Tabby's Tabbed Browsers

1. FIREFOX (gecko) (freeware)
   (also known as "Mozilla Firefox")

2. OPERA (no longer has ads, now freeware)

3. INTERNET EXPLORER (new with tabs)
   (has Tabs beginning with Version 7)

4. AM BROWSER (freeware)
   (also known as CRAZY BROWSER version 2) (how Tabby used Crazy Browser 1.0.5)

5. MAXTHON (previously known as MyIE2) (freeware)
   (also check out how Tabby used MyIE2 which is now Maxthon)

6. NETCAPTOR (shareware)

7. SAFARI (provided with Mac OS X, 10.3 or higher)

8. Mozilla (gecko) (freeware) (includes simple tabs)

9. Multizilla for Mozilla (freeware)
   (don't install Multizilla on Mac OS X; check installation
   page for any warnings if you want to use with Firefox)

10. MSN Search Toolbar with Tabbed Browsing (freeware)
    (Microsoft finally does TABS with its MSN search toolbar addon for Internet Explorer)

11. Camino (gecko) (for Mac OS X) (freeware)
    (Mac OS X users may want to instead use the Mac OS X version of Firefox since Camino hasn't had any recent development)

12. Galeon (freeware) (for linux & requires linux version of Mozilla)

13. Beonex (freeware) (for linux & windows; based on Mozilla with simple tabs)

14. Netscape (freeware) (based on Mozilla) (includes simple tabs)

15. iTreeSurf / iTreeNet (previously known as LovelyTree) (freeware)

16. GoSURF (freeware)

17. iNet-Tabs (freeware)

18. Ariadne-Browser (free for personal use)

19. SurfTabs (freeware)

20. FolderBox (free for home use)

21. E2 Browser (previously known as Explorer 2002) (freeware)

22. Slim Browser (freeware)

23. Web SurfACE (ad-supported & shareware)

24. FastBrowser (shareware)

25. Smart Explorer (shareware)

26. PQBrowser (shareware)

27. Optimal Desktop (shareware)

28. 1Tabview (shareware)

