Great browser! Now, what else can it do?

I have always been quick to download beta software for some of my favorite apps. Mainly because I really enjoy using them and can't wait to see what they come out with next. So when the Firefox 4 Beta came out I quickly downloaded it and removed my previous version of Firefox so that I could really put it through its paces. I am really happy with the performance and the new look of the browser. However, because it is a beta many of my plugins do not work this version.

I realized something with this accidental experiment and that is that good browser plugins are just as important to me as the browser is. I have a number of applications that I can't live with out, but one in particular is 1Password because it is my primary means of accessing my web applications. It is also not compatible with the beta version of Firefox and so I found that I started using Firefox less and less.

It reminds me of the SmartPhone War that is currently being fought on the mobile battle ground. The platform itself is starting to matter less and what is starting to take precedence is what you can do with it aside from making phone calls and send text messages. I love my iPhone but ultimately it is a great platform for the applications that do the things that I want it to. I think the same applies to browsers in that they have become a platform for extending the web and more and more the differences between Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome is thinning. So the tie breaker for me starts with a simple question, "What else can I do with it?".