If you're curious about the swirling speculation about Microsoft acquiring Opera, it may have to do with all the cool Firefox extensions being released. As Firefox gains more market share, it has also encouraged more developers to get involved. In the past month, we've seen Performancing for Firefox (a blog editor that sits within the browser), Hyperwords (a search plug-in) and (hat tip to Om Malik) Xinha (a WYSIWYG editor). For the geeks, quasi-geeks and, increasingly, the rest of us, Firefox's appeal is growing because it provides ever-growing ways to customize the browser experience - rather than being forced-fed the next upgrade (a.k.a. Internet Explorer 7). As the browser becomes the way to access applications and services, it seems reasonable that different users will want the browser to provide a variety of features - some simple and some sophisticated. I believe Firefox can push forward even more aggressively but offering different flavors: Firefox Lite for the DIYer who wants to pick and choose his/her own extensions; Firefox Basic, which would come with some extensions pre-packaged; and Firefox Mainstream, which would be feature-rich. While I'm a die-hard Firefox user and obviously biased, I still believe Firefox could easily grow to 20% of the market in 2006 as its awareness and usability grows. The fertile extension development environment will only bolster to Firefox's momentum as more people find it easier to create a browser to meet their specific needs.
Update: Quick Online Tips offers up a list of his/her best Firefox extensions, while Lifehack has a list of essential extensions for Webmasters.