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Firefox 3.1b2 is here - faster javascript, still no private browsing
If you're anxiously waiting for the arrival of Firefox 3.1, you may want to sit tight. While the 3.1b2 is now available in the nightly builds, you probably don't need to make the jump just yet - unless you're looking for speedier javascript processing.
The changes that are included are a good start, and bode well for the final release of 3.1. The improved ctrl+tab switching looks and functions well, and the new TraceMonkey javascript engine provides a nice performance boost. You'll have to activate it yourself by opening about:config and setting the javascript.options.jit.content boolean to true.
A quick comparison on acid3.acidtests.org revealed a score of 90 in 3.1b2 versus a 71 in 3.0.3 - a gain of about about 27%. Not too shabby!
Also included in the build is the geolocation function Mozilla introduced with the previously reviewed Geode addon, which simplifies the delivery of location-specific web content.
Notably absent from the build are the highly anticipated private browsing feature (can we please stop calling it "porn mode"?) and smart session restore. If you're waiting for them, you'll have to be patient a bit longer. On a good note, none of my addons failed to work after installing the upgrade.
Betaphiles, stay tuned to the nightly builds on Mozilla's FTP server for the latest releases.
Comments
19
Subscribe to commentsChristopher FinkeOct 15th 2008 12:39AM
Technically, the nightly builds are still 3.1b2pre.
clayOct 14th 2008 9:54PM
how stable is the build?
JonOct 14th 2008 9:57PM
Any difference w/ this and Minefield ?
DamianOct 15th 2008 1:10AM
Here's the private browsing bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=248970
You can test the new session restore by typing in to the address bar: about:sessionrestore (well you can on the nightly, I assume it's the same for the b2 branch).
I find the nightlies relatively stable, there's been 2 or 3 builds that crashed a fair bit on me but for the most part it's been a fairly stable run (code changes aren't nearly as massive or fundamental as 2 -> 3)
SabretoothOct 15th 2008 3:51AM
Only Adblock is working for me. Browser itself is great; very fast and the javascript is blazing! Still, won't be using it till I get all the extensions working...
fabbazOct 15th 2008 4:22AM
please don't get me wrong, i really like firefox and like using firefox, but what i read here is absurd. whoever is programming the firefox and chose to include a ctrl-tab tab switcher obviously has no idea and never understood what firefox is supposed to be about. did you notice that there is an area below your adressbar and bookmarks where the program shows you random names of strange pages? well dude, try to click one. dude - tab bar, tab bar - this is dude. is there any more need for another tabswitcher?
oh most certainly, a keyboard shortcut is necessary to switch through those tabs! ctrl-pagedown, ctrl-pageup, i want you to meet dude. "hey dude!" "whazzup!"
now for those thinking a ctrl-tab is pretty - SO WHAT THE HULK? did you know that mozilla actually has a website where optional enhancements can be downloaded and installed? of course, if this is mozillas browser, they can do whatever they want with it, so just bloat it up until it nicely fits the vista experience, but it just wont make it a better browser.
someone should go there and clean the "opera's cool" from the firefox project whiteboard...
of course this is just one little feature and wont blow the program size up high, but this is the kind of development that just directly leads there.
Jash SayaniOct 15th 2008 6:23AM
Wow.. I like the black TabSwitcher... What plug-in is it..?
DamianOct 15th 2008 7:03AM
Jash Sayani: Just press crtl + tab in Firefox 3.1 Beta 1 or higher, or drag and drop the "all tabs" button from the customize toolbar window to somewhere where you can use it.
fabbaz: Visual preview of tab is useful for people. They've created a new event called MozAfterPaint which fires off notifications of when a specific part of a page changes, this allows the tab preview to have almost no performance impact on Firefox (old tab preview extensions looked for dom mutation and slowed down Firefox performance slightly).
fabbazOct 15th 2008 7:49AM
that IS my point. it is _useful_ to some, but not _necessary_ for any.
firefox should deliver the necessary, the useful should be taken care of by plugins.
JamesOct 15th 2008 10:01AM
So the Awesome Bar should have been an extension, not default functionality?
HERESY!
FernandoOct 26th 2008 3:01PM
You can still disable it via about:config, hope they keep it until the final. Ctrl+tab works faster without the preview, less confusing too.
JoshOct 15th 2008 7:31AM
Isn't it Firefox 3.1 beta 1? Not beta 2?
kingabraham3Oct 15th 2008 1:18PM
why can i not download it?
SuperevilOct 15th 2008 4:02PM
How do I turn off the "feature" that loads the last page I was looking at when I close & reopen the window?
BillyGOct 17th 2008 6:12AM
The fact that none of your ext's failed is, of course, relative; several of mine failed.
I just graduated from 2.16 this week, so I'll wait awhile to make sure my ext's are good to go. I mean, without them, what's the sense?
chesNov 2nd 2008 9:34PM
Is there any way I can switch off the new ctrl+tab preview?? I prefer the old style where ctrl+tab moves to the right tab, and ctrl+shift+tab moves to the left tab. The new preview annoys me somewhat...
chesNov 2nd 2008 9:51PM
Oop, never mind. I just had to restart my browser after changing the browser.ctrlTab.mostRecentlyUsed to 'false'.
Liam WolfNov 5th 2008 6:32AM
When I tested on Acid3 I got 92/100 and I tested three times, so thats a 29% increase, and for me the browser was already set to for the java script.
Ken ThomasDec 5th 2008 11:59PM
Firefox 3.1 beta 2 Release Candidate Build 2 is now available at:
ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/nightly/3.1b2-candidates/build2/
Likely to be the final candidate.
Ken Thomas
http://www.hortongroup.com