Java works fine with Firefox, but the JavaConsole extension is disabled because of causing Firefox to crash. The JavaConsole extension is used primarily by Java developers, and isn't needed to run Java applets or beans. Skype works fine, too. The Skype extension is known problematic for may years with Firefox, but it isn't necessary to use Skype. All that extension does is to allow the user to click on a phone number in Firefox to make a call. Without that extension the user has to "dial" the call thru the Skype program. Hopefully now that Microsoft has bought Skype they'll fix their Firefox extension or just get rid of it.