Thirteen Essential Firefox Extensions

So here's the comprehensive list of Firefox extensions I use that I've been wanting to post for months. You can download these extensions from the links provided. A couple of these have been updated from the version noted, but I'm only listing the versions I'm using as of this evening. This way you know that I've tested them in Fx 1.0.6, under Win XP Pro. I'm going in alphabetical order.

• AdBlock Plus 0.5.9 - One of my favorite browser enhancements ever, it inspired native ad blocking in a number of browsers, including Avant, the best IE shell.


• Delicious Delicacies 0.4.1 - The definition of a useless extension, it simply replaces the definition of "cookie" in the advanced prefwindow pane with the jokey temporary one that lived there for several months before Firefox became a household name. I love it.


• Download Manager Tweak 0.6.6 - Most useful feature is moving the download manager into its own tab, Opera-style. This view gives you info you normally wouldn't have in Fx, including file URL and target location.


• FlatStyle 0.9.1.3 - Creates MS Office-style context menus and, more importantly, lets you drop the dropdown arrows on the back/forward buttons (right-click for menus). This looks great but makes a number of custom themes jumpy, so I disable it from time to time.


• Image Zoom 0.1.7.1 - Gives you a bunch of context menu-based options for zooming into and out of images. Should really be a standard Fx feature. Highly customizable.


• LiveBookmarkThis 0.2 - Another feature that should be standard, lets you add RSS or Atom feeds to your LiveBookmarks with a right-click.


• MenuX 0.2.2.15 - Adds no less than thirty additional toolbar buttons to pick and choose from, including buttons for the extension and theme managers. Also allows you to hide the menubar. Highly recommended.


• Save Image in Folder 0.5.1 - Adds a customizable option to the context menu that shows up when you right click an image. You can quickly drop a bmp, png, gif, or jpg into any folder that you add to the list. Convenient as hell.


• Save Text Area 0.2 - Right-click in a text area to get the option of loading a text file's contents into it. Very useful if you're worried about writing a lengthy post, only to have a remote server crap out and lose your data. I'm using it to write this post.


• Show Image 0.3 - An old IE feature, lets you right-click on an image placeholder for a graphic that didn't load (or if you hit Stop before the images loaded) to force it to load. I use it every day.


• Tab Mix Plus 0.2.4 - Unquestionably the best tab extension for Fx. Gives you every option you could need, including tab focusing and appearance tweaks like putting a close button on every tab (Opera's best feature). Can be buggy on install, but absolutely worth the trouble.


• WellRounded 0.41 - An aesthetic extension, it creates rounded ends for the URL bar, search bar, and history and bookmarks sidebar searches. Doesn't work with a lot of custom themes, but makes many, including the default theme and Qute, look fantastic.


• Wizz RSS News Reader 1.1.2 - Easily the best RSS reader/aggregator I've come across so far. Integrates fairly well into Fx, though the interface isn't particularly intuitive. But given a chance, it becomes addictive. It has to compete with Fx's native LiveBookmarks, and I think which one is better is a matter of personal preference, but if you want to sort through a couple dozen or more feeds daily, like I do, Wizz RSS wins out.

If there's a Fx extension that you can't live without that I haven't listed here, post it in the comments. I already know that Garrett has a BugMeNot extension that I haven't been able to find, so I'm waiting for that link. I've put off listing my Thunderbird extensions until I have more than four installed. I just don't get that much email, I'm afraid.