New Firefox browser set for release

[Berkeley_Eagle]

New Firefox browser set for release


June 13, 2008 - 11:32AM
http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/new-firefox...3317007549.html

A new version of the Firefox web browser is scheduled for release on Tuesday with improvements in security, speed and design.

Many of the enhancements in Firefox 3 involve bookmarks. The new version lets web surfers add keywords, or tags, to sort bookmarks by topic.

A new "Places" feature lets users quickly access sites they recently bookmarked or tagged and pages they visit frequently but haven't bookmarked.

There's also a new star button for easily adding sites to your bookmark list - similar to what's already available on Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 browser.

Other new features include the ability to resume downloads midway if the connection is interrupted and an updated password manager that doesn't disrupt the log-in process.

Firefox also will start blocking rather than simply warning about sites known to engage in "phishing" scams that try to trick users into revealing passwords and other sensitive information. The new version adds protection from sites known to distribute viruses and other malicious software.

The list of suspicious sites come from Google and StopBadware.org, a project headed by legal scholars at Harvard and Oxford universities.

Security researchers who need access to problem sites can manually turn the feature off.

Firefox 3 also offers speed and design improvements - the back button is now larger than the forward button, for instance, because people tend to return to a previous page more often, said Mike Schroepfer, the project's vice president of engineering.

Firefox is the No. 2 web browser behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer. It comes from Mozilla, an open-source community in which thousands of people, mostly volunteers, collectively develop free products.

Mozilla has been developing Firefox 3 for nearly three years and has been publicly testing it since November for Windows, Mac and Linux computers.

Its supporters are organizing launch parties around the world next week, and Mozilla is trying to set a world record for most software downloads in a 24-hour period.

Microsoft is currently testing Internet Explorer 8, while Opera Software ASA released Opera 9.5 on Thursday.

AP


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

 

[Dan]

I love Firefox, but have been getting more annoyed at the memory leaks of late. My testing so far of 3 is pretty impressive and I look forward to the official release

I will NOT however be holding a release party, as I have a life

 

[Narcissus]

Agreed on every one of Dan's points. The Mozilla group will argue that the memory is not leaking, it's fragmenting but at the end of the day, it still means a ****ty experience for high volume usage.

I've installed the RC of FF3 and after a little dislike of the new address bar, I'm loving it.

 

[fLIP]

I used to be a huge fan of Firefox but have been really impressed with IE7 since upgrading (if you call it an upgrade) to Vista.

Also, I absolutly HATE having to spend hours upon installation finding all the plugins ect to get it working proporly on a lot of websites.

I don't have any problems with the current IE so until Mozilla can get a package right without having to trouble shoot why i can't get video ect streaming then I will stay with the MS gear for now.

 

[Matabele]

I used to be a huge fan of Firefox but have been really impressed with IE7 since upgrading (if you call it an upgrade) to Vista.

I will stay with the MS gear for now.

Words cannot express how sorry I feel for you - consigned to using Vista and MS products.  Vista - has there ever been a product "improvement" that has been put onto the market in such a tatty, uncompleted and completely beserk way?

It's a bit like Ford finding some Model T's banging some rusty panels on them and calling it the new Falcon. 

 

[Dan]

[quote author=Flip link=topic=177651.msg186941#msg186941 date=1213419973]
I used to be a huge fan of Firefox but have been really impressed with IE7 since upgrading (if you call it an upgrade) to Vista.

I will stay with the MS gear for now.

Words cannot express how sorry I feel for you - consigned to using Vista and MS products.  Vista - has there ever been a product "improvement" that has been put onto the market in such a tatty, uncompleted and completely beserk way?

It's a bit like Ford finding some Model T's banging some rusty panels on them and calling it the new Falcon. 
[/quote]

Windows 98, 98SE and finally perhaps the worst product ever to grace our computers

Windows ME

 

[Matabele]

Dan, Vista would have to be right there.  I had it for 3 months and didn't have one day without a catastrophic crash.

 

[Dan]

I don't disagree!

