to help you identify each bookmark.

It also allows you to control the spacing between icons and auto-hide the entire toolbar. It lets you to get to your frequently used bookmarks faster.

I regularly use other extensions, but I find that these five are the ones I install every time I set up a new Firefox installation. I have been using some of these extensions for over four years, so they are mature and stable, and rarely cause issues in Firefox.

What are your most essential Firefox add-ons? Let us know in the comments!