Firefox 3 Beta 4 review
Downloads
One of the most requested features: downloads can be paused and resumed across sessions, limited only by the server capabilities. Also, on Windows, downloaded files are automatically passed to the installed anti-virus if present and Windows Vista parental controls are honored.
As seen in previous betas, the Download Manager has received a serious face lift as an easier to track download list with search capabilities. Beta 4 introduces the ability to search the file size and download date in addition to the file name.
A status bar notification provides summarized status of current downloads. You can click it to open the Download Manager.
Add-ons
The Add-ons Manager has been integrated with Mozilla Add-ons, Mozilla’s official extensions and themes repository, providing recommendations, search, rating and add-ons install without leaving Firefox.
And a new Plugins page (identified with a neat Lego brick icon) allows easy plugin enabling and disabling, making the Add-ons Manager a powerful control panel for Firefox enhancements.
When installing, updating, disabling or enabling back an add-on, an information bar is displayed to remind a restart is needed for changes to apply, and a restart button.
Plus, just installed themes are automatically selected so Firefox uses it after the next restart.
Among other minor tweaks: FTP and gopher listings get a better styled and functional page where the list can be sorted by name, size and date by clicking the appropriate header, and a warning is displayed when accessing advanced preferences (about:config).
SecurityIn the security front, Firefox will check visited sites with a list of known malware sites -provided by stopbadware.org and served by Google- to prevent spyware, rootkits, viruses, dialers and other kinds of malware from even being offered to you.
A rewritten password manager now unobtrusively prompts to store an entered password in the information bar and after trying a logon so you know if it is the correct one or not and avoid cluttering autocomplete lists.
Identifying authentic sites and avoiding fake ones is now easier with the addition of the site button which provides details about the identity of the current web site. While the largest part of the web has no verified identity, financial institutions and similar usually do and it makes the site button in the location bar to change color and size so you can know with a glimpse.
As great as add-ons are they are also a liability and have proved they can become an attack vector. Firefox 3 requires add-ons updates to happen over an encrypted connection (to block malicious sites purporting the update site) or the add-on developer to sign it with a digital signature so updates can be verified to be from the same source. This will prevent middle-man attacks where bad guys could fake an update site address to serve malicious software.
Invalid or expired web site certificates now get an unfriendly treatment that requires adding the site to a white list. This should encourage web site owners to keep their certificates up to date so they can effectively ensure their visitors a more secure experience.
Under the hood
The list of changes for Gecko is not short either and benefit not only Firefox but all “powered by Mozilla” products including Thunderbird, Flock, SeaMonkey, Joost, Miro, Songbird and more.
Since Alpha 1, Firefox 3 passes the Acid2 test, a popular test of a browser styling standard compatibility. As of this Beta 4, Firefox 3 scores 67/100 in the Acid3 test. Not that bad for a test just released a few weeks ago.
Firefox support color profiles embedded on pictures and images to better replicate the original environment conditions as light and focus, thanks to new color management.
Discontinuous selections of text and images are now possible for better control of what you copy or print from a web page.
A biggie: page zoom magnifies the complete page and not only text. This is a much requested feature and a must for Mozilla plans for a Mobile Firefox. Beta 4 adds an option to choose whether you want to zoom the whole pager just text.
Web developers can mark certain web page components such as images and scripts to be available while offline. In practice you could be able to compose emails or write documents though a web service while disconnected from the Internet.
Some interesting tricks that will please JavaScript developers: the ability to load local files for local use, cross site AJAX (XMLHttpRequest), native JSON support and most notably, FUEL, a library of Firefox programming interfaces that will ease the development of new extensions and ensure better practices (such as memory management) for common Firefox tasks.
Support for editable content, so a user can change portions of a web page marked by the author.
The MySpell spell-checking engine has been replaced with Hunspell which does a better job handling complex languages including Asian, Hungarian, Basque, etc.
For Gecko 1.9, Mozilla switched to open source Cairo rendering engine for better rendering performance. The change also enables easy PDF printing capabilities but it is only possible through an extension right now though.
More beautiful animated images are possible with animated PNGs (APNG): a full 16 million color palette and partial transparency will hopefully sweep GIF images in the future. While APNG was rejected as a standard PNG extension last year, Opera has announced it will support the format in future versions.
Proprietary TalkBack, the tool for reporting crashes to Mozilla included with Firefox and Thunderbird, has been replaced with open source Breakpad (formerly Airbag).
