Firefox 8 Released today

from JoeUser Forums

 

Mozilla released Ff 8 today, seven weeks after their last version.

So what’s new?

Ff 8  features for the new browser releases (Win, Mac, Linux and mobile for Android) include Twitter search integration, on-demand tab group loading, and more WebGL graphics hardware acceleration support. Mozilla has added "support for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which lets developers load WebGL textures from other domains in a secure way." according to them but Microsoft and Apple disagree as to the safety of WebGL. Mozilla has added to the Android version of Firefox 8 a Master Password feature to protect all the logins used on the device.

Ff 8 also includes a new security feature (always a good thing) preventing extensions from adding other third party extensions without the user’s consent (and frequently, knowledge).

The user is now given an opt-in. Upon upgrading, the new version will ask users to select their add-ons. You aren’t told expressly (at least I wasn’t) which extension is new, however you should be cognizant which you have (and why) so pay close attention during the installation.

You can get Ff8 here:  http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/   or by navigating to Help>About Firefox and restarting the browser.

According to PCMagazine :

  • Pros

    More-efficient memory usage and faster startup than previous versions. Panorama tab group organizes sites. Excellent standards support. Cool bookmark organization with Panorama. Pinned sites for all-the-time access. Syncing for tabs, history, passwords and more. Graphics hardware acceleration. Cross-platform.

  • Cons

    Update breaks some extensions. Still trails Chrome and IE9 on some benchmarks. Lacks client-side tracking protection like that of IE9. Lacks Chrome's built in Flash, PDF reader, and Instant page view. Trails Chrome in HTML5 support. No new-tab page helpers. Slower startup than Chrome and IE9.

  • Bottom Line

    Firefox remains a lean, fast, customizable browser that can hold its own against any competitor, especially with its graphics hardware acceleration. Version 7 adds much-desired memory usage trimming. – PCMagazine ( http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349494,00.asp#fbid=xcx2wnb3dyP )

 

By the way… be careful what you tweet, and write…. the “vengeful librarians” are watching… do read Sarah Yin’s article here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2395904,00.asp#fbid=gBAx1czPwy7

Sources:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2349494,00.asp#fbid=gBAx1czPwy7

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396043,00.asp#fbid=gBAx1czPwy7

56,764 views 28 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

great news ... thnx for the info doc. |-)

I had been waiting for it eagerly :grin:

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quote: Update breaks some extensions. Still trails Chrome and IE9 on some benchmarks. Lacks client-side tracking protection like that of IE9. Lacks Chrome's built in Flash, PDF reader, and Instant page view. Trails Chrome in HTML5 support. No new-tab page helpers. Slower startup than Chrome and IE9.

I dunno, Firefox is by far the fastest browser I've ever used. Admittedly, I AM biased, believing IE9 to be worth less than a donkey punched squire, but that's just personal preference~

Thanks for this, DrJHBL, knowledge is power, hero~    =)

This is quoted form the article, and does this seem wonky, at all, to anyone else? Quote: The department falls under the Open Source Center (OSC), which was created in 1995 by the Director of National intelligence upon the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.

DeskScapes - Bring your desktop background to life.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'll stick to Firefox version 3.6.x. My favorite extensions will not work with newer versions.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Is is just me or does Control-E now work again (by default) for selecting the search box?

For some reason that shortcut was discontinued in favor of Panorama something quite a few months ago and I had to either switch to using Control-K or use a custom addon to change the shortcut back to control-E.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Wrath89, reply 4
Is is just me or does Control-E now work again (by default) for selecting the search box?
End of Wrath89's quote

Working for me as well... terribly slow start up, though. Sticking with IE9 x32 , Comodo-Dragon 15 (Chrome), and Opera 12 (rarely).

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

Hey doc, thanks for update....

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 5
Comodo-Dragon 15 (Chrome)
End of DrJBHL's quote

I though Google made Chrome.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting kona0197, reply 7
I though Google made Chrome.
End of kona0197's quote

Comodo-Dragon 15 is a cut down version of Google Chrome with additional enhancements to improve security !!

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

I don't know, I feel kinda annoyed how they add a few new features, and then "suddenly" we have a whole new browser version.   It wasn't that long ago that Firefox was still using 3s, and now we're up to 8 almost within a year or so!  I think they're trying to kid everyone that the browser is advancing so much faster than all the other ones, "because after all, the version numbers are increasing so fast, it must be a lot better!".

Best regards,
Steven.

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

Well, if you are aware of it, it shouldn't affect you. And who cares about those that are affected? They can call their versions whatever they want. They could call it Firefox 2012 for all I care.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

In the time i used firefox 7 i had crashes when i had like 14 tabs open for a long time.. i switched back to the new safari 5.1.1 and the browser is excellent and performs amazingly. i can have up to 30 tabs open throughout the day, its easy to manage and very responsive on my laptop. 

 

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

Heavenfall, it was just a little annoyance, that's all.  For a long time they used the conservative numbering, and then suddenly, one (or 0) bugfix and it's up to the next version.  I don't particularly *mind*, mind, it's just that sometimes I get a little annoyed. ;-)

Best regards,
Steven.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 11
In the time i used firefox 7 i had crashes when i had like 14 tabs open for a long time..
End of RiddleKing's quote

That's the memory leak that ssupposedly's been tamed/fixed.

