Firefox 0.8

[wcfan3]

Have been looking at installing the Firefox 0.8 browser on my computer to test it out, plus have it available for checking my site designs. Right now, I am using IE 6.0 (with Windows XP) as my primary browser. If I really like Firefox, I may end up using it more than IE. ;)

Before I install it, I have a couple of questions for those of you here that are using Firefox:

1. From the Firefox site: Firefox 0.8 is a Technology Preview. While this software works well enough to be relied upon as your primary browser in most cases, we make no guarantees of its performance or stability. It is a pre-release product and should not be relied upon for mission-critical tasks.

How reliable have you found it to be when used with XP? Have you had any issues that I should be aware of?

2. I would be downloading the Windows Installer file that is listed on their Downloads (http://www.mozilla.org/download.html) page. Are there any plugins that I should look at incorporating right away, or have you found the basic Firefox browser to be sufficient for your needs?

3. If I have Firefox, do I really need to download and install any other Mozilla browsers, or will Firefox pretty much take care of the Mozilla family of browsers as far as testing out site designs?

[James99]

1) It's very stable.

2) Try common plugins like Java, Flash, RealPlayer, QuickTime. If you have any of them already, you'll need to reinstall them. You can get their downloads here (http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/en-AU/windows.html).

3) I'd say get Mozilla too. Firefox and Mozilla do have some differences - I know some CSS-based pages looked completely different in Mozilla and Firefox 0.7. I'm not sure if 0.8 is any more simular.

[VxJasonxV]

1) Stable - I've had maybe 3 or 5 crashes since I started using Firefox. I've been around since 0.61.

2) The basic browser is typically fine, but I have a thing for tweaking it to make it just a tad bit better. Tab Browser Extensions is my only current Extension, but it's SO powerful, it's awesome.

3) I only have Firefox installed. If I need anything else, I just borrow my step-dad's computer (for Netscape) or ask for Screenshots from friends :D.

[Eric]

I have a windows laptop with Win ME and find Firefox .8 to be very stable, so I would assume it would work well with XP as well.

[xeyr]

I have FireFox 0.8, and I've been a solely firefox user for quite a few variants now (back through firebird and phoenix).

I've got the TabBrowser Extensions - that's a must, and I use Mouse Gestures as well.

I find that FF is enough for my Mozilla family testing, but there are a few javascript things that it doesn't do that well.

[altatech]

Firefox is the best browser :clap

[Sara]

I used to use IE, for YEARS! I had Netscape on my computer only for the reason that I was developing websites and needed it.

Once I bought my new computer, I put only Firefox and of course IE is on it.

I love Firefox. I was using Mozilla for a few months, then Firefox came out. I love my tabs, love it!

[wcfan3]

I downloaded Firefox 0.8 and got it installed over the weekend. Got the plugins and Tabbrowser extensions downloaded and installed too.

Yesterday was my first whole day using only Firefox to surf with while I'm online. I'm truly impressed with it -- IE is in serious trouble in this house! lol

I do have some work to do on some of the sites that I've done to correct a few things that aren't rendering properly in Firefox, and may be posting some questions for ya'll if I can't find the answers on my own.

Thanks again everyone for the feedback! :D

[daved]

My favourite extension is Web Developer (not the web developer that installs when you select 'Custom Install').

Adds a menu and a toolbar to the browser with various web developer tools. Current tools include converting form POSTs to GETs, hiding images, outlining block level elements, disabling styles and many more.

Get it here:
http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/#webdeveloper

Dave

[Kurieuo]

I began using Firefox 0.8 (infact I write this using Firefox), and have found it displays some CSS/pages incorrectly. I also notice Firefox tends to consume more memory...

I'd revert back to IE6, but now all my favourites are in Firefox. I'm sure I could manage to port them over the IE, but I haven't been bothered so... here I am using Firefox. :p

[Kurieuo]

Oh... I'd miss the tabs if I went back to IE... and I think Firefox has a good future, but... the fasination with something new has worn off with me.

[Sara]

The only reason the .CSS isn't rendering properly in some sites is because it's not valid.

I have had very little problem with the page rendering issue. Now, some sites want you to use IE only...and write their pages for that. It's a little frustrating, but I use Firefox for 99% of my browsing.

Firefox doesn't consume more than IE in the memory issue, in fact it's really a lot less! And it's easy to uninstall, try doing that with IE! :p You can't!

You can export your favorites in a bookmark folder, I think it's under "Tools". I have the same bookmarks in both browsers along with the quick links. :)

[wcfan3]

My favourite extension is Web Developer (not the web developer that installs when you select 'Custom Install').

"Adds a menu and a toolbar to the browser with various web developer tools. Current tools include converting form POSTs to GETs, hiding images, outlining block level elements, disabling styles and many more."

Get it here:
http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/#webdeveloper

Dave


Thanks so much for the tip on this one - I love this extension! :D

Have been using Firefox all week as my primary browser - think I have only opened IE a handful of times, and that was mainly for testing purposes. I am still very impressed with Firefox! ;)

[xeyr]

The Web Developer extension really is great! I've been using it about as long as I've been using FireFox (well, it was Phoenix 0.5 back then), and it's picked up some very funky additions since then

[Marble]

Originally posted by Sara
The only reason the .CSS isn't rendering properly in some sites is because it's not valid.

That is not totally true. CSS is rendered differently by browsers.

text-align: center behaves differently in IE. Margins behave differently in IE (see some of the IE 5.5 hacks for overall width with 2 margin settings - one is the actual value the other is the IE value as IE *adds* the margin to the overall width.)

Firefox is a great browser. It's fast and lighweight. and no stupid popups to conted with.

[catocom]

I've tried 0.8, (still have it installed)
but l've been using ie, and konqueror so long,
I haven't really made a switch yet.
I checkout many softwares briefly, then kinda prioritize
delving farther with them, and Firefox hasn't come back up the list yet.:D
LOL, they'll probably have 1.0 out by the time I get to it.

[Eric]

It works great on my iMac, but doesn't render some pages as well sometimes (mostly with forms). I mainly use Camino though.

[arielmt]

Firefox rocks! Love those tabs. And the themes. And the extensions.

I've imported all my IE bookmarks and have been busily using the Bookmarks Link Checker (http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/#bookmarkchecker) and weeding out the dead stuff in anticipation of using the automated Bookmark Synchronizer (http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/#booksync) between all the computers I use.

I've only been using it for about a week now and plan to check out some of the other extensions soon.

I'll probably go to Firefox exclusively very soon. Only a few sites I use actually require IE.

[Sarah]

Just switched over to Firefox from Firebird. I really can't notice much of a difference, except that it's a lot easier to manage my bookmarks now :)

[lucas]

I'm using firefox at home and work exclusively. I find firefox to be less reliable than IE 5.5, though I pray those issues will be resolved in the production version.

Pages that don't display well are usually a result of errors on the designers part, Firefox is standards compliant, unlike IE. I use Firefox a lot and it has helped me find many errors in my code and HTML that IE completely ignored.

[Kurieuo]

Just thought some might be interested in checking this out for a browser replacement - http://www.myie2.com/

[xeyr]

I've used MyIE2 a lot (got it installed right now actually)

I find that Firefox is generally more stable, as MyIE is just a shell for Internet Exploder.

But if you need / want to use IE and are after tabbed browsing plus a bunch of other funky things, myie is the goods!


In FF news - 1.0PR is out!

[VxJasonxV]

1.0PR is SLEEEEEEEEEEEK.

[xeyr]

Yes. Yes it is!