Socorro, is a server crash reporting tool that will help developers track the most recurring crashes and identify stability and performance bugs. Users can see their submitted crashes entering about:crashes in the location bar.
Comments
Mega Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review « Bon Echo Tech Blog 2.0
[...] Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review – Mozilla Links Posted in beta stuff, firefox 3, mozilla. [...]
Portable Firefox 3.0 Beta 4 deutsch at Caschys Blog
[...] Wer schmerzfrei ohne Installation testen will, der kann dies mit der aktuellen portablen Version machen. Wie immer – einfach entpacken und mit dem FirefoxLoader starten. Das Blog Mozillalinks hat bereits eine ausführliche Review veröffentlicht. [...]
Al Billings
“Betas” are generally pre-release but still not final builds. There were eight alphas of Firefox 3 before the betas started and they were much rougher, really only for the truly dedicated or developers. This is near final quality but with still significant bug fixes occurring.
Firefox 3 beta 4 Hits the Streets | Just Thinkin'
[...] Just so everyone knows, earlier today Mozilla put up the official release of Firefox 3 beta 4 on their FTP servers and just recently updated the official download page so those who’ve been waiting can now download the new beta here. For an in depth look at what this new beta is all about, check out Mozilla Link’s beta 4 post. [...]
Leo
Yes, I know that, I’m not new here.
What I meant was why are we calling something beta, beta, beta, beta? There should be ONE alfa, ONE beta and ONE of every greek letter.
We should be passing lambda at this point.
Firefox 3 Beta 4 now available for download : Mozilla Links
[...] sure to read the complete Firefox 3 Beta 4 review to learn what’s new and how to get the best out of its new [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review « vashNYC
[...] From Mozilla Links: “Firefox 3 Beta 4 is about to be released (later today or tomorrow), as the twelfth milestone, in what already is the longest development time for a Firefox version since the initial Firefox 1.0 back in 2004.” [...]
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[...] You can find out more about all of these features in the “What’s New†section of the release notes. This is the best Firefox yet. See why. [...]
Timwi
Leo wrote:
“Yes, I know that, I’m not new here.”
Apparently you don’t know. The terms “alpha” and “beta” have specific meanings in software development:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_version
There is no such thing as a “gamma version”.
Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review And Mozilla Links | Universe Firefox
[...] Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review [...]
Leanne Fahey
This is great news but do you know of a targeted Production date for Firefox 3?
Leo
Yes, I know that.
What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t look logical to have several alphas and betas.
If beta is better than alfa then it should be something better than beta. And that could be called with the next greek letter.
I don’t find logical that we are enumerating things in a crappy order.
It’s like I tell you “count to 5″, and you say “1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4.. 2, 3, 4, 4.1, 4.2, oh, and 5″
No, it should be “1, 2, 3, 4, and 5″. No middle crap.
So by that logic we should be counting alpha (ONLY ONE TIME), beta (ONLY ONE TIME) and so on and so forth with every greek letter.
That’s what I’m saying.
I already know what’s happening with alphas and betas and people say, that’s exactly why I’m complaining. It’s wrong.
docbiz
Question:
The last time I used this browser, Microsoft downloads would not download. For example, updates.
Do you know if this is a local issue or can I expect that I have to use Explorer to update?
Percy Cabello
@docbiz, it’s just the way Microsoft implemented Windows Update which requires ActiveX controls that are not supported by Firefox. By the way, it’s a feature. ActiveX controls are regarded as one of the most common ways to get malware into your computer.
Percy Cabello
@Leo, the thing is alpha and beta are not “counting” development releases but describing them. You could say Firefox 3 Bomb 1, Bomb 2 etc. and you know it may kill you. Then Firefox 3 Sharp 1, Sharp 2, etc. and you know it could just give you a cut.
Because software development is not that fun they just agreed with alpha and beta.
docbiz
Question 2.
If FFx becomes my default browser, how would it effect MS Updats?
Sidney
Percy Cabello
@docbiz, it won’t affect it. The Windows Update link in the All Programs Menu actually launches Internet Explorer and connects to http://www.update.microsoft.com/. You can also launch Internet Explorer and select Windows Update from the Tools menu in either IE 6 or 7.
You can even install the Windows Update extension for Firefox and it will add a Windows Update item to Firefox’s Tools menu that launches IE. It is not compatible with Firefox 3 Beta 4 yet though.