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 13

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 11In the time i used firefox 7 i had crashes when i had like 14 tabs open for a long time..

That's the memory leak that ssupposedly's been tamed/fixed.
End of DrJBHL's quote

 

Its too late now. I love the usuability, ease and error free nature of safari.  I also found the extensions that i needed (even downloading flash videos).

https://extensions.apple.com/

 

 

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting StevenAus, reply 9
I don't know, I feel kinda annoyed how they add a few new features, and then "suddenly" we have a whole new browser version. It wasn't that long ago that Firefox was still using 3s, and now we're up to 8 almost within a year or so! I think they're trying to kid everyone that the browser is advancing so much faster than all the other ones, "because after all, the version numbers are increasing so fast, it must be a lot better!".
End of StevenAus's quote

Several proggies have gone this route.... when the competition has a higher ver number it IS perceived as 'superior' or more developed/newer.

PSP and PS tended to do it over the years too.

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 15

Quoting StevenAus, reply 9I don't know, I feel kinda annoyed how they add a few new features, and then "suddenly" we have a whole new browser version. It wasn't that long ago that Firefox was still using 3s, and now we're up to 8 almost within a year or so! I think they're trying to kid everyone that the browser is advancing so much faster than all the other ones, "because after all, the version numbers are increasing so fast, it must be a lot better!".

Several proggies have gone this route.... when the competition has a higher ver number it IS perceived as 'superior' or more developed/newer.

PSP and PS tended to do it over the years too.
End of Jafo's quote

 

oh dear the number game. The industry is switching to the number game! 8C .. yet apple doesn't do it.. i wonder why mmmh.. <_<

 

edit 

i figured it out. Cos they don't have to. :rofl:

Reply #17 from Elemental Forums Top

In the end though, if other factors make your program not very good, high version numbers will not save you.

Reply #18 from Elemental Forums Top

Damn! At this rate they'll release Firefox 12, before Opera 12 gets a final version. Seriously, I switched to my back-up PC after the other one went poof last month, and Firefox updated 4 versions, and now another one.( I stopped using this PC in march).

I really hope EA and Activision don't get wind of this. 

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 16
oh dear the number game. The industry is switching to the number game! .. yet apple doesn't do it.. i wonder why mmmh..



edit

i figured it out. Cos they don't have to.
End of RiddleKing's quote

Er...they do....but then they mooved on to naming each release OS after some furr ball or other.

BTW... IPhone 5, anyone?  Oh Noes!!!! It's ONLY another 4 and a bit....;p

Reply #20 from Elemental Forums Top

Well, so it's been *less* than a year since the last Firefox 3 version was released. ;-)

Reply #21 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 19

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 16oh dear the number game. The industry is switching to the number game! .. yet apple doesn't do it.. i wonder why mmmh..



edit

i figured it out. Cos they don't have to.

Er...they do....but then they moved on to naming each release OS after some furr ball or other.

BTW... I-Phone 5, anyone?  Oh Noes!!!! It's ONLY another 4 and a bit....
End of Jafo's quote

 

Your missing the point: There not pulling an iphone4, 4s, 5, 5s , 6, 6s out of the bag within a period of 2 months. or weeks. Plus that's hardware, not software. Releases are not frequent as seen in this virus multiplying manner of version numbers and so the Version number epidemic is upon us.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 21
Your missing the point: There not pulling an iphone4, 4s, 5, 5s , 6, 6s out of the bag within a period of 2 months. or weeks. Plus that's hardware, not software..
End of RiddleKing's quote

You missed the point.

Look under the 'Leopard' / whatever...and look at OS version numbers.

Windows is almost at '8'

Where's Mac at?

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting StevenAus, reply 20
Well, so it's been *less* than a year since the last Firefox 3 version was released.
End of StevenAus's quote

Actually version 3.6.24 was released 2 days ago.

Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 22

Quoting RiddleKing, reply 21Your missing the point: There not pulling an iphone4, 4s, 5, 5s , 6, 6s out of the bag within a period of 2 months. or weeks. Plus that's hardware, not software..

You missed the point.

Look under the 'Leopard' / whatever...and look at OS version numbers.

Windows is almost at '8'

Where's Mac at?
End of Jafo's quote

 

So now we are back to software and not hardware? K good.

 

Operating systems vs browser upgrades? That debate is broken. Its a browser version update epidemic. A number crunching game that brings back nightmares of my first ever maths lesson at kinder garden. My chrome is at 15, firefox is at 8 and safari at 5. There making a big deal about browser version numbers, not hardware or operating systems. Lets see who goes up to the next integer point within the next few weeks? My bet is on firefox.. 

 

The worst part is its extension business is totally F'd now.

Reply #25 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting kona0197, reply 23

Quoting StevenAus, reply 20Well, so it's been *less* than a year since the last Firefox 3 version was released.

Actually version 3.6.24 was released 2 days ago.
End of kona0197's quote

Well, that must be a compatibility version.  The other versions have gone from 3 to 8 now.