We'll have to wait until the release of Firefox 13 in six weeks to test out how well the new process actually works, of course. Meanwhile, silent updates are currently to arrive for Linux and Mac users in Firefox 14.

Google's competing browser has featured silent updating since its launch.

85 Tweaks for Developers

Most of the other key additions in Firefox 12 affect primarily developers, thanks to 85 improvements to the browser's built-in developer tools.

Developers no longer need to reload a page to see messages in the Web Console, for example, and there are new line commands for the Scratchpad editor.