Version Numbers And Rapid Releases Here To Stay For Firefox
Version Numbers And Rapid Releases Here To Stay For Firefox
Posted 08/26/2011 at 10:10am
| by Brad Chacos
8
Comments
Print
Firefox’s new rapid release schedule has stolen some of the limelight away from Chrome and dumped it back in Mozilla’s lap, but the attention hasn’t all been good. The quick-fire pace of new launches caused enterprise sysadmins to metaphorically grab their torches and storm the castle, while a rumor that Firefox would ditch version numbers entirely led to even more consumer angst. Two key Mozilla employees tried pouring water on the flames of discontent this week.
First off, Firefox flat-out isn’t getting rid of version numbers; designer Alex Faaborg said the rumor got started because of some miscommunication amongst members of the dev team.
“Just in case this got lost amongst the many threads in progress: there are no plans to adjust the version number. It will remain in its current place in the about window, and we are going to continue with the current numbering scheme.”
Meanwhile, Mozilla chairman Mitchell Baker acknowledged the difficulties – such as enterprise issues and broken add-on compatibility – that arise with a rapid release schedule, but said that the pluses outweigh the minuses. It used to be a year or more between major Firefox releases, Baker stressed, and that sort of time frame just isn’t acceptable in the fast-past modern world.
“A browser is the delivery vehicle for the Internet. And the Internet moves very, very quickly,” Baker said. “Philosophically, I do not believe a product that moves at the speed of traditional desktop software can be effective at enabling an Internet where things happen in real time. If we want the browser to be the interface for the Internet, we need to make it more like the Internet. “
It’s a compelling argument to be sure, but will it sway the hordes of upset administrators who are poised to dump Firefox and skedaddle back into Internet Explorer’s slow-release arms?
More like this
8
Comments
Comments are closed on this article
android phones
September 03, 2011 at 12:42am
Ver 3.6 is fine with me.
HTML5 isn't coming for a long time...
Mighty BOB!
August 26, 2011 at 10:07pm
Pluses outweigh the minuses? Bullshit. So he's saying that suddenly having ESSENTIAL functionality of your browser cease to function is outweighed by having the page load 1 second faster? I absolutely cannot use stock Firefox and some of my extensions are not rated to run on anything higher than 3.6.x. They are absolutely mandatory for my browsing experience and I will not update without them.
Blaze589
August 26, 2011 at 12:24pm
I hate FF 6.0. It stutters on when scrolling through pages and in Flash when it's opened for an hour or two. This wasn't a problem in FF 5 or 4. What gives Mozilla!
jnite
August 26, 2011 at 11:26am
I was originally concerned about add-on compatibility when I heard about the rapid release schedule, but now I don't believe it is going to be that big a problem. Firefox allows people to download the betas and even alphas (I think they term it as Aurora) of their future Firefox versions so developers have plenty of time to work out compatibility issues. Also, I've noticed that a lot of add-ons are already compatible with future releases. I've seen some that they would work with version 8 of Firefox.
If I remember correctly, with this rapid release schedule the differences between each version is not going to be as massive as they were in the past. If this is the case, I would assume that there would be fewer problems the add-on developers would have to deal with at one time. They would have an easier time fixing the add-ons to work with each vesion, especially considering the available alphas and betas.
Captain_Steve
August 26, 2011 at 10:29am
I haven't had any trouble with upgrades and extension compatibility. Then again, I'm only using extensions that get a lot of support and are constantly being upgraded. I can't see the logic of wanting to keep your browser from being updated because your extensions aren't being updated. That seems like clinging onto XP for dear life because there isn't an update to make Sim Tower work in Windows 7.
Note: I have no idea if Sim Tower works in WIndows 7.
cownaetion
August 26, 2011 at 9:15pm
Agreed. 3.6 works just fine. When CSS3 and HTML5 become an official standard, then I'll look into a newer browser.
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
The gang discusses the GTX 690, Trinity, Ivy Bridge, Amazon, big-box stores, MMOs,...
This month's issue
Feature
Build a PC On Any Budget
Feature
Cloud Services Showdown
How-To
Encrypt Your External Drive
Build It
Upgrade an X58 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Original RickRoll Video Returns to YouTube After 24-Hour Copyright Hiatus http://t.co/MaH9Sxyy2 days 5 hours ago
- maximumpc: Corsair has decided not to go forward with its $78 million IPO, citing weak equity market conditions http://t.co/A5a4DAzj2 days 5 hours ago
- maximumpc: Want to work at Maximum PC? Our Online Managing Editor, Alex, is moving away, so we need a new one. http://t.co/9Z7JCh0E4 days 3 hours ago
