How to Beta Test Firefox 3

Firefox 2 -- the browser that's probably on your PC right now -- sucks. Yes, it's the best browser out there, so it doesn't suck like that, but it totally sucks down your memory - and that sucks.

So, why not try out the new version of Firefox before it's pushed onto the world?

Firefox 3's first "release candidate" (better than beta) came out last week, and you can go download it here.

But wait, you don't want to erase your old version of Firefox YET -- if fact don't... there are still some kinks in Firefox 3, and you should have your trusty, if memory sucking, version of Firefox 2 laying around until the new version is bug free.

So, here's the one tool you need to effectively test Firefox 3:

MultiFirefox

MultiFirefox was developed by Dave Martorana, who is a great developer from Philly and who works at the wonderful coworking space called IndyHall.

With MultiFirefox, you can set up a new Firefox profile and run Firefox 3 on your computer -- taking advantage of its new speed and memory enhancements -- without messing up your current stash of plugins and passwords.

In fact, you can keep Firefox3 and Firefox2 running side-by-side (I recommend this), relying on Firefox2 for sites with passwords you can't remember or pages you need to view with a specific plugin.

But, for your hard-core tabbed browsing (Alex Lines famously broke 100 tabs a few weeks ago), you can now turn to Firefox3.