Experiences with Firefox 4.0?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Deepest Dark Afrika
Was a tad irritated when Firefox suddenly announced it was loading FF 4.0 - I prefer to download new versions myself and load when it suits me (somehow - ??? - version 3.6.13 reset itself to automatically download updates).
While the new interface is an improvement, performance certainly is not improved (like it's using at least double the amount of memory). It's running on a netbook so there isn't a huge amount of memory (2Gb) and performance really sucked.
Also, there appears to be no way that you can save multiple tabs when shutting version 4.0 down. Took appreciable time to open up required five tabs.
Cutting a long story short - have removed version 4.0 and reverted back to version 3.6.13 - Big thumbs down from a long-term user. Even considered moving to IE9 (but it isn't available for Win XP).
Any other experiences?
While the new interface is an improvement, performance certainly is not improved (like it's using at least double the amount of memory). It's running on a netbook so there isn't a huge amount of memory (2Gb) and performance really sucked.
Also, there appears to be no way that you can save multiple tabs when shutting version 4.0 down. Took appreciable time to open up required five tabs.
Cutting a long story short - have removed version 4.0 and reverted back to version 3.6.13 - Big thumbs down from a long-term user. Even considered moving to IE9 (but it isn't available for Win XP).
Any other experiences?
More bang for your buck
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,513
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From: land of the clanger
Also, there appears to be no way that you can save multiple tabs when shutting version 4.0 down. Took appreciable time to open up required five tabs.
As far as I'm concerned it's a great improvement on V3.6xxx, much faster, more stable and less of a ram hog. But there again I'm running it on W7 which it's optimised for, not XP.

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 970
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From: Timbuktu
I found FF4 a bit unpolished and generally not too good.
I use Chrome which IMHO is light years ahead of anything else at the moment. Somehow they managed to make it extremely simple yet with loads of features
I use Chrome which IMHO is light years ahead of anything else at the moment. Somehow they managed to make it extremely simple yet with loads of features
Psychophysiological entity

Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
I happily went to .16, and have been complaining recently about the general lack of briskness. I confess, FF was the last thing I suspected.
Maybe a trip back to .13 for a trial period.
Maybe a trip back to .13 for a trial period.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Twickenham, home of rugby
I've been using FF4 since the beta started, and I've been very happy with it (there's a thread on here if you want to dig it out).
Functionally superior to FF3.x and IE8 - I really miss it when I'm working on other PCs.
Once I've finished upgrading to Win7x64, all my PCs will be running it (32-bit, though, as Mozilla haven't got there yet with a 64-bit version).
SD
Functionally superior to FF3.x and IE8 - I really miss it when I'm working on other PCs.
Once I've finished upgrading to Win7x64, all my PCs will be running it (32-bit, though, as Mozilla haven't got there yet with a 64-bit version).
SD
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 55
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From: a radar shadow
Been running FF4 for a couple days now - generally OK, haven't had any bad experiences yet but thinking about heading back to Chrome as the primary browser.
So far, Chrome seems to have given the best overall experience on my PC - it may be slightly faster than the others, of which I have installed all the major browsers - but the user experience is generally speaking the best.
So far, Chrome seems to have given the best overall experience on my PC - it may be slightly faster than the others, of which I have installed all the major browsers - but the user experience is generally speaking the best.
Guest
Posts: n/a
FF4 takes a bit of getting used to, the oft-used Home and Refresh are in different places to make them more compact. One minor niggle is on one of my email accounts it won't do Advanced mode for a POP email. Not major, but another forced re-learning experience. Some other features like the thinks bubble for Remember Password are quite nice. Go with the flow, I guess.

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,488
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From: Hong Kong
It'll pretty much depend what you do with them. So far FF4 is working very well and fast for me, I also like Chrome which is fast (I tend to run Chrome with no add ons at all for speed and FF with add ons that I like to use for work &c). IE I find terribly slow & clunnk & I only use it where I have too - s9ome sites prefer it)
Benchmark battle: Chrome vs. IE vs. Firefox | The Download Blog - Download.com
Benchmark battle: Chrome vs. IE vs. Firefox | The Download Blog - Download.com
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5
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From: England
On Line Banking
Loaded FF4 a couple of days ago - it seemed OK but today when I tried my on-line bank I had some difficulties.
Essentially the bank likes me to have RAPPORT loaded and I did this successfully under FF3.x. It was still loaded (I assumed) when I changed to FF4 but as I opened the bank web pages the message that they suggest I load RAPPORT for better security appeared.
I ignored the message and continued without it but the login process seemed to hang. I tried again and this time took their suggestion and 'loaded' RAPPORT.
RAPPORT then of course informed me it was already on my machine (and I had checked that by logging into my bank successfully using IE as a further test) and did I simply want to update. I did so.
With RAPPORT updated I tried FF4 again - same message from my bank!
Reverted to FF3.x
Essentially the bank likes me to have RAPPORT loaded and I did this successfully under FF3.x. It was still loaded (I assumed) when I changed to FF4 but as I opened the bank web pages the message that they suggest I load RAPPORT for better security appeared.
I ignored the message and continued without it but the login process seemed to hang. I tried again and this time took their suggestion and 'loaded' RAPPORT.
RAPPORT then of course informed me it was already on my machine (and I had checked that by logging into my bank successfully using IE as a further test) and did I simply want to update. I did so.
With RAPPORT updated I tried FF4 again - same message from my bank!
Reverted to FF3.x
Official PPRuNe Chaplain
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,498
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From: Witnesham, Suffolk
I just installed it on my laptop, and apart from having to turn the toolbars back on, it seems OK. Stuff is in different places but it makes for a more compact "screentop" so I'm not complaining.
BIG problem is that there isn't a LogMeIn version for it, so I can't connect back to the home PC from the laptop. So far, I haven't needed to - but I hope they get that sorted PDQ.
The desktop is still on 3.6.13 but it's under dustcovers and surrounded by builders at the mo. I'll decide whether or not to update it after a day or two with FF4 on this.
BIG problem is that there isn't a LogMeIn version for it, so I can't connect back to the home PC from the laptop. So far, I haven't needed to - but I hope they get that sorted PDQ.
The desktop is still on 3.6.13 but it's under dustcovers and surrounded by builders at the mo. I'll decide whether or not to update it after a day or two with FF4 on this.
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5
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From: Sunshine Coast
I missed the Backward Forward History Dropdown arrow in FF4 but found an add-on to restore it, now I'm happy again.
FF4's new GUI takes a bit of used too but runs just fine once you get it setup to the way you like it to be and you know where to look for everything.
FF4's new GUI takes a bit of used too but runs just fine once you get it setup to the way you like it to be and you know where to look for everything.