29. CrystalPort (shareware)

30. Reference Desk (shareware) (combines MS Office & browser with tabs)

31. XANA (freeware) (tabs used for categories for multiple windows) (may not be available)

32. NetWorker (freeware) (multi-window browser)

33. Net Viewer Lite (freeware) (multi-window browser)

34. RoamerZoner (freeware) (multi-window browser)

35. Avant Browser (freeware) (multi-window browser)

36. MyIE (archived site; was freeware; evolved into MyIE2 which became Maxthon)

37. Scope (archived site; was freeware; no longer available)

38. Broadpage (archived site; was shareware; no longer available)

• Yahoo Toolbar:  get the Firefox version of the Yahoo Toolbar
• Popup ALT Attribute:  allows you to see tooltip popup descriptions when moving mouse over pictures just like in Internet Explorer but while browsing with Firefox
• ImageZoom:  allows you to zoom pictures like you can do if you have the powertoys zoom installed in Internet Explorer
• ViewSourceWith:  let's you specify viewing a web page's source HTML file in notepad or in whatever other editor that you want to use because Firefox by default will let you view the source file but not edit the source file
• Duplicate Tab:  let's you duplicate tabs since Firefox by default doesn't have that capability
• Tab X:  adds a "X" for exit to each tab (and also see the CTC extension which adds a "Close Tab" menuitem to the context menu when you right-click on a web page)
• Unclosetab:  let's you undo the closing of a tab so you can reopen and recover the closed tab by doing a CTRL-SHIFT-F12 (or CMD-SHIFT-F12 in MacOSX);  note: if you want to, you can change the default CTRL-SHIFT-F12 keyboard command to ALT-Z (like in AM Browser) or ALT-W (which would be like the ALT- reverse version of the CTRL-W close tab/window command) or to another keyboard command by using the Keyconfig extension (see further below)
• Unread Tabs:  makes it easier to tell when tabs are unread by making the text on the unread tab be in red italics text
• Tabwarning:  provides a confirm-dialog with a warning when closing a window with more than one tab -- don't need this if you install the Tab Mix extension (see further below) which has an option for this
• BlankLast:  if only have one tab open with a web page in Firefox, then doing a CTRL-W will make that tab blank and prevents Firefox from closing;  after installing this BlankLast extenstion, from the menubar, click Extensions, scroll down to and select BlankLast, click Options, and click "never closes window";  note: the Tab Mix extension has an option similar to this but that Tab Mix option may not work
• Hotmail Tabs:  let's you open new tabs or windows when opening Hotmail messages - otherwise you can't open up Hotmail messasges in new tabs or windows
• miniT (drag tabs): let's you drag and move tabs around - click the miniT-drag.xpi file (Tabby says this file at mozilla.doranado.at is better than the one at addons.mozdev.org)
• Reload Every:  is an extension that adds an option to the right-click context menu (do a right-click on a webpage) for reloading a tab's web page every so many seconds or minutes
• Tab Mix:  after installing, from the menubar, go to Tools, then click Tab Mix Options, and you will be able to set different options (most of which work while some don't work) for tabs in Firefox; please note:  if you install the Tab Mix extension, then Tabby says don't also install Shimoda "Piro" Hiroshi's Tabbrowser Extensions or Bradley Chapman's Tabbrowser Preferences extension since they all may conflict with each other;  also note that if you can't get some of the options to work in Tab Mix , then also install one of the "single capability" extensions that have the same capability like Duplicate Tab, BlankLast, etc.; and there is also a different Tab Mix Plus version but that other version made Firefox lose the CTRL-TAB and CTRL-SHIFT-TAB commands (also CTRL-PageDown and CTRL-PageUp commands) in Tabby's Firefox -- so you may want to stick with regular Tab Mix....
• ChromEdit:  edit user.js to customize search from the URL address bar and edit userChrome.css files to change the tab colors
• Titlebar Tweaks:  change Titlebar from "Mozilla Firefox" to something else like "Firefox Internet Explorer"
• IE View:  if a web page doesn't look right in Firefox, then this let's you switch quickly to Internet Explorer to see how the web page looks in Internet Explorer
• Luna Blue theme:  make Firefox and the toolbar icons look more like the default Windows XP Luna Blue theme
• IE Icons:  unzip this zip file and put these icons in the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\chrome\icons\default\ directory and you will have the Internet Explorer icon in the Firefox titlebar -- only use if you really want to see the same Internet Explorer icon in Firefox just like it would be if you were actually using Internet Explorer
• NoScript:  you don't have to install this extension, but if you want to make Firefox more secure than it already is (if you don't know, Firefox is considered to be much more secure than Internet Explorer), then you may want to use this NoScript extension which prevents web sites from using Javascript and Java from running (and there are also check boxes to have Macromedia Flash and other plugins be blocked) unless if you give permission to have the web site be put on your authorized "white list" -- there are other extensions that do something like this but this NoScript extension seems to be easier to use;  this extension is like how you can raise the security level in Internet Explorer and put web sites in the Trusted Sites Zone for Internet Explorer
• Keyconfig:  you also don't need to install this extension, but this Keyconfig extension allows you to change many keyboard shortcuts in Firefox -- click on the keyconfig.xpi file in this directory at mozilla.dorando.at -- and more info about Keyconfig can be found here;  but note that the default keyboard command for this Keyconfig extension is CTRL-SHIFT-F12 which is the same as the default keyboard keyboard command for the Unclosetab extension;  so after you install Keyconfig, from the menubar, click Tools, Keyconfig, and then scroll down to "Undo Close Tab" and change the keyboard command for "Undo Close Tab" to ALT-Z (which is the same as the "Undo Last Tab Close" keyboard command in AM Browser, and which is also like the ALT- version of the CTRL-Z undo command) or change it to ALT-W (which is like the ALT- reverse version of the CTRL-W close tab/window keyboard command)

user_pref("keyword.URL",
 "http://www.google.com/search?q=");

which the above line will let you type search terms (instead of a URL) in the Firefox address bar to do a google search. Or you can instead use the following line:

user_pref("keyword.URL",
 "http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=");