George Marchais
Firefox Alpha, Beta, 1.0, 2.1, etc., whatever it is… so far this new release just seems to blow everything else away. Found no bugs yet, but have only been exercising it for the last hour or so. It seems to render our own WEB site faster and more accurately than Betas 3 did. I’m impressed!
[Mozilla] Firefox 3 Beta 4 Released - Page 2 - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net
[...] Review __________________ Battlefield Heroes Thread My FAQ on the SSC Jumper on your hard drive [...]
Vincent
The Vista theme is absolutely awful! Really! I am using Firefox especially because it is one of the only application on Vista that still has professional credibility.
The new XP theme also doesn’t look good. Especially the icons.
Anyone considers these icons are somewhat better than Firefox 2?
gagahput3ra
Right now i’m running :
AMD Athlon(TM) 4 1300+ (960mhz)
192MB SDRAM
will it be sufficient to run Firefox 3 beta 4? The ver. 2 makes my computer hangs everytime i opens more than 3 tabs :(
Firefox 3 Beta 4 download | paulierco's blog
[...] multe chestii schimbate, restul le cititi aici. Una dintre ele, mi se pare interesantă e că poţi să măreşti/micşorezi bara de [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 | SEO Australia
[...] see all the changes made so far in Firefox 3 read this excellent summary by Percy Cabello or see the release notes. Mozilla watchers expect one more beta before the [...]
bob
Is it just me or do some bits of this not read coherently? E.g.
“Beta 4 also brings support for multiword search so firefox downloads filters address, titles and tags containing both words though not necessarily in that order.”
That makes no sense to me.
Percy Cabello
@bob, firefox downloads is in italics and an example of what you would enter in the location bar. I’ve added double quotes and changed “though” for “but” so hopefully it is clearer now.
foxiewire.com
Firefox 3 Beta 4 review by Percy Cabello at Mozilla Links
Nice review of the new Firefox 3 features in the current beta: performance, places, location bar, theme, download manager, security and more (4 pages)
Firefox 3 Beta 4 Now Available [Beta Beat] · TechBlogger
[...] in the Firefox 3 Beta). Download Firefox 3 Beta 4 [Mozilla]Firefox 3 Beta 4 Release Notes [Mozilla]Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review [Mozilla [...]
David Gray
No, it makes perfect sense to me.
So, BetaIV. I haven’t noticed too many differences yet, but I prefer the more uniform Vista theme. It’s a pity that the buttons haven’t been smothed out before this beta’s release. I’m pretty sure that was done for the XP lolgreen icons, so it just makes the Vista icons look like an afterthought, really.
David Gray
Oh yeah, one more GUI thing, pertaining to the consideration of an option to split the buttons: I like the small icons, so I’d like to see either those, only done larger; or I suppose rounded squares, or even just line arrows.
Alec Munro
Question!
Did they fix the crashing of this review in Beta 4? Beta 3 doesn’t like it.
Devolio
Firefox 3 beta 4 now available for download
Firefox 3 Beta 4 is now available for download. This is the twelfth developer milestone focused on testing the core functionality provided by many new features and changes to the platform scheduled for Firefox 3. Ongoing planning for Firefox 3 can be foll
Firefox beta 4, Upgrade now + run all your incompatible extensions : extensions.checkCompatibility = false « Ubuntu, Life, Mobiles, Music, Movies, iPod and Ofcourse Windows!
[...] thing here. Again, here’s are the release notes to find how much greater it became. And here’s the detailed performance review. Firefox 3 Beta 4 includes more than 900 enhancements from the [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 disponÃvel para download | Open Mania
[...] esperar pela versão final. Para quem não tem acompanhado os progressos do Firefox 3, pode ler uma review em inglês feita pela Mozilla Links muito completa e informativa. Se gostou deste post então por favor subscreva ao RSS feed do [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 disponible | Nowhere Else 2.0
[...] avant le version finale. Une Beta 5 est dores et déja annoncée pour la fin du mois. Vous pouvez consulter la review détaillée sur le site de Mozilla et télécharger Firefox 3 Beta 4 [...]
IGOR BARAN.com » Blog Archive » Web-разработка: Вышла 4-Ð°Ñ beta браузера Firefox
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Firefox 3 Beta 4 « ~ listen the world ~
[...] http://mozillalinks.org/wp/2008/03/firefox-3-beta-4-review/ [...]
