Mozilla releases first Firefox 4 beta

Mozilla has released Firefox 4 Beta 1, promising "dozens of major features and improvements" to the browser.

The latest version is available for Mac, Windows and Linux, and Mozilla is asking users for help in weeding out any problems with the release.

"By testing them early we'll be able to respond to your feedback for future versions of Firefox. Once you download Firefox 4 Beta 1, you're part of our beta programme and will receive regular updates as more features launch," the firm said in a blog post.

The beta features a Feedback add-on which will let users quickly and effectively report bugs and other information back to Mozilla, which has promised to publish new updates on an almost weekly basis.

"If you are using a Windows PC, the most noticeable new feature will be the look of the browser. We moved the tabs to the top to make it easier to focus on the web content and easier to control the tools in your browser," the firm said.

"Also, if you have Windows 7 or Windows Vista, the Menu bar has been replaced with a single Firefox button so you can get to the most used options with just one click."

These changes will follow on the Mac and Linux versions shortly, according to the blog post.

Other fixes include privacy updates which make it much less likely that the browser will leak any personal information, stronger crash protection and a general performance boost.

Mozilla has published a chart of the new features in Firefox 4 explaining which technologies appear in the latest browser.