The above line will let you do a Yahoo Search. Or you can instead use the next following line:

user_pref("keyword.URL",
 "http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=");

The above line will let you do a MSN Search (which is the original default search in Internet Explorer) in the Firefox address bar. The extra search bar is nice in Firefox (and the other browsers, including the upcoming Internet Explorer 7, that have the extra search bar), but Tabby would rather do searches from the address bar and since Firefox has smart keyword bookmarks then you can do other searches from the Firefox address bar also and which is similar to all the different searches you can do from the Internet Explorer address bar.
 
While you are still using ChromEdit, click on the tab for userChrome.css and add the following to the end of that file.

/* Change color of active tab */
tab{
   -moz-appearance: none !important;
}
tab[selected="true"] {
   background-color: rgb(50,150,250) !important;
   color: white !important;
}

/* Change color of normal tabs */
tab:not([selected="true"]) {
   background-color: rgb(225,225,225) !important;
   color: gray !important;
}

If you want to change the colors to something else, then you may want to visit the RGB Hex Triplet Color Chart for RGB numbers that you may want to use.
 
TITLEBAR TWEAKS: After you have installed the Titlebar Tweaks extension in Firefox, from the menubar, go to Tools, Extensions, select Titlebar Tweaks, press options, click tab for Browser Name and put in the browser name that you want to use like "Firefox Internet Explorer" if you want to have the browser still say "Internet Explorer" so that the other cats (and humans, dogs, and other pets) in your home are not too confused after you switch browsers on the family's home computer. You can also get instructions on how to manually change the Titlebar by clicking here. But you may find it easier to use the Titlebar Tweaks extension.
 
You may also want to change the icon for the Firefox shortcuts in the start menu, in the quick launch bar area on your start task bar at the bottom of the screen (if you have quick launch turned on), and on the desktop, so that they all have the Internet Explorer icon -- and you could also rename the shortcuts to "Firefox Internet Explorer" or something similar. Also be sure that when you are in Firefox that you import the "Favorites" (bookmarks) from Internet Explorer -- you may also have to go into the Firefox bookmark manager to rearrange and move the bookmarks from the imported "From Internet Explorer" booksmark folder to the main part of the bookmarks menu so that everyone can right away see the same "Favorites" but as "Bookmarks" in Firefox. And if you set Firefox to be your default browser, you may want to change the icons for .HTM and .HTML files back to have the Internet Explorer icon again, even though you are using Firefox as the default browsers, by going in Windows Explorer, on the menubar click Tools, Folder Options, click the File Types tab, scroll down to the .HTM and .HTML files and select each and click the Advanced button and change the icon. Another thing you may want to do is rearrange the toolbar buttons, the location bar and the search bar. For instance, by default, the newer browser default style is to have the location bar (where you type in the http:// URL) to the left of the search bar (where you type in a search). But Tabby is a little finicky and likes to have that (short) search bar before (to the left of) the location bar -- it just looks better that way to Tabby -- because the search bar doesn't have a search button to press like how the location bar has a GO button. Anyways, you can move/add/remove the buttons on the toolbar as well as arrange things the way you want on Firefox (which is what you should expect to be able to do with many browsers).
 
After you are done adding extensions and other add-ons to Firefox, then you can tell all the cats (and humans, dogs, and other pets) in your home that you have "upgraded" Internet Explorer. (Particularly, if you are still using Windows 98, 98SE, ME, or 2000, then you may want to "upgrade" to Firefox because you won't be able to upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 when that new version of Internet Explorer comes out for Windows XP and Windows Vista.) After you have "upgraded" to Firefox, be sure to also to tell the other cats (and humans, dogs, and other pets) in your home that when using the new "Firefox Internet Explorer" that it now says "Bookmarks" and not "Favorites" in the menubar.
 