Andrew C
THE GOGGLES! THEY DO NOTHING! Still has that ass-backward substitute for bookmarking, and now a cheap and nasty looking interface on Windows? What are they smoking? plugged memory leaks and a slightly more up to date rendering engine are not enough to make up for that. I’m waiting for the plugin to fix bookmarking and the custom skins, thank you. Until then, Opera here I come!
download Firefox 3 Beta 4 ! « ..:: Behind Story Lines ::..
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Browser War II has begun… | Alexandre Plennevaux
[...] Firefox 3 Beta 4 review (anglais) Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 review (anglais) [...]
Firefox 3, beta 4 « Mr Internet’s Weblog
[...] Mozilla Links: http://mozillalinks.org/wp/2008/03/firefox-3-beta-4-review/3/ [...]
Latest Firefox 3 Beta Offers Exciting Features « Linux and Open Source Blog
[...] Also check out Firefox 3 Beta 4 review. [...]
» Firefox 3 Beta 4 is 5x faster than IE7, 3x faster than FF2 JJMacey Dot Net: Linux + Open Source Applications - Run Free!
[...] see all the changes made so far in Firefox 3 read this excellent summary by Percy Cabello or see the release notes. Mozilla watchers expect one more beta before the [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 é 5x mais rápida que IE7 e 3x mais rápida que FF2 « //syph0s
[...] ver todas mudanças feitas até agora no Firefox 3 leia este excelente sumário feito por Percy Cabello ou veja as notas de lançamento.Usuários do Mozilla esperam mais um beta [...]
Odprta koda - Prosto programje » Firefox 3 beta 4
[...] Firefox 3 beta 4 si lahko prenesete z uradne strani: prenos zadnje beta razliÄice Firefox 3. VeÄ o tej razliÄici si lahko preberete podrobnostih razliÄice FF3beta4 in v opisu, ki ga pripravlja Mozilla Links. [...]
Firefox 3 Beta 4 « The Java Developer’s blog
[...] but with todays memory pricing, who can complain? I also read about the memory improvements on mozilla links and it seams that much improvements have been made to the memory management area. The article [...]
tremor
I’m really impressed with performance of FF3 b4.
Thanks for great work. And zoom is also great feature (I know, Opera had it before).
I don’t care that much about look, but now Firefox looks really nice in GNOME.
I see there’s even more features to discover yet.
Joel Zarantonello
You can always just get the ‘IE tab’ extension for Firefox that allows you to load pages using IE’s engine but through Firefox. It also comes preset to automatically load the Windows Update page with IE’s engine. This way you can update using Firefox and Windows thinks your using IE. Best extension ever
INCREDI.n.IKLERIK » Blog Archive » Firefox 3 beta 4
[...] Read Review Here [...]
Mohan
well I have been using beta4 since it came out…man I love it. I used it extensively on both on my Win XP and Ubuntu systems and works great. I am really liking they direction Mozilla took with FF3 especially in the themes department.
Steve
Since Firefox is able to do so many nifty tricks- has anyone ever contemplated changing the scrollbar from the right side to the left?
On a laptop, it’d be sweet to have the scrollbar on the left side, where most of the action of the cursor takes place.
I’m actually surprised no one’s done a plug in or a hack to do that yet. Just a thought.
Mr. Wallentin
As a software developer, I can tell you that it would be GUI suicide to change the placement of the scrollbar – as a default anyway.
Usability is all about uniformity, and if you start moving around standard elements of the GUI, you absolutely ruin the overall usability.
Steve
I wasn’t talking about changing the scrollbar from right to left for everyone, I was curious if it could be done via a hack or plugin, for those few weirdos like me that might prefer it on that side. Since the file/back/forward/ and other browser commands are typically assigned to the left side, it just would make things easier and faster for me to have the scrollbar on the left side, since that’s where most of my mouse work takes place.
Just a plug in or a hack is all I want, not to change the way the world works.
One reason Firefox 3 is going to be awesome - Auto-completion in the Location Bar - redemption in a blog
[...] the Address Bar, you know, where you type in URLs), in Firefox 3 is. Yes, you probably have already read about it and all the other neat new features and changes in Firefox 3, but I’d love to single [...]
GoWEB Blog » » Web Roundup (Mar 10th - Mar 15th 2008)
[...] 8. Mozilla Firefox 3 Beta 4 Review [...]
