Chrome Stable 6, Firefox 4 Features Axed
Some things do not seem to be right. While Google does not seem to have problems increasing the stable releases of its Chrome browser in a four month turn, Mozilla decided to cut features from the upcoming Firefox 4 release to meet the end of the year release deadline for that version.
But first things first. Download Squad's Lee Mathews was the first to report that the stable version of Google Chrome made the jump to version 6. That's a milestone for the browser that just turned two today as well.
Chrome stable users now have access to new features such as browser data syncing or autofill next to better content settings for plugins and scripting languages.
The release is a security release as well, fixing more than a dozen different security vulnerabilities in the browser of which seven received a severity rating of high.
Chrome users are asked to upgrade their web browser as soon as possible to protect the browser from possible exploits.
It does not look that rosy for the upcoming Firefox 4 version that is currently in development.
According to Softpedia information the developers decided to remove features from the release to meet the deadline.
The first feature that was axed was the new account manager which was introduced back in April 2010. But the removal of the account manager may not be the only casualty to meet the deadline. At risk are silent updates on Windows, the Inspector and Web Console.
Feature freeze of Firefox 4 was initially planed for Firefox 4 Beta 5 but has since then been postponed to September 10th.
Firefox 4 will still offer several improvements over Firefox 3. It is however disappointing that at least one feature but likely more have been removed from the browser's release version.
What's your take on this browser development? Let us know in the comments.
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I just dont get it why they stayed behind in development.
Looks like Firefox may fall the way of IE if they don’t get their act together (Everyone jumping ship to go to Chrome).
Google has always had a tiger in its engine. I admire the company, I don’t say I am a fan, but I admire its intelligence, determination, flexibility. I think the way things are going in terms of market share, market share acceleration — Chrome 10%, Firefox 30%, Internet Explorer 50% — Google is bound to lead the browser market within 2012. I love Firefox, but sometimes I have the feeling, like in a race, that the legs and the lungs are just missing; not to Google.
I would rather they remove certain features from a scheduled release than release a new version that is faulty or unstable. Bells and whistles might be fun for a while. But, a solid, functional, efficient and stable browser is what really matters. If the bells and whistles get in the way, leave them out.
Virtualguy, I agree. Of new features, some are of good sense, others more of a gadget. Personally I’d rather focus on memory hog and start-up time than on a new account manager, for instance.
Phantom tabs are gone! Anyone knows how to downgrade back to Chrome 5?
I filed also a request on the help forums with details: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=3b01d2bbca7104e0&hl=en
Anyone knows how to get back phantom tabs or how to downgrade?
You realize Google doesn’t want users meddling with their updates?
Yep, and I find it a great approach, which is also on my priority list. Just behind usability. :)
I loved the firefox and what it brought to browser and web world and I have been using it since version 1.0 . It still has better features than chrome but I have started to use Chrome stable mostly becase its %100 acid test result and usage screen real estate. Firefox 4 is faster than Chrome actually if Firefox change the look of status bar, I will return to firefox immediately. Firefox sync feature is the best feature that I couldn’t find in Chrome.
I’m used to Firefox. It’s my default browser. But, for quite some time now, it has been dropping little aggravations into my morning browsing. A page will refuse to load or take forever. When that happens, I open up IE and load the page with no problem. I don’t have a whole lot of add-ons but I do have a few. Flashblock became so irritating I had to disable it. Still, I’ve stuck with FF. But I’m about to install Opera.
I don’t really care that FF is going to hold back on some of its “new” features. Stability is what matters to me. Speed is nice. The rest is fluff.
I think one of the reasons Chrome became so popular so fast is that the bloggers write about it. I guess it is more newsworthy than FF now because it is the newer baby. Like Windows 7. Blogs = Sales.
The funny thing about Google Chrome is the fact there are not really great improvements in the new versions they make 4 , 5 , 6 and now 7 ! . I find it very strange for such famous web browser to lack full support of WYSIWYG editors although since 2008 Chrome users have been requesting it through the help forum of Google Chrome . As for Firefox it’s unfortunate that they have to cut down some features but at least it still has some good improvements.
I also concur with virtualguy.
I have been using firefox since version 0.9 (back when it was still a tiny ant fighting the giants ) but I liked it immediately. Since then I have grown to using it with all the extensions. Using firefox for web is more of a user experience than it is of features, speed or any gadget. Even if firefox 4 might not meet some tests (acid test or 1000 fish test), it does not mean that using the browser would prove a negative one.
Having tried and used chrome, I was excited initially because of the speed and the interface but I reverted back to firefox since all my extensions worked on it and the required features such as tab hover (tab mix plus) which I have grown to like about the software. The extension base is far wider than chrome and am not seeing it decreasing in the near future.
So for me, I am a firm fan of firefox and even if some features are removed, it will lead to a better polished and working browser.
As soon as you add a bunch of addons Chrome 6 will be no faster then Firefox 4. And if you switch to a different search engine I’ll bet you Chrome is no faster. As long as you stay in the google cloud your okay. If your debating 100’s of a second faster or more it just isn’t anything earth shattering. Plus I desire net neutrality which google seems to want to quietly take away from us users. Don’t get me wrong google android for the phones is great and I enjoy all the apps people create for phone users. And maybe Googles Chromium OS will be a real competitor to Windows. But I don’t want the internet broken into multiple pipes so people or corps with a lot of money rule the web. Bad idea.
Very disappointing, the feature they removed is really great. I use it in “Opera” all the time, and the login authentication of firefox definitely needs improvement.(along with the cpu usage and memory grabbing)
the problem with chrome (in my opinion) is the user empowerment, & Commercialize of the browser. As google tries to make things simple they forget to leave us at least {the option} to fully control it, Compared to ff who gives you more freedom,
chrome also pushes the browser towards Commercialization which leads to everything cost money (& more commercials everywhere) and again restricting the user’s freedom and that’s why I’d like to see the fox improve so bad.
probably because of the fox is open & free source they lack the resources to keep up the pace with chrome.
So I guess my only hope now is the IE9 project…
BTW this comment was written in a FireFox browser !