Firefox 5 ?
- Thread starter Ar-Pharazon
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See, I just want a browser that works and doesn't crap a brick whenever I want to visit a website. Why is that getting harder to find? It's like when cell phones became more than cell phones. When the iPhone came out, it was a wonderful wizard of multitasking, except for making phone calls, where it was subpar. I think we're getting that now with web browsers. They seem to do everything fairly well, except browse the web, where they start to fall apart, and like cell phone technology, designers come out with a new model every couple of weeks to test your patience.
Ever since I went to FF6 my browser crashes any time I stream a podcast through Flash, and it starts becoming a gigantic, chugging memory hog if I try to play the podcast through QT mp3. Works fine in IE9, no way am I upgrading to 7.0 yet.
But.... can someone explain to me what the hell is going on with their releases? I had FF3.x and 4.x for what seemed like years, why are they releasing 5,6,7 so fast? Are we going to be up to ten by Christmas?
But.... can someone explain to me what the hell is going on with their releases? I had FF3.x and 4.x for what seemed like years, why are they releasing 5,6,7 so fast? Are we going to be up to ten by Christmas?
Because they are using the Google Chrome model of smaller but more frequent updates.
Instead of waiting a year to pack 20 goodies into the new version, they wait three months to pack 5 goodies into the new version.
Instead of waiting a year to pack 20 goodies into the new version, they wait three months to pack 5 goodies into the new version.
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Yes, but unlike Google, they announce it all the time. It was a stupid idea for them to copy Google in this way, because Google's better at it, and Google doesn't say "Hey kids! In a mere SIX WEEKS we're releasing a totally new version!". Most people don't realize Google Chrome quietly updates itself and they never know it, because Google doesn't remind them. It follows the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" method of browser updating. Now, I've heard that with FF 10, they plan on going silent. Great idea, 5 versions ago when it would have made sense.
Yeah, if they want to do this rapid release cycle, they should make it seamless and quiet and just have new features show up. Chrome manages to do this without being a distraction.
I don't know what you're talking about.
If Firefox didn't auto-update itself, I'd have no idea there was even a new version out since they started the frequent update cycle.
Exactly. The difference between Chrome and Firefox is that Chrome can more easily do that kind of thing because it has less developers making plugins for it, while Firefox seems to have an army of developers, most of which can't keep up with it because it's being updated so often. Most of the time now when it gets updated, things from 2 versions ago or more aren't even updated yet. It just seems to me like a yearly update cycle is better than the Chrome model for something which has such a following of plugins. Not only does it help to keep developers in the flow, but it also gives a perfect opportunity for press releases to announce the new version, reminding people that it exists, which I'd think would be an important formula. There used to be a kind of excitement over every new version which is absent in this model.
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What I'm saying is that Firefox announces their latest version, and then pesters the hell out of you to update (though you can turn it off). Google just does it.
Huh... my Firefox just up and updates itself. It never pesters me at all.
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Do you not use extensions? Anytime FF upgrades, there's an extension compatibility warning that pops up on first use.
Firefox's pathological extension breaking is probably the #1 thing killing it right now.
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What annoyed me was that when they first announced the rapid release schedule, my first thought was "do they have a solution for the tens of thousands of extensions that makes Firefox worth using?" The answer ended up being "No, but maybe... but not really". Even now, they're talking about simply disabling the compatibility checker so that extensions will continue to be used, though it also means they may become unstable.
Chrome manages not to break plugins with every update, but then its plugin system is vastly more limited in terms of what it can do.
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Good point, which just makes it all the more ridiculous that Mozilla chose the rapid release schedule. They're not Chrome, they're not Opera, they're not IE, or any other browser. They're Firefox, and with that name comes the recognition that they're very fast, flexible and easy to use. This course they've chosen, I believe, goes against why people chose them in the first place. I've begun calling it "The Netflix Syndrome", which is just destroying one's own brand recognition for shortsighted and nonsensical reasons.
I've always wondered, how does Mozilla make any money?
Firefox 8 has just announced it's arrival.
And somehow I updated to 7 without realizing it. Lost the Freecorder toolbar, but it still works from the start menu. Just inconvenient.
And somehow I updated to 7 without realizing it. Lost the Freecorder toolbar, but it still works from the start menu. Just inconvenient.
Somehow Firefox messed up during its upgrade, because I can't get a moveable input form in a userscript to stay in place. It keeps following my mouse around and won't actually submit the stuff I type in it when I enter a captcha.
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