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Just last week, I showed you a batch of add-ons for, er, a Firefox add-on called Jetpack. With these, you'd be able to tap into the raw power of HTML and CSS-based extensions to add new functionality to your browser without needing a reboot whatsoever--just one of the many features provided by this new class of add-ons.
Well, in case that wasn't for you, I've gone out and searched for a way to duplicate the effects of some of these Jetpack add-ons using normal Firefox extensions. And this is an important point. Although nice to install and configure, many of said Jetpack extensions just felt a touch incomplete, slow, or otherwise non-functioning depending on the circumstances. And that's expected. Jetpack, after all, is a relatively new tool to the Firefox arsenal. Developers surely have a few bugs and eccentricities to work out.
That said, one of the more useful Jetpack applications granted a user the ability to load browser tabs into a live sidebar, giving you the opportunity to see the exact contents of what you wanted to click on prior to doing so. Tab Sidebar is the simple Firefox extension that duplicates this process sans Jetpack, and it's worth your while to install.
Specifically, Tab Sidebar replaces your normal tabbed browsing interface with graphical representations of the screens represented by said tabs. As such, it hides the main tab bar and uses this sidebar interface as a complete navigational replacement. Is it worth it? In a word, yes--consider this extension the Live Thumbnails of your browsing experience. However, when you go to install it, the replacement doesn't happen automatically. Make sure you click on the "view" menu of your browser, then select "Tab Sidebar" under the "Sidebar" menu. After that, be prepared for amazement.
Every Tuesday, Maximum PC picks a new Firefox add-on as its favorite of the week. Have a nifty extension that you can't live without? Twitter David Murphy @acererak with your latest suggestions.
Comments are closed on this article
retinaburn
November 24, 2009 at 7:28pm
Here ya go: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6535
TheMurph
November 24, 2009 at 11:58pm
Thanks! I don't know why I keep forgetting said link, but there it is. A thousand points for retinaburn. : )
frewster
November 24, 2009 at 4:06pm
Great article David, but there isn't a link to the install page!
