Firefox releases coming thick and fast

[harrybarracuda]

Wouldn't it be funny if Google turned out to be the Internet's security cop? That's one way to interpret the search and information giant's continued push to clear away aging web browsers. First Internet Explorer 6, now Firefox 3.5, IE7 and Safari 3. Google will stop supporting these latter three browsers two months from today.

Google's reasons have nothing to do with security, but there could be a safety benefit. Let's face it, major developers invest more in their newest browser versions. More significantly, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are now on fast development tracks, with new browser milestones coming every six to eight weeks. For example, Firefox 4 launched in late March with great fanfare -- 6 million downloads in 24 hours -- yet version 7 Nightly builds are already available for download. Firefox 5 is scheduled to release on June 21.

Somebody has got to take responsibility to end-of-life these browsers. Why not the so-called gatekeeper to the Internet? IE6 has been in a coma for too long. Pull the plug! These other browsers aren't far behind, but developers and users simply aren't moving from them fast enough. According to Net Applications, IE7 had 7.04 percent browser usage share in May, for a sixth ranking. It's time to move to IE8 or IE9, people! Firefox 3.5 and Safari 3 have minuscule share, which is enough reason to send them to the browser afterlife -- where they might reincarnate in six or eight weeks as a new alpha build.

"In these older browsers you may have trouble using certain features in Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites, and eventually these apps may stop working entirely," Venkat Panchapakesan, Google vice president of engineering, writes in a blog post today. If you don't use these Google services, dropped support won't make much difference. Unless other websites follow Google's lead, which is a good idea.

Google sees these older browsers as holding back the web's development. "For example, desktop notifications for Gmail and drag-and-drop file upload in Google Docs require advanced browsers that support HTML5," Panchapakesan explains. "Older browsers just don't have the chops to provide you with the same high-quality experience."

But there's a downside to Google's browser support plan, for which the company and its competitors share responsibility, and that stems from the new-fire development schedules. "Beginning August 1st, we'll support the current and prior major release of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis," Panchapakesan writes. "Each time a new version is released, we'll begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version."

That also means that Google will stop supporting older browsers every few months. For example, the current Chrome version is 11, but version 12 already is beta testing. When the new browser releases, according to the plan Panchapakesan announces, Google should stop supporting Chrome 10, which only released in March. Internet Explorer 7 may be geezing, but Chrome 10 is just a child! Welcome to "Logan's Run."

[Mid]

Firefox 5 is scheduled to release on June 21.

Not surprising since the majority gave 4 a big thumbs down .

[Thormaturge]

According to my site statistics, 3.6% of my visitors are still using IE6.

0.2% are apparently using Netscape 5, Noah is that you?

[harrybarracuda]

Firefox 5 is scheduled to release on June 21.

Not surprising since the majority gave 4 a big thumbs down .

They must be planning on 5 getting the cold shoulder if 6 is coming out in August...

[dirtydog]

I stopped using firefox, too resource heavy and takes up nearly the whole of the top half of my monitor, well the top 2 inches or so is firefox crap, at least opera and chrome only take up a tiny bit of space on the monitor.

[harrybarracuda]

I stopped using firefox, too resource heavy and takes up nearly the whole of the top half of my monitor, well the top 2 inches or so is firefox crap, at least opera and chrome only take up a tiny bit of space on the monitor.

Like all browsers you can remove most of the crap. I have three lines:

Tabs and Menu button
Address/Google boxes
Bookmarks.

If you want to see wasted space, open this link:

Here

[Neo]

Custom toolbars on FF4 certainly cut down on the space they take up.
I've just got one address bar with home icon etc plus custom ones to open bookmarks in a sidebar, view downloads etc... add bookmark and recent history are included at the end of the url prompt.
And one row of tabs. A nice touch too is hitting alt+v will quickly add the menu bar, and close it again when you move the cursor away.. actually it comes up with alt+ any letter that the tabs on the menu bar start with f=file t=tools etc
oh and it has that neat 'firefox' drop down menu in the very top left that has shortcuts to pretty much all the functions anyway.. the find function is great for searching text

Back to the OP though.. You can see where this article is headed and no doubt who sponsored it.
Scare tactics. Personally I'd prefer less dependancy on Google.

[Neo]

If you want to see wasted space, open this link:

Here

hahahaha!

[dirtydog]

Like all browsers you can remove most of the crap. I have three lines:

I know that, but I have not needed to with opera or chrome, just 2 lines on each, I am not going to get into the habit of downloading and poncing around with browsers every month when they update, if it has more than 2 lines then I shall just use other browsers.

[lom]

Google sees these older browsers as holding back the web's development. "For example, desktop notifications for Gmail and drag-and-drop file upload in Google Docs require advanced browsers that support HTML5," Panchapakesan explains. "Older browsers just don't have the chops to provide you with the same high-quality experience."

Ffs then add htlm5 to the old browser but stop changing the user interface and the button locations.
There are just too many software releases nowadays where the programmers has changed minor parts of the program but has found it necessary to fuck with the user interface in order to justify a new major release number.

[blue]

Google started having an advert ''it gets better ''on TV here in Britain ,
something to do with supporting filthy homosexuals 'coming out ' ,
sick Google just been kicked off my computer ,
I'll use Yahoo and Bing instead, till I find a better one .

Firefox 4 was shite ,
5 out soon -have they got the beta version out yet ?-
probably just the 4 with a new name

[bobo746]

takes up nearly the whole of the top half of my monitor

hit f11.

[Butterfly]

this is typical of software companies, inflation of releases to justify their existence and their market share

Google is the new Microsoft, trying to dominate the market by "forcing" users to upgrade. There was nothing wrong with the older version of Gmail, it was lightweight, easy to navigate and fast. Now it's becoming just an overbloated POS, defeating the purpose of the simple interface Google was known for. But again, you need to impress your audience and remind the press that you are still here, so at the end it's all about PR and market share.

shameful, the FF people are no better, even if it's free and there is no profit involved, they need to see themselves in the press or else they will be forgotten, so the pace of releases that doesn't add anything is just increasing. It's all about how pretty it looks and how the button theme is cool.

[harrybarracuda]

There was nothing wrong with the older version of Gmail, it was lightweight, easy to navigate and fast. Now it's becoming just an overbloated POS, defeating the purpose of the simple interface Google was known for.

Read your Gmail in a Pop Client and stop being a dumb fuck.