After several months of trial versions , finally came the day when we can try the first official version of Firefox Quantum. Mozilla has worked hard to renew its browser completely, and now it’s time to see if it will be able to dethrone the almighty Google Chrome.
Version 57 of this browser, codenamed ‘Firefox Quantum’, includes the engine that gives it the name: Quantum CSS. They say it’s twice as fast as it was last year , and in the beta versions they already left Chrome in a very bad place:
Many aesthetic changes, but the real power is inside
The first thing that will catch our attention is its new user interface. The square tabs replace the old-fashioned rounded design that has been with us for years. It is a more minimalist bet , with softer and more pleasant animations.
New logo , new animations and a completely renewed look. It is clear that Photon Project has been a success, because thanks to this initiative they have obtained the necessary feedback from the users and thus modernize the system completely.
Another positive point is the integration with Pocket , service in which we can save any web page to read it more comfortably at another time. It’s a completely logical move, since Mozilla bought this company earlier this year.
From now on it will not be activated by default the additional search bar that always appeared in Firefox, and instead will be integrated into the URL bar. What is clear is that Firefox arrives with a much more modern look, taking a step forward and distancing itself from the competition.
In any case, the true value is in its interior. According to Mozilla, the new Firefox Quantum engine makes it consume 30% less memory than Google Chrome. Everyone who uses Chrome has experienced its huge consumption of memory, something that often comes from abuse of extensions and open tabs.
I’ve done a simple test , opening Genbeta in the latest version of Google Chrome and Firefox 57. As we see below, Firefox is able to load the entire web in 2.6 seconds, while Chrome does in 3.2 seconds.
How does Firefox manage memory better than Chrome? The main difference is that, while the Google browser opens a process by tab, Firefox Quantum creates four processes for all the contents of the pages and does not add any more. By optimizing resources and reusing them, you can not increase the loading speed.
The lovers of privacy and security are in luck, as they have included important improvements in this aspect. From now on, the function against tracking no longer works exclusively in the ‘Private Mode’, and we can configure it to be active at all times.
Regarding the private browsing mode , we have the possibility to configure exceptions to share data with a specific page. Another positive point is that they claim to have improved sandboxing in Firefox, something that will especially affect computers with Linux.
In addition to everything described, this web page we can see the full list of changes introduced in Firefox 57. Although not as prominent changes, this new version also includes:
- Being able to enter the date and time manually
- Support for video decoding AMD VP9
- Goodbye to the share button that appeared in the taskbar
- Available an ‘auto-scroll’ system
Download now Firefox Quantum
From today it is already possible to download the official version of Firefox Quantum . In the words of Mozilla, it is compatible with Windows 10, MacOS High Sierra, Linux, Android Oreo and iOS 11 . It is worth spending a little time and checking how good this browser feels.
Those that have installed the beta have received an update with the final version (as you can see in the lower screenshot). You can do it this way, by browsing Mozilla’s FTP or waiting for the company to hang up the installer on the official website in the next few hours.
Obviously, you will have to migrate your favorites, extensions, etc. but it is a process that should not take long. Although most of the extensions created for Chrome and Opera should be compatible with Firefox Quantum, some add-ons will stop working until the developers port them to the new API.
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