In terms of actual, visible changes, there isn't a whole lot to see in Firefox 6. The main changes are in the address bar: the domain name of the site you visit will now be darker than the rest of the URL, and the identity of securely-encrypted websites will now be more clearly displayed (see below).
Both of these changes are designed to make web surfing more secure by protecting you from phishing. The idea is that if you don't recognize the domain name, then you're probably on a dangerous website.
It's also now easier to start using Sync — a service that keeps your bookmarks, passwords, surfing history, and tabs up-to-date across all of your computers (or smartphones) with Firefox installed, and Tab Groups (formerly Panorama) has been made faster and more user-friendly. You can launch Tab Groups by hitting Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows, Apple+Shift+E on Mac, or by clicking a button in the top right corner (see right).The most important changes, however, are all behind the scenes. For a start, a lot of new developer-oriented features were added to Firefox 6, which should result in a richer, less-buggy web. More importantly, Firefox 6 is the confirmation that Mozilla (the developer of Firefox) has successfully switched to a rapid-release schedule. Firefox 1 through 4 were all released around 18 months apart, but Firefox 5 and 6, however, were released after just six to eight weeks of development. This is an intentional shift that will continue with Firefox 7 in October, Firefox 8 before Christmas, and thereafter forevermore.
With a rapid-release schedule, Mozilla hopes to keep up with the web's breakneck evolution. Not only will faster releases mean that new features get into the hands of users and developers faster, but it should also mean that Firefox can be more competitive with Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, both of which are desperate for a slice of Firefox's pie. The other side of the equation is that keeping add-ons up-to-date might be harder in the short term, but that's a problem that should resolve itself as developers get used to the rapid-release schedule.
If you're already a Firefox user, you might have been prompted to download the new version — if not, or if you're a potential Chrome or Internet Explorer convert, head over to the Firefox website to download a copy. While you're there, if you have an iPhone or Android smartphone, feel free to grab the mobile version of Firefox, too — it makes the perfect companion for Firefox on your laptop or desktop.
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