Why FireFox Isn't For Me

[P!P]

First of all, the FireFox corporation is not a not-for-profit. They've made a lot of money recently.

I'm not paying for it, you're not paying for it. Joe Blow isn't paying for it. Like it or dislike it. If you dislike, ask for refu.. oh yeah you can't. I could take 100 open source projects and bash the hell out of them. I don't know why I would and I don't know why do you. But whatever, I'll stop now. You can win the battle, but you'll still never win the war. ;)

[Fred Derf Veteran]

In terms of Firefox memory usage. On the Windows version, if you go to "about:config" and add the boolean value of "config.trim_on_minimize" with a setting of "true" then Firefox will give up its additional memory when it is minimized to the taskbar. Even when you restore it again it doesn't seem to use anywhere near the memory it used before. It just appears to free up the memory somehow. Perhaps for forward/back buttons become sluggish or something but if the system starts to get slow when browsing you can just minimize and then restore.

[Simon Veteran]

I agree with a lot of your points, but to be honest, I see more Destroy Firefox fanboys than Support Firefox fanboys, and destroying a product is a lot worse than supporting it. But the other points are good, I'm still a user though.

[acies]

Firefox is great for me.. never one bit of trouble, its just easy.

[Orange]

Yes i agree it users alot of memory and being on a machine that has 320mb of memory you would think Firefox would cope...no :( Yet i still use Firefox over any other browser. i'm just too used to it.

Only problem i have with Firefox is the memory problem.

[James B]

This is probably a waste of a post, but I see your points, and they make sense, but what's the point in starting a rant about it? I mean if it doesn't work for you then don't use it and that should be the end of it, why does it need to go any further than that?

I tend to agree.

There doesn't seem to be that sort of thing with any other product, like a car or a TV. You just buy the one you do like, use it, and be happy with it.

Currently I've got 10 tabs open and performance is fine on this 256MB box. Firefox is using 60MB at the moment, and Photoshop is running too.

I'm used to tabs now and the other features, like the Web Dev toolbar, and Opera is ok, but there's nothing to pull me away, and I don't like IE. It could be better, but it's not bad. For me, anyway.

:)

Edit: fred666 and m-head - thanks for those tips, it's just made a lot of difference.

Edited June 10, 2006 by James B

[Michael1406]

browser.sessionhistory.max_viewers
browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers

Set those two to 0

config.trim_on_minimize

Create that as a boolean and set it to true.

Those help the memory thing a lot.

[abc@home]

According to FireFoxMyths.com, it's not just mental. They post links to some test results where FF was one of the internet's slower browsers in many benchmarks. I also get the impression that the use of a cross-platform GUI is causing performance penalties and that sluggish feeling, because I notice it too.

XUL, kinda like building a POSIX for interpreted language, and in a browser.

[boogerjones]

Hmmm, it sounds like you've got more of a problem with FireFox's dev team than you do with the actual product.

[SierraSonic]

Performance/Memory: Got that pretty much correct.

The Developers: I completely agree with you, when developers start to think of themselves as elitests and ignore their fanbase... what can I say I just agree.

Bug/request handling: I cannot understand why any programmer would turn a blind eye to a bug report, again I agree.

Fanboys: This has nothing to do with the product... atleast directly. This is jsut an indirect result.

Hypocrisy: I agree would it be that hard for them to add OFFICAL and OPTIONAL extensions?

Extensions: I have no problem with extensions, they are coded by other people so you should expect that problems will arrise with them.

Focus: I agree, fixes first, features second.

Overall you had great points, most people will just ignore them or take them the wrong way.

[ew2x4]

Nobody cares what others think of free computer programs.

[primexx]

you kind of contradicted yourself by saying that extensions should handle features and then right after that saying that other browsers has features the extensions offer, but built in...

other than that it's a valid opinion post.

[Colin-uk Veteran]

Nobody cares what others think of free computer programs.

thats why there are no replies to this thread...

oh wait....

I kind of agree with the post somewhat though, although ive never submitted a bug so i dont know about that..

[jamey]

The Trident layout engine that is so intrinsically embedded into Microsoft Windows is a pathetic excuse for a rendering engine. Gecko, KHTML and Presto are all far superior in every conceiveable way. I'd vote to obliterate MSIE from the entire planet if I could, it's a plague we could do without.

I agree, Firefox has become progressively more memory-hungry over the recent releases. But, as others have pointed out, it is completely free and open source software. If you don't like it, don't use it or improve it yourself. And if you don't like the developers, start your own fork of it or something. Just please don't become a pathetic IE fanboy or just a perpetually whining so-and-so.

[Denis W. Veteran]

Nobody cares what others think of free computer programs.

Then no one should be posting in this forum then. All browsers covered here are, for the most part, free.

:rolleyes:

[arrrgh]

How is this not trolling?

