Mozilla launches Firefox 0.9

Chicago (IL) - Mozilla released another preview release of Firefox. The new version 0.9 of the stand-alone web browser comes with a newly designed interface and speed, security and migration improvements.

The latest preview of Firefox isn’t quite what you would call a revolution, but the Mozilla surely is on track to become a serious contender in the browser market. While its feature set cannot set it apart from browsers such as Opera or the omni-present Internet Explorer, its streamlined interface and ease of use in a slim package will appeal to many users.

Instead of overloading the browser with features the end user does want to deal with, Firefox still focuses on core browsing functionality with convenient extensions such as the configurable a search engine field, which can be used to search almost any popular content site on the Internet. New features of version 0.9 include import of Internet Explorer data, such as bookmarks, history, cookies, passwords and settings. The software now integrates auto-update as well as an improved extension and theme managers with the default theme now being more familiar to the Windows user.

Mozilla also includes a revamped and more comprehensive help system. However, all help content only is available online. In turn, Mozilla delivers a small download package which is 4.7 MByte for Windows and 8.1 MByte for Linux.

"This new release brings Firefox closer to its much-anticipated 1.0 release, which will mark a milestone in the history of the Mozilla Foundation," observed Mitchell Baker, President of the Mozilla Foundation.

Later this week, Mozilla said that it will release a new version of its Internet suite, Mozilla 1.7 (including a web browser, mail client, Internet Relay Chat client and web page editor), and a new preview release of Thunderbird, its standalone email application.

The final release of Firefox is scheduled for July, which will include reviews of remaining security UI and privacy options UI, integration of a start page, correction of localization bugs as well as a bundled extension review.