Earlier this week, Mozilla Corp. released the first beta of Firefox 3.0, claimed to pack innovative features and improved security tools…
“A few months later than had been planned, Mozilla released on Monday night the first beta version of an overhauled Firefox, the widely used open-source Web browser. The beta release came amidst what looked like a lot of mixed signals…”
Mozilla Corp. late Monday released the first beta version of Firefox browser. Currently aimed at testers and developers, the new browser boasts improved security features, better personalization and, enhanced ease of use.
“Improvements include Web Page Forgery Protection, clearer SSL Error messages, automatic plug-in checking, and compliance with Windows Vista parental controls.”
Courtesy Mozilla’s interface designer, Mike Beltzner, who said in a note posted to the company’s development center that they do not recommend anyone except developers and testers download the Firefox 3 Beta 1 milestone release. “It is intended for testing purposes only.”
But while the official word was for users to stand clear, Beltzner’s personal recommendation was a lot less intimidating. “It is a preview release, so use with caution and do not expect your add-ons to work without some magic; but between you and me, I have been running on this “developer preview” for at least three months, and have never looked back,” he said in a post to his own blog.
“Firefox 3 beta 1 includes a number of significant features that Mozilla said should improve security, ease of use, rendering of Web pages, and location of previously visited Web pages. And for the new era of rich Internet applications, the browser can run Web-based applications even when the computer is disconnected from a network.”
The latest iteration of the browser relies on the new Gecko 1.9 Web rendering engine, which is designed to enhance performance and stability, among other things.
Beltzner also touted several of the improvements in Firefox 3.0, including new security features and tools, a redesign of the bookmarking and browser history and numerous back-end platform enhancements, but he said they all require more testing and user feedback. The company has posted a more complete list of new features in the release notes it added to its Web site Monday.
On the security side, Firefox 3.0 adds malware check, a phishing filter-like feature that warns users attempting to reach a URL blacklisted for suspected malicious code hosting; one-click site information that displays site ownership; fixes for vulnerabilities in plug-in updating; and integration with antivirus software and Windows Vista’s parental control settings.
Other Firefox security features may prove more useful, like Web Page Forgery Protection, clearer SSL Error messages when invalid SSL certificates are found, automatic plug-in checking that can disable insecure plug-in updates, integration with anti-virus programs, and compliance with Microsoft Vista’s Parental Control settings.
Firefox 3 Beta 1 introduces a number of ease of use enhancements. There is improved password management and add-on installation. There also a new download manager that lets you resume downloads interrupted by a crash or loss of connectivity.
“You are gonna find that it is not only fast, nimble, and feature filled, but such an advance from Firefox 2 that you would not want to go back,” said Mozilla’s community quality advocate Asa Dotzler in a blog post on Monday.
But while Mozilla seems to have largely left it to users to decide whether or not they want to download the newbie beta, there are some improvements in Firefox 3.0 that need mention.
Mozilla also claimed that it has fixed more than 300 individual memory leaks and added a new cycle collector to eliminate other memory issues. Firefox has a reputation for leaking memory consuming large quantities the longer it is left running, and ultimate slowing down its host computer although some of its developers have contested the claims, and even pegged the problem as one of perception.
The software is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux at Mozilla’s download site in 20 languages. You can also download the English versions for Windows or Mac from CNET Download.com.
Although Microsoft’s Internet Explorer remains the dominant Web browser, the open-source rival has achieved a critical mass of users — Firefox has been downloaded more than 400 million times — and it is now common for designers to make sure their Web pages work with the browser. Even Microsoft has bowed to the reality, testing its Live.com Web sites with Firefox and helping with technical issues such as playing Windows Media files from Web pages.
According to the release notes, the core Gecko rendering engine–the component that interprets Web page instructions and draws text and graphics on your screen–has seen major changes in the upgrade to the new version 1.9 used in Firefox 3.
The firm is looking for feedback on its enhancements to the browser, specifically in the following areas. The improved security features, including tighter controls on SSL error pages, anti-virus, within its download manager, and a version checker for insecure plug-ins. It has richer personalization features, such as one-click bookmarking, smart searches, improved use of history and bookmark folders.
“Version 3.0 was first demonstrated at the Black Hat security show in Las Vegas, back in August.”