The first beta test version of the next major upgrade to the Firefox open-source browser will be available this week, the Mozilla Foundation announced on Tuesday.
Firefox 1.5 Beta one will be available on Thursday, according to a posting in the section of the Mozilla Foundation's website devoted to developer news.
A second beta version of Firefox 1.5 is currently slated for Oct. 5, according to the posting.
Meanwhile, Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate one is scheduled for October 28. A version described as release candidate is usually the same as a final version that is made available for users to test and discover any remaining bugs.
Tuesday's posting didn't go into details of what new features and improvements Firefox 1.5 will offer users, but, according to information on the Mozilla Foundation's Web site, some enhancements Firefox developers have worked on in alpha test versions of the upgrade include a software update system to streamline product upgrades, faster browser navigation, the ability to reorder browser tabs through drag-and-drop operations, improved pop-up blocking and better support for Mac OS X.
The Mozilla Foundation didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.