It used to be that other browsers like Internet Explorer and Google Chrome would copy Firefox. Now, Firefox is copying Chrome. The latest release of Mozilla’s web browser, Firefox 13, has the handy new tab speed dial feature that shows thumbnails of your most visited sites - a feature that already exist with Chrome. I love that simple feature.

I used to use the New Tab Jumpstart add-on for Firefox which does the same thing. I stopped using it since upgrading from 3.6 to 8 because it was kinda slow to load up. I prefer speed over a handy feature. Besides, it wasn’t the best looking add-on.

The version that comes with Firefox 13 is both easy on the eyes and loads up quickly, so I welcome it. Like the New Tab Jumpstart add-on, you can delete and pin sites in this tab.

Another similar add-on is Speed Dial, which, like New Tab Jumpstart, offers more customization. According to the reviews, it’s very fast. With 781,185 users, it’s also very popular. I wonder what will happen to this add-on now that Firefox comes with it built-in. For users who are already using it, they’ll probably continue to use it because it does offer more features. For others, they probably won’t bother adding another add-on.

I've been using Firefox 13 for a couple days now. I don't notice much difference from the previous version, other than the new tab feature. I can't tell if it's any faster.