Firefox 4 RC1 is out

[apt.pupil]

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/RC/

give it a go guys.

I will download it myself and see how it handles memory use, which will be a great way to test,, since none of the plugins should be working yet, though I still had bad memory management problems in the beta versions

[Frankaz]

Already using it (Since beta 7) - seems pretty good. Quite fast...

[Elearen]

What benefit is there over FF3?


edit: and Chrome?

[apt.pupil]

well over firefox 3- is better HTML5 support, a 64- bit version of the browser(still useless, since Adobe wont release a flash player for 64 bit systems), and apparently more system stability fixes

[stormgear]

I'd ditch 3.6 as soon as they get the plugins working there.

[m4dn3ss]

In Windows 7 does it represent each tab as another icon in the taskbar? I hated that during the early Firefox 4 beta so I hastily deleted it

[Frankaz]

In Windows 7 does it represent each tab as another icon in the taskbar? I hated that during the early Firefox 4 beta so I hastily deleted it
you can disable the feature in 'options'

[m4dn3ss]

k cool

[apt.pupil]

that is their idea of "seperate processes". They still aren't as efficient as chrome at it.

for example:

in Chrome- you can move a tab with a playing flash video out of the window and create a new tab- with the video still playing. The same thing happens if your switching the tab into different windows.

So far, Every time I try and do that in Firefox, I get issues such as the page refreshing and the video starting over again.
In Firefox, a video you have watched will have to rebuffer if you hit refresh. In Chrome, the progress of the video buffering will remain the same if you hit the refresh page button.

While Chrome has less add-ons than Firefox, it is simply a more efficient browser that is easier on the memory and runs smoothly even if im using 85%+ of my 4GB RAM. Firefox isn't either of these things.

[Zocom7]

As for an important update, Firefox 4 is officially done and released! Yay! It even squares off with Microsoft's IE9 browser.

[Heron]

Just upgraded it.

Wow.

[apt.pupil]

It is no different to Firefox 3.6 in the experience for me:
I used it for 2 days, then got sick of it using up 2GB memory all by itself and switched back to chrome

[ohither]

FF4>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>chrome, no contest as far as i'm concerned

[apt.pupil]

oh really?

want me to do an actual performance comparison?


hell I might even set up my debut video recording software and do these real tests while doing the screen record

[Heron]

It is no different to Firefox 3.6 in the experience for me:
I used it for 2 days, then got sick of it using up 2GB memory all by itself and switched back to chrome

How does it use 2GB of memory? Seriously.

[Zocom7]

Four versions of Firefox through several years = very significant improvement. 12 versions of Chrome in over 3 years since its introduction = sign of failure despite fast browsing. 9 versions of Internet Explorer = continues to fail on features, speed and memory.

[Kyang]

in Chrome- you can move a tab with a playing flash video out of the window and create a new tab- with the video still playing. The same thing happens if your switching the tab into different windows.

So far, Every time I try and do that in Firefox, I get issues such as the page refreshing and the video starting over again.


That never happens for me in Firefox. When there's a flash video playing, dragging the tab into a new window doesn't cause it to restart. When I started using Minefield, that was already implemented.

[apt.pupil]

well it still does it for me, even though I did a complete(read: manual regisstry removal too) uninstall of firefox 3.6, 4 beta, minefield, and then 4 RC1- after less than an hour, with firefox being the primary program running(with flash of course) and 5 or 6 tabs open, my available memory steadily drops. I ave 4GB of RAM, and if it werent for the fact that firefox 4 is a 32 bit browser, I wouldn't have enough memory to run chrome and do a comparative analysis with an equal number of tabs open.

on top of that, firefox 4 looks fugly, no matter what I do to customise it: I have all add- ons disabled, and my memory usage for firefox.exe still maxes out.

that and the fact that iot takes 9 seconds for firefox to load and be ready for me to use also takes far too long. my chrome does it in less than 2.


Four versions of Firefox through several years = very significant improvement. 12 versions of Chrome in over 3 years since its introduction = sign of failure despite fast browsing. 9 versions of Internet Explorer = continues to fail on features, speed and memory. Incorrect. chrome took 12 updates to make their browser as smooth and bug- free as it is. Since 3 updates ago- I have been unable to crash a single tab, whereas it is easy for me to crash a tab in firefox, and if i crash a tab in firefox, it still requires me to close all tabs and restart firefox: which should not be the case for "the worlds best browser"

[ohither]

firefox don't like you then lol, takes longer for chrome to load up stuff and uses way more then FF on my comp.

