Wars Of Operative Systems & Browsers

[ritchie58]

Firefox 7.0 has just been released! I plan to update after posting this thread. Here's what Seth Rosenblatt from The Download Blog posted:

Performance and improved memory use were the goals of Firefox 7, which arrived on schedule today from Mozilla. Firefox 7 is available to download for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.

 

The new Telemetry feature asks you to opt in before it will collect your data.

 

(Credit: Mozilla) The wide-release version of Firefox 7 brings changes to the majority of Firefox users that the beta and Aurora channels have been playing with for some time. These include claims of significant gains in reducing memory use, "often 20 percent to 30 percent less, and sometimes as much as 50 percent less," a company representative wrote in a blog post based on work by Firefox developer Nicholas Nethercote.

 

These performance gains are the first public results of an internal Mozilla project called MemShrink, which, as the name implies, is about reducing the browser's system impact. Mozilla cited several specific areas of improvement in Firefox 7, including when the browser is kept open for long periods of time, when multiple tabs are open at once, and when the browser is used concurrently with other programs that also use a lot of memory. The company also noted that MemShrink was successful in part because of the rapid-release cycle that a vocal minority of Firefox users have been criticizing.

 

The spotlight on performance is something that Mozilla clearly plans to keep lit. When you install Firefox 7, you'll be prompted to opt in to a new anonymous-reporting measure that the company is calling Telemetry. Not unlike security suites that use your data anonymously to improve threat detection rates, Mozilla plans to crowd-source its performance data to learn more about how the browser performs in real-world situations.

 

Unlike the security suites, Telemetry is an opt-in reporting system, so Mozilla won't be collecting data without permission. Lead privacy engineer Sid Stamm addresses security concerns in a blog post, but the short version is that Mozilla is far more open about the data it collects--and why it collects that data--than competitors such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Currently, Telemetry looks at four categories: memory usage, CPU core count, cycle collection times, and startup speed. Curious readers can install the about:telemetry add-on to see the personal statistics Firefox is gathering.

 

If you've enabled Telemetry and would like to disable it, you can go to Options, Advanced, and uncheck the Submit Performance Data box at the bottom of the General tab.

 

Mozilla chart showing decreasing Firefox memory usage.

 

(Credit: Mozilla) Other changes in Firefox 7 for desktops include a new version of hardware-accelerated Canvas for faster HTML5 games and animations, and improvements for Web developers. These include support for the W3C navigation timing API, which allows developers to measure page load time and site navigation against factors like bandwidth, and a new set of Firefox tools for developers.

 

Firefox 7 for Android includes a laundry list of changes, including the ability to select text in a Web page for copying and pasting. Long-tap on a site, and the Android-style drag handles will appear. There's a new Quit feature under Preferences/More to force an exit from the browser, the WebSocket API now works on Firefox for mobile devices, and image rendering has been improved on Tegra-powered tablets and phones. The browser also now auto-detects your system default language if it's supported, and a new Preferences option enables you to change the language displayed in the browser on-demand.

 

Full release notes for Firefox for desktops are here, while Firefox for Android release notes can be read here.

 

 

[ritchie58]

I gave FF7 a "good" test. I downloaded some large files so FF would be up and running for a pretty good length of time (about 6 hours). In situations like this, with earlier versions, is when you would see the RAM/Page File usage slowly keep creeping up to unacceptable levels. I did not encounter this. The RAM usage actually did diminish over time instead! According to Statusbar Ex I'm encountering an on average RAM usage of a little over 100 MB when active and it will drop down to as low as 19 MB when completely idle. Since I use numerous add-ons which use their own fair share of RAM other FF users will no doubt encounter even less RAM usage than that! Way to go Mozilla and it's about time this issue was put to rest! No more RAM/Page File hogging ways! "Hooray!" Also on another note, none of my add-ons were disabled when updating to 7 which I found pretty cool too!

[ritchie58]

Last night I got an update for FF. Version 7.0.1 fixes rare instances where some users add-ons were not appearing. They rolled that out pretty fast.