There are a lot of other extensions for Firefox that you can install. If you want to see what else there is, then, while using Firefox as your browser, go to https://addons.mozilla.org/?application=firefox and http://extensionroom.mozdev.org for more extensions. You can also click here for other tips on using Firefox extensions.
 

SO, IF YOU SWITCH TO MOZILLA FIREFOX
FOR INTERNET WEB BROWSING, THEN SHOULD
YOU ALSO SWITCH TO MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD
FOR DOING EMAIL? TABBY SAYS STICK WITH
OUTLOOK EXPRESS ON YOUR WIN XP COMPUTER:
 

So, if you switch to Firefox, then you are probably also wondering if you should also switch from the Outlook Express email software to the Mozilla Thunderbird email software. Tabby played with Thunderbird for a while and customized it, had the Calender extension also working in Thunderbird, and installed other extensions to make Thunderbird have somewhat similar commands and toolbar items as there are in Outlook Express on Tabby's Windows XP computer. Tabby says that Outlook Express is much more stable, much more reliable, and much more easier to set up than Thunderbird. One problem with Thunderbird is that Thunderbird does not compact its mail folders very well. When you delete email messages in Thunderbird, the email is simply marked as "deleted" where you don't see the "deleted" messages in Thunderbird, but they are still in the mail folder files and won't be removed unless you compact the folders that the messages are in. But Thunderbird may look like it is compacting a folder, but when you get back to it, the messages may still be there. Tabby had a bad problem with the older Netscape email, which is the predecessor to Thunderbird, where the Netscape email got corrupted. Tabby is afraid that the same thing will happen with Thunderbird because of this compacting folders problem. Another problem that Tabby found perplexing with Thunderbird is that setting up email accounts with the SMTP (send mail) settings can be confusing. Setting up the POP3 for receiving email is not as confusing to set up, but if you want to actually send email, then it can be very confusing and not very easy to set up the SMTP in Thunderbird. Tabby says stick with Outlook Express if that is what you are using on your Windows XP computer.
 

FOR APPLE MAC USERS AND
ALSO FOR THE LINUX USERS:
 

If you are a Mac user who has Mac OS X version 10.3 or higher, then the Mac OS X Safari browser, which is a tabbed browser, should be included with your version of Mac OS X. If you are using version 10.2 of Mac OS X, you may want to do a search elsewhere on the internet for the older safari.dmg.bin file which should install on 10.2 because the downloadable version of Safari at the Apple website requires at least Mac OS X version 10.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Mac OS X, such as version 10.1, 10.1.5, then don't even try to install Safari because it won't work for you. So, if you are using an older version of Mac OS X, such as version 10.1, 10.1.5, 10.2, or if you don't like Safari, or if you want to use the same browser on both your Mac and your Windows PC, then you can use Firefox, or the original Mozilla browser, or Opera. Firefox, Mozilla, and Opera are available in windows, mac, and linux versions. For Mac users, there is also the Camino software, which is based on Gecko (like Firefox and Mozilla), but Camino hasn't had any recent development. So, Mac users may want to use the free Firefox browser (or the also free original Mozilla browser) particularly if you want to use the same type of browser on your Mac and also on a windows PC and on a linux PC. Likewise, for Linux users, you may want to use Firefox (or the original Mozilla). And since you are using Firefox, then you can use many of the same extensions although some may not work on the Mac or may be not applicable (like you wouldn't want to use the Luna Blue winxp theme on the Mac). Also, you may not want to use the Tab Mix extension but instead used the Tabbrowser Preferences extension. As mentioned, Opera is also available, which used to be advertising-supported with a banner at the top in the toolbar menu area -- but as of Opera version 8.5 there are no more banners and Opera as of version 8.5 is completely freeware but you can still get premium support if you want to pay for that. Tabby says you may want to consider Opera if your PC is underpowered or low on memory. Otherwise, you may want to use Firefox (or the original Mozilla). Personally, Tabby would say go use Firefox on your windows PC, on your Mac, and on your linux PC. And if you use Firefox, as well as having a solid stable tabbed browser, you should be able to use the many of the same extensions plus also add-on toolbars like the the Firefox version of the Yahoo Toolbar on your Mac, windows PC, or linux PC.
 

