The forum is really lively now!

[Muddypause]

Strewth - middle click?!? So THAT'S what it's for.

As it happens, I got a new mouse for christmas, which has 5 buttons plus a clickable wheel. My last mouse only had two buttons, and naturally this new bit of kit has 100 page manual in 100 languages, which tells you nothing in any of them. The wheel I figured out, and is useful for scrolling up and down, but I doubt I'll ever find out what the other buttons are about.

Anyway, I've now set my Tab Browser extension to open a new backgroud tab when I middle click on a link. I realise this will mean absolutely nothing to people who don't use the Firefox browser - but take it from me that my life has been transformed.

Thanks Wulf.

[Shirley]

the mention of tab browsers has me wondering whether the new bt browser that I have is similar to firefox - any idea? When you open a window you get several tabs in it... just thinking that my (ahem) 8 button weirdo mouse could be set to help with these.

[wulf]

It might be - is there a help menu? Most help menus have an "About ..." option at the end, which should answer the question for you.

Wulf

[Muddypause]

Is the BT browser a re-badged version of another browser - eg. is it Netscape Navigator with a BT logo on it? If so, then it may share some core components with Firefox, since they are both based on Mozilla technology (don't ask me what all that means, I'm just a spectator).

Tab browsing is, apparently, the future. Instead of opening lots of different windows for each URL, you have one window with a tab for each page. I think Opera does it like this too.

How can you possibly cope with 8 buttons on your mouse? 5 = one for each finger. If they keep going like this, they'll end up reinventing the keyboard as a mouse.

[ina]

I really have no idea what you've all been talking about... This computer has firefox; and when I middle click (on the wheel!), a funny little white circle appears with arrows in it, and I haven't got a clue what that's for.

Just as well then that my mouse has only the customary two buttons. Apart from a clickable middle wheel.

Ina

[Muddypause]

I really have no idea what you've all been talking about... This computer has firefox; and when I middle click (on the wheel!), a funny little white circle appears with arrows in it, and I haven't got a clue what that's for.

Middle click to get that white circle thing; now move the mouse up or down - the page will scroll as you move. Really, it's just a variation on scrolling with the wheel.

The beauty of Firefox is that it comes with very little functionality beyond simple browsing - but this means that you can download extensions to add the functionality that you want. These extensions can be got from here or here.

To make full use of the tabs, install the Tabbrowser extension. You will then get an extra 'Tab' menu item, from which you can find a comprehensive list of 'Preferences'.

From this, go - Use Tab/Links/Middle-click. Select 'Open in New Background Tab'.

This means that you will now be able to quickly middle click on all your unread messages which will all open in separate tabs, ready for you to read, without needing to switch back and forth to the index page to find the next unread message.

The downside of Firefox is that it is, by it's nature, always in beta form, and can be a bit quirky. I upgaded last week to v.1.5 at it took a lot of work to get it to work how I wanted it again. But there is a busy support forum if you get stuck.

[Millymollymandy]

I didn't even know my middle wheel was clickable!!! I thought it was only for scrolling!

[ina]

The things we learn on our way to being self sufficient...
Thank goodness for all those techno geeks on this forum!


Ina