Firefox 4: One generation ahead of everyone else speedwise

[Chiefcrowe]

Mozilla's Chris Blizzard in an interview about the rising competition by Google Chrome, the evolution of the web platform and the prospects for WebM

http://derstandard.at/1280984648833/Firefox-4-One-generation-ahead-of-everyone-else-speedwise

This should be very interesting to see how it develops with the final build.

 

[hclarkjr]

once i got a few tips on how to tweak it and get the add ons to work i like it and have it set as my default browser now. waiting for the next build now.

 

[dguy6789]

Firefox will be faster than Chrome when Apple goes completely open source

 

[Chapbass]

Firefox will be faster than Chrome when Apple goes completely non-profit

Fixed for ya

 

[Scouzer]

Using Firefox 4 Beta 3 and all I have to say is... buggy. I've used a LOT of Firefox betas and this is the worst I remember. It's a long way to release.

 

[Dulanic]

I haven't found firefox to be "fast" since.... 3.0? It drags for me now and that is even with a i7 CPU. I don't know what the problem is, but I refuse to use firefox now. Even after a fresh win7 reinstall and a fresh firefox install, it freezes and stutters all the time. I stick with IE and Chrome for now.

 

[pcslookout]

I haven't found firefox to be "fast" since.... 3.0? It drags for me now and that is even with a i7 CPU. I don't know what the problem is, but I refuse to use firefox now. Even after a fresh win7 reinstall and a fresh firefox install, it freezes and stutters all the time. I stick with IE and Chrome for now.

No problem here. You really need to check your firefox addons or plugins. Can never go back to a different browser except maybe opera but nothing supports it. At least none of my addons.

 

[Dulanic]

No problem here. You really need to check your firefox addons or plugins. Can never go back to a different browser except maybe opera but nothing supports it. At least none of my addons.

I've diabled all addons, same issues. I've even changed PCs, same problems.

 

[CrimsonWolf]

I've diabled all addons, same issues. I've even changed PCs, same problems.

You're not alone. I've had the same issues on both my work computers and my Core i7 home PC. They're vanilla installs, too. I don't mess with add-ons. It's Firefox.

Both Chrome and Opera are fantastic so those are my main browsers.

That said I'm really liking Firefox 4b3. It seems swifter than the 3.6.x line. I may very well switch back once Firefox 4 gets polished.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Strange. I almost Never have any issues with Firefox on my XP and 7 machines and I use several addons.
Perhaps you should try the Vacuum Places improved addon which cleans up the sqlite database.

 

[lowrider69]

I've been using Firefox for five years and it's crashed maybe five times. Never had an issue with it.

 

[lxskllr]

I've been using Firefox for five years and it's crashed maybe five times. Never had an issue with it.

Yea, Firefox has always worked great for me. I've been having some problems with the beta; it seems to be Java related, but it's a beta. I'd expect some issues running pre release software. I expect it'll be sorted out by the time it's released.

 

[fire400]

Is it more programmable than Google's?

 

[wirednuts]

firefox passes the 30+ porn tabs test almost every time. and when it doesnt, it wont lose what you have going. firefox is still the best.

 

[KeypoX]

I like alot about chrome, it is getting better for sure. At the current rate of improvement chrome will beat out FF very soon. However, 4.0b3 is my default right now. Its awesome, 3.6 wasn't very good but the best of most of its time.

I could see chrome being my default one day though. But not today.

 

[KeypoX]

We've also done some research and what is interesting is that a lot of people seem to choose their browser on very specific features, so for instance a lot of people who prefer to see their most recently used sites when they open their browser, they use Chrome. If they want a clean blank page, they use Firefox instead.

Im confused by this? Chrome doesnt save recently used webpages, like saving sessions like FF does.

Chrome has a fast dial built in but still one big reason i still use FF is to save my current sessions.

 

[pcslookout]

Im confused by this? Chrome doesnt save recently used webpages, like saving sessions like FF does.

Chrome has a fast dial built in but still one big reason i still use FF is to save my current sessions.

All browsers save your current session even the vanilla firefox, internet explorer, and opera. I don't like there is no left click to open new tabs in Chrome. Can't stand it. When you go to a new link at least in firefox you can set it to do that. Sure some websites let you set this as a option but most don't.

 

[lxskllr]

All browsers save your current session even the vanilla firefox, internet explorer, and opera. I don't like there is no left click to open new tabs in Chrome. Can't stand it. When you go to a new link at least in firefox you can set it to do that. Sure some websites let you set this as a option but most don't.

I don't understand. I use middle click to open new tabs, and I think that works in all browsers.

 

[pcslookout]

I like alot about chrome, it is getting better for sure. At the current rate of improvement chrome will beat out FF very soon. However, 4.0b3 is my default right now. Its awesome, 3.6 wasn't very good but the best of most of its time.