[apt.pupil]

yeah. it has happened over 3 pc's, and 2 laptops this firefox memory leak

[Zocom7]

Incorrect. chrome took 12 updates to make their browser as smooth and bug- free as it is. Since 3 updates ago- I have been unable to crash a single tab, whereas it is easy for me to crash a tab in firefox, and if i crash a tab in firefox, it still requires me to close all tabs and restart firefox: which should not be the case for "the worlds best browser"

Bull**** for the bug-free Chrome. Chrome is still very vulnerable to spyware than Firefox. Chrome doesn't have a full manual download unless it's a cracked portable version through file-server websites. In that way, the hidden spyware installation files will not occur.

[apt.pupil]

Bull**** for the bug-free Chrome. Chrome is still very vulnerable to spyware than Firefox. Chrome doesn't have a full manual download unless it's a cracked portable version through file-server websites. In that way, the hidden spyware installation files will not occur.
I never said its totally bug free, but I havent come across any unusual bugs at all recently. They even were fast to patch up the flash player bug that hit 2 weeks ago. it lasted like 2 days before a fix came out

[Heron]

That said, Chrome 11 is worth my attention, I say, if only for the speech-to-text function.

[apt.pupil]

ew. I hate voice recognition functionality

[Heron]

It appears to work though. But hey, voice recognition functionality must come some day.

[apt.pupil]

noes. I hate how it can never understand me

[Heron]

noes. I hate how it can never understand me

Are you using Chrome 11 now by any chance? Why don't you try it?

[RedAlert2008]

Are you using Chrome 11 now by any chance? Why don't you try it?

no its his accent, it reports him for jail breaks, and alerts all international security agencies to his location.......

[Heron]

Never knew Chrome had that function.

I am probably getting flak for this, since I am no power user, and other browsers might have this, but I like the App Tab function. It's a very nice way to organize stuff. I like.

[apt.pupil]

I find the app tab is useless on a desktop browser.

[Heron]

*shrug*

To each his own, I guess...

[CyborgBanana]

Chrome still reigns supreme. Firefox is using 1GB of RAM for me, while Chrome is taking up a measly 350MB. Not to mention that Facebook, Youtube and pretty much every other site on the web is better on Chrome.

[Zocom7]

It's even better on running and using Chrome as a portable app.

[R315r4z0r]

I tried a beta of 4 a few months back for a day or so. However it just didn't sit right with me so I reverted back to 3.x (whatever it was at the time.)

I might try it again to see how they have improved it in the time passed.

edit:

Installed FF4. Holy crap it is awesome.

That is all.

[apt.pupil]

yeah, youll find that awesomeness wears thin after a few days. I hate the fugly tab layouts, how my flash video pages reset when I move the tabs into a new window, the 8 seconds loading time, then 5 seconds till its ready to browse, how it STILL uses more memory than needed(someone else mentioned this in this thread too- so its not just me), and a whole big list of other small niggles I have had with it.

My current browser preference is: Chrome 10-Mozilla 4- Safari- IE9- Opera

[Heron]

At least FF4 ranks second on your list...that's something. I though by how you panned FF it will be lower than, say, Opera.

[apt.pupil]

Opera has a horrendously confusing method of rendering HTML and CSS.

[Heron]

Was an user of Opera 8 before. That wasn't a fun experience...still, I like their mobile browsers for Symbian and Android.

[apt.pupil]

the only thing I like about their android browser is that it is the only one on the market that lets you attach files for HTTP or FTP upload. Skyfire is my browser of choice, but that is because I own an Xperia X10, and it doesn't do flash- but skyfire does- of sorts

[Kyang]

yeah, youll find that awesomeness wears thin after a few days. I hate the fugly tab layouts, how my flash video pages reset when I move the tabs into a new window, the 8 seconds loading time, then 5 seconds till its ready to browse, how it STILL uses more memory than needed(someone else mentioned this in this thread too- so its not just me), and a whole big list of other small niggles I have had with it.

My current browser preference is: Chrome 10-Mozilla 4- Safari- IE9- Opera

I'm surprised you haven't been able to figure out why the videos reset after dragging a tab. Continuous play has been implemented for a while now, so it's obviously just a bug on your end. When I say I'm surprised, I don't mean that sarcastically, I'm genuinely surprised. You were, or still are tech support guy right? Has anyone else had that problem? And if so, how did you help them if you couldn't fix it for yourself?

[apt.pupil]

I'm surprised you haven't been able to figure out why the videos reset after dragging a tab. Continuous play has been implemented for a while now, so it's obviously just a bug on your end. When I say I'm surprised, I don't mean that sarcastically, I'm genuinely surprised. You were, or still are tech support guy right? Has anyone else had that problem? And if so, how did you help them if you couldn't fix it for yourself?

