I can't corroborate those Apple-esque numbers, but Firefox 3.5 performs ably in my own tests. Mozilla claims that Firefox 3.5 is twice as fast as Firefox 3, and ten times faster than Firefox 2.0, on such web apps. Thanks to its TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, Firefox 3.5 boasts significant performance improvements over its predecessors, especially with complex web applications. (It's optional of course.) Performance improvements ( Original video here.)įirefox 3.5 also supports location aware browsing, which can be used by web sites to help you find services and information near your physical location. Support for HTML means you can view some web video without plugins. (Assuming, of course, anyone bothers to use these formats.) The browser now offers better support of next-generation web standards like HTML 5, including emerging web-based Ogg video and audio support that will negate the need for plug-ins. The most notable new features in Firefox 3.5, perhaps, are its most forward looking. Support for new and emerging web technologies Just click Tools, Clear Recent History, and you'll get a handy dialog for determining how far back to wipe.Ĭlear Recent History lets you hide your tracks on the go. IE 8, by comparison, simply opens a new window that operates in InPrivate Browsing mode, allowing you to mix and match.Īdditionally, Firefox 3.5 provides a handy way to hide your browsing history and other data on the fly. Private Browsing Mode works as advertised but is not as convenient as IE 8's InPrivate Browsing feature because Firefox requires all existing browser windows and tabs to be closed so that the application can enter Private Browsing Mode. In Private Browsing mode, Firefox 3.5 does not store browser history, search history, download history, web form history, cookies, or temporary internet files. Saved bookmarks and downloaded files are retained after Private Browsing Mode is ended. This data includes your browsing history, form and search bar entries, passwords, the list of files downloaded, cookies, and cached temporary Internet files. As with the comparable functionality in other browsers, Private Browsing Mode allows you to browse the web privately that is, while in this mode, Firefox will not retain any data about the web sites and pages you visit. In a bit of catch-up with IE 8 ( see my review) and Google Chrome ( see my overview), Firefox 3.5 includes a new Private Browsing Mode feature, which has been jokingly referred to as "porn mode" elsewhere. If you're a Firefox user, you're going to want to upgrade, and if you're not, this browser certainly has enough going for it to convince you to at least give it a shot.
#MOZILLA FIREFOX DOWNLOAD FOR WINDOWS 7 64 BIT UPDATE#
Debates about whether this is a major or minor update are pointless, however. But Firefox 3.5 is at least as momentous as its predecessor, Firefox 3, thanks to some important improvements to the product's support of web technologies, performance, and security. The latest version, Firefox 3.5, was originally planned as a minor update and was going to be branded accordingly as Firefox 3.1. Now a mature and capable product, Mozilla's Firefox has emerged as the de facto alternative to Microsoft's dominant but faltering Internet Explorer (IE).