[ritchie58]

Well, version 8.0 has been released a few days ago and it's time for more fun with Firefox! This time, after upgrading, It's like the first time I loaded Firefox. I keep getting the add-on compatibility tool start to run and then after loading I'll get the Welcome To Firefox web page every time now. It's like I just upgraded and this is the first run every time I load FF. I submitted a post at the Mozilla forums about the problem. Have to wait and see on that. If someone comes up with a solution I'll post it here. Maybe I'll try running the installer again to see if that helps. Any other Immunet forum user seeing this too with Firefox? Edit: I did try and run the installer again. That didn't work.

[sweidre]

Well, version 8.0 has been released a few days ago and it's time for more fun with Firefox! This time, after upgrading, It's like the first time I loaded Firefox. I keep getting the add-on compatibility tool start to run and then after loading I'll get the Getting Started with Firefox web page every time now. It's like I just upgraded and this is the first run every time I load FF. I submitted a post at the Mozilla forums about the problem. Have to wait and see on that. If someone comes up with a solution I'll post it here. Maybe I'll try running the installer again to see if that helps. Any other Immunet forum user seeing this too with Firefox? Edit: I did try and run the installer again. That didn't work.

Hi Ritchie,

FF8.0

I have also upgraded to FF8.0, but it startups with my normal homepage(s)! (Getting Started screen I only got once at the first time when upgrading from FF7.01). Have you got thru Tools -> Options to see if your startpage has been changed?! (Maybe you accepted Getting Started page as your startpage when upgrading?!). There is an add-on called Session Manager, where you can save sessions with their tabs! Personally, I have not seemed any improvements from FF7.01 to FF8.0, on the contrary: the important VTZilla adds-on in not working! I miss the right-click VT check of links! Only WOT works! I have seen an article saying, that Mozilla is reducing the number of adds-ons from 3rd parties by security reason. That makes sense, but then Mozilla must by its own develop more security adds-ons!

Google Chrome 15.0.874.120

Google Chrome has really improved with many more security adds-ons ( by 3rd parties) for checking links when surfing: WOT, VTChromizer for right-clicking a link, McAfee advisor, and CallingID Link Advisor. So I am happy when surfing in dangerous waters! Most of the adds-ons have improved closer to the status of the adds-ons by FF.

Disadvantages with Chrome:

1. The upgrade of the adds-on came without any forewarning, so suddenly one day all the adds-ons were gone! I had to install them again from scratch!

2. Many of the adds-on of Chrome have changed names (Confusing!)

2. No adds-on as FEBE of FF for saving all settings & adds-ons!

3. No adds-on as OldPlainFavorites of FF in sync with IE Favorites! Chrome has only its bookmarks, that can be exported & imported to/from IE as a whole! No sync!

 

So, I have to continue upgrading both FF & Chrome to keep informed of the development! Slimbrowser on the IE platform is still my default browser (not by security reason but by simplicity and speed!). Chrome Plus I will soon uninstall, because it has become more "social" with Facebook, Twitter etc. (Sites I ban by principle!) Cheers, sweidre

[ritchie58]

Hi Sweidre, My home page loads at the same time that the Welcome to Firefox page loads in separate tabs. This happens every time I start the browser plus the add-on compatibility check starts before the browser starts. So my home page has not been changed. I have got "no response from Mozzila" about this problem so far which is disappointing. I haven't tried disabling all the add-ons and doing a start to see if it's one of the add-ons interfering with something but I fear I'm going to end up doing a complete uninstall of the browser and then do a reinstall of FF and my add-ons. What a pain! That takes a few hours of work! This won't be the first time I've had to resort to that to fix a problem with Firefox. Maybe I should give Chrome a try instead, lol! Edit: I tried disabling the add-ons and my custom settings and doing a restart. That didn't work either.

[ritchie58]

I tried disabling automatic updates to see if that would have an effect. No luck so I decided to submit another post to Mozilla's support forum since I didn't get a response the first time so I'll wait a few more days to see If I get any help with this problem. If not it looks like I'll have to do the uninstall and reinstall thing again.

[sweidre]

Hi Sweidre, My home page loads at the same time that the Welcome to Firefox page loads in separate tabs. This happens every time I start the browser plus the add-on compatibility check starts before the browser starts. So my home page has not been changed. I have got "no response from Mozzila" about this problem so far which is disappointing. I haven't tried disabling all the add-ons and doing a start to see if it's one of the add-ons interfering with something but I fear I'm going to end up doing a complete uninstall of the browser and then do a reinstall of FF and my add-ons. What a pain! That takes a few hours of work! This won't be the first time I've had to resort to that to fix a problem with Firefox. Maybe I should give Chrome a try instead, lol! Edit: I tried disabling the add-ons and my custom settings and doing a restart. That didn't work either.