I could see chrome being my default one day though. But not today.

Have you tried the latest Firefox nightly build with tab candy ? http://nightly.mozilla.org/

Pretty neat feature for organizing tabs into groups and not seeing the tabs when you do not need them. Firefox beta 4 should be out Monday hopefully it has tab candy in it for people who don't like to use nightly builds.

My only problem with Firefox 4 is getting all my addons to work. Greasemonkey refuses to work, downthemall I think does but had problems with the latest nightly build where it didn't (wanted to use tab candy), roboform doesn't work at all, Mytube refuses to work, and strangely Ad Muncher add on works fine with all of the Firefox betas and nightly builds. Go figure. Anyone know how to fix these addons in Firefox 4 beta 3, future beta 4 and the latest nightly builds ? Yes I tried the Add-on Compatibility Reporter they still won't work right. As you can see only around 24 % of add ons work in Firefox 4 (Remember to click View Compatibility Report) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/compatibility The biggest problem is some add ons work with the latest nightly build of Firefox 4 but not the beta and the other way around. So it is difficult to have all your add ons working in one Firefox 4 release sometimes depending on which ones you use. Guess it is best to wait for the final version if you absolutely need a certain add on.

 

[pcslookout]

I don't understand. I use middle click to open new tabs, and I think that works in all browsers.

Are you talking about clicking your mouse wheel ? I never do that if so. I only use it to automatically scroll a long pc hardware review or article I am reading. Either because I am eating or don't feel like scrolling through it myself.

 

[lxskllr]

Are you talking about clicking your mouse wheel ? I never do that if so. I only use it to automatically scroll a long pc hardware review or article I am reading. Either because I am eating or don't feel like scrolling through it myself.

Yea, middle click opens a link in a new tab, but stays on the current page. If I want a (mostly)blank tab, I middle click my Home button. That launches the default Firefox/Google search page.

 

[pcslookout]

I've diabled all addons, same issues. I've even changed PCs, same problems.

You're not alone. I've had the same issues on both my work computers and my Core i7 home PC. They're vanilla installs, too. I don't mess with add-ons. It's Firefox.

Both Chrome and Opera are fantastic so those are my main browsers.

That said I'm really liking Firefox 4b3. It seems swifter than the 3.6.x line. I may very well switch back once Firefox 4 gets polished.

I think I figured out what your problems are. It is not firefox either.

 

[dguy6789]

I think I figured out what your problems are. It is not firefox either.

Their problems aren't problems so to speak, it's their perspective. Firefox is fine if you're used to it, but Chrome blows it away in speed by such an astronomical amount that it makes it seem like something is wrong with Firefox, which is what most people who have "issues" with Firefox feel. The first startup of Firefox takes something around five times as long as Chrome. If one tab in Firefox is running a difficult to handle website or even loading a large website, the entire browser and all of your tabs will be laggy; this doesn't happen in Chrome. Chrome completely destroys Firefox in Flash and Java performance. A test anyone can try is to run the web game Lord of Ultima in Firefox and then do it in Chrome. The former will be under 30fps and choppy and the latter will be 60fps smooth as glass.

They aren't having problems, that's just how Firefox is. To some people Firefox's behavior is acceptable(mainly to people who are used to browsers working that way), to others it is not.

*This is not to say Firefox doesn't have some advantages on Chrome, it does, but speed is not one of them.

 

[Dulanic]

I think I figured out what your problems are. It is not firefox either.

Really? Have you? Tell me why a firefox window literally "freezes" on me and Windows flags it as Firefox is not responding. Quite being a fucking fanboy and blaming the user on a program that DOES have some problems. Nor is it "perspective" as the next person said.... windows constantly freezing is not a "perspective" thing.

 

[pcslookout]

Their problems aren't problems so to speak, it's their perspective. Firefox is fine if you're used to it, but Chrome blows it away in speed by such an astronomical amount that it makes it seem like something is wrong with Firefox, which is what most people who have "issues" with Firefox feel. The first startup of Firefox takes something around five times as long as Chrome. If one tab in Firefox is running a difficult to handle website or even loading a large website, the entire browser and all of your tabs will be laggy; this doesn't happen in Chrome. Chrome completely destroys Firefox in Flash and Java performance. A test anyone can try is to run the web game Lord of Ultima in Firefox and then do it in Chrome. The former will be under 30fps and choppy and the latter will be 60fps smooth as glass.

They aren't having problems, that's just how Firefox is. To some people Firefox's behavior is acceptable(mainly to people who are used to browsers working that way), to others it is not.

*This is not to say Firefox doesn't have some advantages on Chrome, it does, but speed is not one of them.

Actually it happens in Chrome too the same exact problem they are having. It happens on all browsers.

Oh and Firefox 4 is as fast as Chrome now if not faster. So that issue is pretty much gone now.