My tech support knowledge extends as far as windows OSes and in some cases, basic MacOS(I discovered that after 7 years of not using them, they are still pretty much the same), and some software. Since I am not actually a software developer, If I was to run a debug on the video reset issue that I have on my desktop AND my laptop, I would quickly find myself looking through well over 100,000 lines of code to try and sort out what the issue is- or if it is even with firefox at all. It could be my version of flash player, which is indeed a beta designed to run on 64 bit browsers

[Frankaz]

I've had trouble with the 64bit flash beta. No surprise tbh.. Adobe ain't the best

[CyborgBanana]

I've had trouble with the 64bit flash beta. No surprise tbh.. Adobe ain't the best

64bit flash? Since when? I thought Adobe were refusing to develop a 64bit version of flash... ?

[Kyang]

What I read is that 10.2 supports 64 bit now. So I have 10.2 installed, but I don't use a 64 bit browser anyway, so I'm still on the 32 bit Flash.

[apt.pupil]

64bit flash? Since when? I thought Adobe were refusing to develop a 64bit version of flash... ?

there is a beta 64 bit flash that Adobe has been working on since 2009, but hasn't actually made any progress on. the ONLY actual 64 bit browser that I have seen working is IE9, but the 64 bit beta flash STILL doesn't work on that

[Heron]

Well, unless the Windows 8-equivalent comes out with no 32-bit support, and the industry moves on, I hardly see why Adobe needs to rush. After all, it literally controls the market. No thanks to youtube.

[CyborgBanana]

the ONLY actual 64 bit browser that I have seen working is IE9, but the 64 bit beta flash STILL doesn't work on that

Not surprising...

[1deano1]

apt are you still getting memory leaks on FF? Because I most certainly am not. It's using a max of 190mb. And that's on FF4.

[CyborgBanana]

apt are you still getting memory leaks on FF? Because I most certainly am not. It's using a max of 190mb. And that's on FF4.

Well I was but FF4 is only taking up 220MB now.

[apt.pupil]

my memory imprint is definitely smaller, but 700MB is still too large for me, and as I said the other features that dont seem to work for me also annoy me immensely

[1deano1]

Well there must be something else sapping your memory... Probably the Add-ons that you have.

[apt.pupil]

Well there must be something else sapping your memory... Probably the Add-ons that you have.
uninstalled all except for the Markup analysis, AdBlockPlus, skipscreen, and youtube downloader.

Have skipscreen disabled for the time being however since it no longer works

[Kyang]

Lol, this would be almost blasphemous to some Firefox fans. (One's IE9, and the other is Firefox customized to look like it.) I could fix the tab height, and even remove the search bar too, but I prefer to keep it.

http://imgf.tw/576061913.png (http://imgf.tw/576061913.png)

[apt.pupil]

that is a nice looking theme

[Heron]

Impressive to say the least. Can you make Firefox look like Chrome?

[CyborgBanana]

Now that would be VERY impressive...

[apt.pupil]

there is a chrome theme for firefox, and all you need to do to make it more authentic is hide one or two more toolbars.

I cant wait until the day toolbars become a thing of the past

[Heron]

We sort of have to have them though...it isn't necessary for the power user, but for the more casual users among us...

[Kyang]

Lol, yeah, where exactly would you put... you know, buttons? We can't hold keyboard shortcuts as the final answer anymore either, because of the surge in touchscreens. It's a bleak future. :( .

:p .

[apt.pupil]

its called an intuitive UI. Chrome is almost there. the only thing they need to do is get rid of the bookmarks bar permanently, and you will have what I call a next- Generation browser. I will show you what my chrome browser looks like:

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn24/soundtechman/howchromeshouldlook.png

[Kyang]

Why would I want to get rid of the bookmarks bar? It gives me one click access to my bookmarks.


EDIT: Rephrasing: There's no need to remove the code for a bookmarks bar completely since it can be hidden anyway.

[apt.pupil]

theres no need for a bookmarks bar in the first place. when you open a new tab in chrome, it takes you to the most visited pages, why not turn that page into a bookmarks page instead?

[Kyang]

theres no need for a bookmarks bar in the first place. when you open a new tab in chrome, it takes you to the most visited pages, why not turn that page into a bookmarks page instead?

I just click on the bookmark and the new tab opens directly to the site I want.

or... I can have a place for RSS feed bookmarks, or smart bookmarks, or folders for bookmarks...

[apt.pupil]

put that stuuf as customisable options for the new page tab. my most visited pages are the bookmarked pages I visit the most anyway

[Kyang]

Obviously you're fine with one extra click. I think it's a hassle so I hate it, and would rather use the bar to open a page directly.