Hi Ritchie,

I think you can live with having "Welcome to Firefox page" loading togethet with "Your home page", as it is just to close "Welcome to Firefox page". But "The add-on compatibility check" must be annoying to have at every startup! FileHippo has a FF9.0 Beta1 for downloading. Provided, that you have a fresh backup of your c-drive, it might be worth a try to download & install right over your FF8!

 

My update from my Swedish FF7.01 was not normal neither, because when I checked "About" and clicked manually for updates, I got the message that I had the latest version. Then I checked with FileHippo, that had an FF8 (final English version) for downloding. I had a fresh "ghost" of my c-drive, so I dared to have it downloaded and installed right upon FF7.01. The install was without problems (OK VTzilla does not work with FF8) and all the settings remained. FF7.01 had a mixture of Swedish & English, especially the extensions were badly translated to Swedish. So I now prefer FF8 with 100% English only. Now I know, that I have earlier used the word "extension", but FF8 has now taught me, that the word should be "adds-on". The next OS & softwares will be in English only, because if I visit any forum or use any tweak page, the language will be English for sure. In my mind, there is no sense to translate softwares, because the young generation over the world can manage English very well (provided, that their mother tounge is spelt with the Latin alphabet. Only the French are too proud to use English!) Those who have non-latin characters (cyrillic, arabic, or Asian alphabets) have also some alphabethic obstacle to learn English. Translations should in my mind be necessary for those with strange alphabets only. Cheers, sweidre

[sweidre]

I tried disabling automatic updates to see if that would have an effect. No luck so I decided to submit another post to Mozilla's support forum since I didn't get a response the first time so I'll wait a few more days to see If I get any help with this problem. If not it looks like I'll have to do the uninstall and reinstall thing again.

Hi Ritchie,

FileHippo has just an FF8.01 (final,not Beta), that maybe you can install upon your bad FF8! If you have "a backup" it might be worth a try!

http://www.filehippo.com/download_firefox/

Cheers, sweidre

PS. I have gone back to FF7.01 (Swedish) in order to have VTzilla adds-on working..DS

[ritchie58]

Hi Sweidre, I finally did get a response from support a few days ago. It was suggested to me to try a few things I hadn't tried yet. But alas, those attempted fixes didn't work either. There's a file that stores a bit of Java Script (prefs.js) that Firefox uses to retain the code for the upgrades, custom settings and preferences. Mine, they think, has been corrupted some how. That's why FF can't remember I already installed the latest version. One final thing I can do is create a new profile, which basically resets FF to default, and that would fix the problem but you loose all your custom settings as well as your bookmarks, themes and add-ons. However there is a way to backup your bookmarks (saved as an xml file) and I think your add-ons too. I'll have to look into that further. So in reality it would be just as easy to do a re-install. Thanks for the link with the updated version. I'll try installing over 8.0 and see what happens but it doesn't look promising. Edit: Just as I feared, the upgrade to 8.0.1 did nothing for the odd behavior.

[ritchie58]

Well, I finally got around to fixing Firefox and it took me about 6 hours to complete today! Not only was the prefs.js file in the Profile corrupted but so was the uninstaller. I tried the Windows, Glary Utilities, Advanced System Care and CCleaner's uninstallers and they would not work. I eventually installed Revo Uninstaller and that did the trick! I should have tried that software first. That would have saved me a few hours. I was able to save my bookmarks by backing them up. Also I used an add-on called FEBE which is a backup tool.With this I was able to backup my add-ons and use that to more quickly install them but most add-ons didn't remember the settings I used so I had to redo those. I later discovered there is another add-on called OPIE which will save your add-on settings as well. With FEBE you can create scheduled complete backups of Firefox which I will do with the add-on from now on!!! On a different note I installed Google Chrome and have been playing with that for a few days now. Firefox and it's add-ons do seem more polished as Chrome to me seems less refined and minimalistic. As far as speed goes though? Google Chrome is by far the faster browser! Anyway, at least I don't have to see the add-on compatibility wizzard or the Getting Started with Firefox web page every time I load the browser!