Garret
I’ve been using Firefox since version 1.5.0.4, it is my everyday browser. I’ve used IE7,opera 9 but like FF because of it’s simple design, easier to use and as of ff3 beta 4 there are lot of improvements… but certain things that i wish could be better is that 1.the location bar in xp (as of beta 4) does not look good, the Go button is always not available, so i have to click the reload button, this makes confusion, it would be better if the Go button like of ff 2 would always be available on the location bar. 2. It would be better if the drop down menu bar on the location bar would look more visible. 3. the stop button does not look good, the previous one as of ff 2 was nice. 4. the home button with red roof looks distracting. 5. it would be better if i do not loose my cache due to browser crash or sudden power failure which happens in ff 2 6. why can’t we view the cache in firefox like of IE or opera (where we could view the jpeg or videos etc clearly from Temporary Internet Files in IE and cache in opera) 7. the most useful addon that i use is the real player browser record plugin but it is not compatible with ff 3 beta 4… I hope it will work with ff 3. 8. In ff 2 when i used to open new tab, it opens smoothly but in beta 4, i experienced blinking while opening new tab. 9. the save page as feature from right click within the browser window does not work on beta4, i had to save pages using ctrl+s and the download completed notification slide always pop up after i save pages.
when i had 10 tabs open and using DTA downloading a file, the task manager showed beta 4 using 61,504k memory – Is this normal?
Hope someone will reply here…
diskostu sagt… » Firefox 3.0 Beta4 ist raus
[...] detaillierten Überblick über die Änderungen im Vergleich zur dritten Beta-Version gibt es im Review bei Mozilla Links. Es wird noch eine fünfte Beta-Version folgen; als CodeFreeze dafür ist bereits der 18. März [...]
Ubuntu 8.04 LTS and Firefox 3 in brief « Starting-Up Sknow
[...] that Firefox 3 couldn’t made in time to be released alongside Ubuntu 8.04. But cheer up, Firefox 3 beta 4 has been packed into the popular distro. We still have the chance to taste the Firefox 3 features, [...]
beta tester
I can’t access Project Web Access webpage can you please include the use of active x controls until then I will never be able to utilize firefox as my main browser of choice.
I hope that Firefox 3.0 will have active x installation capabilities.
thanks.
PaulJune 20th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Just add the add-on IE Tab. It will permit you to use active X features.
Al Billings
There will never be any Active X support within Firefox. Active X is proprietary to Microsoft and it is a Windows only technology. Mozilla supports open standards and is cross-platform (Mac, Linux, Windows).
Molecular Voices » Firefox 3 - making the web a little better
[...] now, through the really rough times when bookmarking was totally broken, up until the present day (Firefox 3.0b4 – click for a short review). It’s really been an impressive transformation, and I think that it will mark a very nice [...]
Firefox sigue ganando terreno y alcanza el 29% en Europa
[...] y seguro y por eso cuenta el apoyo de cada vez más europeos. Veremos como evoluciona con el FireFox 3 ya en su cuarta versión beta y el Explorer 8 en camino (sin olvidar que Safari y Opera que tampoco se duermen en los [...]
Firefox 3 - Coming Soon « SachinKRaj - get something useful from web
[...] A detailed review at Mozilla Links [...]
tony
I tried using firefox 3 but it still has bugs and i dont like being a tester for these companys so i still use firefox 2 which is great!
http://firefoxfreebie.blogspot.com
dvmorrison
The incompatibility of Realplayer Download plugin in FF3 is more than a minor annoyance- first time I believe a new Firefox release has actually delivered less functionality. Though the Firefox Download Helper extension is a viable alternative for most downloads, the convenience and simplicity of the Realplayer plugin (single click) was preferable in most instances. Until such time that Mozilla or Realplayer (I don’t really care who provides the update) provides a FF3 compatible plugin, I’m reverting back to FF2 with its’ Realplayer download support, and also have increasingly been using IE7, where it is still supported; Don’t feel there’s sufficient increased functionality or security value in FF3 to overcome this omission.
JohnOctober 11th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I’ve got the same situation. Looks like I need to do the same. Reverting back to FF2 or forget FF, just use IE.
CARPENTER’S - LORD OF THE TECHS - Firefox 3 Beta 4 is Out!
[...] READ A BETA 4 REVIEW HERE [...]