(800) 681-5470
Mozilla Firefox project is set on fast forward. New versions of the popular browser are coming out fast, so fast that many of us have no idea which one to choose: Firefox 5, Firefox 6 beta or the latest Firefox 8 – in 32 or 64-bit version. Yes, you’ve read correct: Firefox 8. But don’t ask what happened with Firefox 7, a generation that currently has been skipped and left in development stage.
Since the Mozilla programming team was too busy preparing to launch a new version of Firefox every few months, the performance optimizations have slightly remained behind the competition; be it the alternatives such as Google Chrome 12, Opera 11.50 or Internet Explorer 9.
Striving to find a quick solution for improving their performance at a level as competitive as possible, Mozilla project developers have chosen to speed up the launch of their first 64-bit version of Firefox. Since the adaptation for Windows 64 bit operating system was planned only for the Firefox 8 generation, we came to pass from Firefox 6 beta to Firefox 8 x64 in less than a month. Although this is just a test version, the x64 edition of Firefox 8 is stable and very fast.
Firefox 8
Starting with Firefox 8, we can choose between the classic 32-bit edition, compatible with all versions of Windows and a 64-bit edition, adapted to operate more efficiently on Windows x64 operating systems.
Firefox 8 32 bit – Peacekeeper benchmark
According to the tests conducted with the Peacekeeper benchmark, the 64 bit version of Firefox 8 is about 10% faster than the 32 bit version. Among the results displayed, the DOM (Document Object Model) operations section is perhaps the most interesting. The 25-percent difference between the 32 bit version (above) and the 64 bit version (below) reflect significantly improved performance when loading websites with dynamic content.
Firefox 8 64 bit – Peacekeeper benchmark
Those wishing to try the test version of the Firefox 8 browser on a 64 bit version of Windows can install it in parallel with the official release of Firefox that already exists on computer.
Using the 64 bit version of Firefox on the 64 bit version of Windows does have some small disadvantages as compared to using the 32-bit version of Firefox, such as higher consumption of RAM. Compared with the 32-bit version and running the same set of tabs with web pages, the 64-bit edition of the Firefox 8 browser used 320 MB RAM, compared to 230 MB in the 32 bit version. The amount of memory allocated for plug-ins was also increased while running a YouTube video, now requiring 100 MB RAM, instead of only 50 MB for the 32-bit version.
The first 64-bit version of Firefox will be officially available in November, with the launch of the Firefox 8 generation. Until then, you can try the test version of Firefox 8, available in 32 and 64-bit, by clicking here. It is also recommended installing the x64 versions of the plug-ins Flash 11 beta and Java 6.
ABOUT MY TECH TEAM:
My Tech Team is a leading online tech support company based in the U.S, providing nationwide on demand enterprise level computer support and protection 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Would you be so kind to share this post? Use the buttons below.
You Might Also Like...
- Firefox Tips and Tricks
- 7 Things to Consider before Upgrading to Windows 7
- The Firefox 4 Experience
- Is Windows 7 Right For You?
- Internet Explorer 9 – The Best Browser in Blocking Malware Attacks
Great post, can’t wait to download the 64 bit version and give it a go. Even though Chrome gets most of my attention these days.
The average user these days have multiple browsers. Gone are the days when people had just one browser installed. From what we’ve seen IE is still the market leader, but its competitors are catching up quickly.
Weird thing is, I dislike IE the most.