Firefox. Get it at Firefox.com. Now let’s move on to the Add-ons.

Seven Must-Have Add-ons for Firefox

1. Adblock Plus

   Although advertising can arguably be said to run the Internet, Adblock Plus only works for Firefox, and thus only 10% of all Internet users. So I don’t feel too bad.

   Select a filter, depending on where you live, and bam. No more ads covering up half your screen.

2. IE Tab

   Nevertheless, some websites still don’t play nicely with Firefox. IE Tab, previously covered here on HackCollege, allows you to switch to Internet Explorer from within Firefox for just that one unruly website.

3. LeechBlock

   Wasting too much time on the Internet and not completing your essays, projects, etc? Get the LeechBlock Add-on, also previously highlighted here on HackCollege.

4. FaviconizeTab and Aging Tabs

   Together, these two add-ons are great if you frequently have several tabs open at once. FaviconizeTab will allow you to minimize the width of the tab to simply the icon, and Aging Tabs gives slight color to each of your tabs, depending on when you accessed it last. So, if you need to get back to that one tab you just looked at, go to the darkest color. Nice.

5. Always Remember Password

   Some websites will not let Firefox remember your password. Get past this with Always Remember Password, a wonderful add-on if you’re the sole user for your computer.

6. BugMeNot, TrackMeNot, and RetailMeNot

   We’ve previously discussed these here, here, and here. Be sure to get all three.

7. Tiny Menu

   Want more screen space? Get Tiny Menu and squish everything into one menu.

   

Along with these, Gina Trapani over at LifeHacker has posted in the past a great set of config tweaks for Firefox, from spellcheck to better RAM usage. I won’t attempt to summarize her brilliant work. She’s awesome. Go there next.

Enjoy!

This post is part of the 12 HackCollege Days of Christmas feature.