DON'T WANT WINDOWS VISTA, BUT STILL WANT
SOMETHING LIKE VISTA FOR YOUR WINDOWS XP?:
 

As Tabby has mentioned previously on this web page, Microsoft is coming out with a new version of Windows that is called "Windows Vista" which was previously the codenamed "Longhorn" version of the next version of Windows. But when that comes out, that's most likely going to cost something like $150 to get that new version of Windows Vista and Tabby would rather buy cat food instead of having to pay for a new version of Windows. So, if you are like Tabby, then you're most likely going to stick with Windows XP -- unless if you get a new computer that is bundled with Windows Vista. But Tabby is most likely going to stick with Windows XP since it still runs good enough for what this cat likes to do on a PC and on the internet. But Tabby would like to have some of the same things that Windows Vista will have. Windows Vista will have that new version of Internet Explorer 7, but Tabby will be able to get the downloadable version of Internet Explorer 7 whenever that becomes available for for Windows XP. Or Tabby can simply stick with Firefox and the other bunch of tabbed browsers that are now available to have the same tabbed browsing experience when surfing the internet. Also, Tabby heard that Longhorn, now called Windows Vista, would have something called the sidebar dashboard that is like a control panel column over on the right side of the screen, but you can have something very similar by getting the free and very nifty Desktop Sidebar which is a software clone of the Windows Vista Sidebar which you can use in Windows XP. Or you can get the free Codenamed Dashboard software. Or in the alternative you can get the free Google Desktop software which includes a sidebar. However, if you want the real Windows Vista Sidebar in your current version of Windows XP, then go to Tech-Recipes where they have instructions and downloadable file links so you can actually and really "Install the Vista / Longhorn Sidebar into XP" -- but, at the time of this writing, it's limited to the beta version and there do not appear to be any available new panel plugins to add to it other than the default ones that are included in this real beta of the Vista sidebar but tweaked for XP. Windows Vista also has desktop search and is suppose to have "Virtual Folders" (which are like the Mac OS X "Smart Folders") for quickly finding files and information on your PC. If you want "Virtual Folders" also on your current version of Windows XP, then go use Google Desktop with the Viatop Smart Organizer plugin panel -- or, instead of using the Google Desktop, go use the Blinkx Desktop Search software which provides "Smart Folders" which are like the Windows Vista "Virtual Folders". When you make the Smart Folders with Blinkx, you can get rid of the Blinkx banner at the top of the Folder window by editing the C:\Program Files\blinkx\smartfolders\defaultsmartfolders.cfg file on your computer to have the setting mhtheight=0 -- and you can replace the b-foldeers.icoo and b-folders-new.ico icon files in the C:\Program Files\blinkx\smartfolders\ directory with the appropriate folder icons from the free collection of the Windows Vista icons (Tabby suggests using the shell32.126.ico icon file to replace b-folders.ico and the shell32.127.ico icon file to replace b-folders-new.ico).

LOOKING FOR A FREE ALTERNATIVE
TO MICROSOFT OFFICE 97 / 2000 / XP
TO GO WITH YOUR TABBED BROWSER:

1. OpenOffice (freeware) (Windows, Linux, Unix/Solarius, Max OS X)
2. 602Pro PC SUITE (free 5 user version) (Windows only)
3. EasyOffice (freeware / freetrial version) (Windows only)
4. AbiWord (freeware) (Microsoft Word-clone only) (Windows, Linux, BSD, Unix/Solarius, AIX, HP/UX, OSF, Tru64, QNX, BeOS, and Mac OS X)
5. GNOME Office (freeware) (Linux, BSD, Unix/Solarius)