If you really have been abused by the firefox/gecko devs then post some bugzilla links where you have been treated badly by these 'elitists', I have been fooling around with the fox for good 4 years and have only positive things to say about the devs. Though, if you spam a bug/act like an ass on bugzilla you are likely to trigger a knee-jerk reaction.

Like it or not every single popular product has a fanboy herd nowadays, if you don't use something because of its fanboys you might as well move to the closest Amish community.

Don't like spellchecking, reporter, domi? Just do your own build, this is one of the biggest reasons I stick to Firefox. You can easily compile the browser with exactly the combination of features you like and your own patches, all with free tools. I do my own build roughly once a week with 16 patches (atm) from bugzilla bugs, some reverting changes I didn't agree to, some adding features. It's brilliant.

Oh, and acid2.0 test is doing just dandy http://flickr.com/photos/dbaron/126886608/ ;)

[Slimy]

Well... FF is not that bad...

- Since that I have 2GB RAM :p

- You can remove the "high memory use" feature

- If you don't like the per-user Extention, don't even look at Linux and Open Source software then

- Bug fixes? Beside security, is there some bugs fixed in IE?

Look at the competition, IE is sooo '90ies

IE7 is a copy of FF

Opera is nice, but I don't like the way it work.

I'm not a FF Fanboy, just can't find other stuff to compete it right now...

You claim not to be a fanboy and yet your post is very fanboyish.

- Since that I have 2GB RAM :p

Firefox uses a hell of a lot of memory no matter how much ram you have

- Bug fixes? Beside security, is there some bugs fixed in IE?

IE7...

Contradictory no?

IE7 is a copy of FF

Browsers companies have copied each other since day 1. What exactly are you referring to? I hope you realize that firefox was not the first browser, and therefore "copied" like any other browser has in the past.

Opera is nice, but I don't like the way it work.

And what don't you like?

You didn't exactly elaborate on what you don't like about either ie7 or opera9. You just bashed them and said you like firefox. I'm sorry, but that's a pretty fanboy thing to do :/

[Squall_Leonheart]

I like firefox and opera. I have to say that firefox did consume more memory then opera, as for me i don't really don't know how to compare this two product. Firefox allows alot of customization and tweaks("about:config") and has a really really cool feature call "extension". Opera in the other hand consume less memory, fast and the new version 9 pass Acid2 test, does have a lot of new and usefull feature. Opera does follow the web standard, but sometimes fail to display web pages correctly. Still it is a very very good browser. IE is not that bad actually, the thing is that it is the main target for spyware and malware.

So for my pick i'll say opera if you are expecting cool features right after installing it. Firefox for those know what they are doing and what they want. These two are really the best of internet browser for my point of view.

[Tommy2k4]

I like firefox and opera. I have to say that firefox did consume more memory then opera, as for me i don't really don't know how to compare this two product. Firefox allows alot of customization and tweaks("about:config") and has a really really cool feature call "extension". Opera in the other hand consume less memory, fast and the new version 9 pass Acid2 test, does have a lot of new and usefull feature. Opera does follow the web standard, but sometimes fail to display web pages correctly. Still it is a very very good browser. IE is not that bad actually, the thing is that it is the main target for spyware and malware.

So for my pick i'll say opera if you are expecting cool features right after installing it. Firefox for those know what they are doing and what they want. These two are really the best of internet browser for my point of view.

Opera also has a config page, opera:config (about:config also works)

[trix]

browser.sessionhistory.max_viewers
browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers

Set those two to 0

my firefox doesn't have the first one? :s

should i create it? would it be a string, interger or boolean?

trix

Edited June 13, 2006 by Trix

[zeroday]

now i started using Firefox, i could never go back. so despite how buggy it is, im gonna stick to it. :). but some of your points i agree with, like the memory/feature problem. that should be a priority bugfix.

[Brian M. Veteran]

IMO its a matter of personal preference... some prefer IE, some prefer FF.

I, myself, prefer firefox, but i still use IE on occasions

[Squall_Leonheart]

Opera also has a config page, opera:config (about:config also works)

i can't get my opera 8.54 to open the config page, it says illegal operation. :( any idea?

one more comment, i prefer firefox download and search windows then opera and IE, but the high memory consumption really kill firefox. Hope the developer will take care of this isue when the next version released.

[Sub_Zero_Alchemist]

i can't get my opera 8.54 to open the config page, it says illegal operation. :( any idea?

one more comment, i prefer firefox download and search windows then opera and IE, but the high memory consumption really kill firefox. Hope the developer will take care of this isue when the next version released.

if im not mistaken the opera:config and about:config can only be done on Opera 9. not the pre opera 9 versions.

[Michael1406]

my firefox doesn't have the first one? :s

should i create it? would it be a string, interger or boolean?

trix

Yeah, create it if it doesn't exist. It's an integer type.