UPDATE:  Your Firefox extensions acting up could also be the problem.  I’m checking this now and have removed several like “StumbleUpon, a custom toolbar, and a Video downloader.   If this works I’ll try reinstalls to see if I can duplicate the problem but in meantime see this list of problems for extensions: Firefox Extension problems.

I should have listened to Mark Cuban some weeks ago when he noted the problems with Firefox.   I’d been chalking up the slowdowns and surfing problems to a problem 512meg chip I’m in the process of replacing in the laptop, but it’s now clear the trouble is with Firefox.     I just reinstalled the latest version 2.0.0.7 and still no luck – as a process Firefox quickly grows to absorbing 99% of my CPU capacity and everything slows to a crawl.   I’m using IE for now until this shakes out or my new chip brings me to 1 meg RAM on this laptop which should be enough to compensate for the problem.   I read somewhere that Firefox could be using all of my 512 meg as part of normal operations, and that his is *not* a firefox memory leak.

So, if you are experiencing the Firefox problems consider more memory or switching to IE!