I want to switch to linux but it's problems with my wireless card make it an equal hassle

 

[fLIP]

The only thing i've found really bad with vista is its compatibility issues with games. Sometimes its a lottery when trying to get one loading but they all do eventually work.

Also, the persistent nagging of 'Are you sure you want to do that' does get frustrating but its very very difficult to find a laptop these days that has XP pre-installed. The only ones i've found that do it are Dell and Alienware (if your looking for a rip off, look no further). Not to mention i'm pretty sure MS will stopped granting licences of XP to all but low end spec (budget) machines as of July 31 I read not to long ago.

 

[Dan]

Downgrading is a bit of a hassle as well. You have to run a special command from my experience when doing it through DOS.

As a rule we don't bother with it in my company

Windows XP or Windows Server 2003

Our products will only work with with Red Hat Linux, Solaris (SPARCS) and Windows Server 2003, though we only have a handful of clients on Windows environments and we are moving them to RHEL

 

[SilentBob]

No major problems with Vista here. Use both IE7 and Firefox, both crash, not very often though, I just change to the other when I get the ****s.

 

[Matabele]

but its very very difficult to find a laptop these days that has XP pre-installed.

Just get a Macbook.

 

[Dan]

I must say Mac are making a killing off of this, but the reality is most people don't want to re-learn everything they just want something they can surf the net with and do a little word processing. MS are shooting themselves int he foot trying to improve on something most ppl already think is good enough.

Rather than spend all the R&D money on Vista they would have been better off pumping even half the amount into resolving existing XP issues

 

[Matabele]

I must say Mac are making a killing off of this, but the reality is most people don't want to re-learn everything

It's hardly rocket science.  And once you've made the conversion you have a much more intuitive and efficient system at your fingertips.

 

[fLIP]

Agree with all that guys. Give XP a touch up with security and add a new look (aero) and it would have been a lot more popular.

However MS are a money grubing company and do their best to push onto what you do not need. It wasn't about releasing a more secure OS, it was about increasing profits given the sucess of Mac and Linux in recent years.

One example was of forced purchase was Direct X 10 supposed incompatibility with XP. While nobody has been succesful with integrating it into XP, the key reason as too why it couldn't be done was never implemented into Vista as they couldn't get it to work.

However, every gamer out there that now wants a machine that will play the latest games (maybe a year or two away) needs a machine that is DX10 compatible and that means a forced upgrade to Vista.

Publishers will only continue to make DX9 versions of their games for so long.

 

[Dan]

Another reason MS is failing.

Matas your point is correct about Mac, but look at the prices

These days you can pick up a basic laptop for $500 or less brand new. You can't do the same with Mac yet

 

[byso]

Macs are good for people that don't or cant understand the nuts and bolts of how PC work or have a need for customising etc.

It would be perfect for my MRS.

I know people who have Vista running and they are very happy with it... I'm currently using XP though. Using both firefox and IE7 with no issues.

Obviously Vista should be trialled far better prior to release but with so many 3rd party components out there I'm not surprised there are issues. I guess purchases have to do there homework in what hardware components suite Vista prior to installing.

 

[Matabele]

These days you can pick up a basic laptop for $500 or less brand new. You can't do the same with Mac yet

Pieces of crap from Acer are $500.  Some people drive Hyundais I suppose.

There is not a great deal of price distance between a MacBook and the mid-range MS laptops but there is no comparing them for functionality etc.  Throw in that you don't need to stump up $100 per year for anti-virus and you're miles ahead IMO.

As for compatibility with your iPod etc, ability to use open source software that is miles ahead of MS alternatives, bla bla bla bla bla

 

[Dan]

You dont have to pay for antivirus now,one of the world leaders Avast is free

You have to look at needs and use. For a business computer perhaps Max  an option for everyone else who uses it for the Internet and that is about it a $500 piece of crap that sits on their desk forever is just fine.

Ppl buy more than they need with PC's

 

[Canteen Worker]

Macs are good for people that don't or cant understand the nuts and bolts of how PC work or have a need for customising etc.

Thanks for telling me what I am like. Maybe I just like having a computer that doesn't break down, have millions of problems and is easy to use!!!!! :-*