The latest Firefox browser was released yesterday, and Mozilla plans on gaining some ground back on Google Chrome. Google’s popular, crips browser took over Mozilla Firefox back in 2011, and ever since then, the latter has had trouble getting back on its feet. StatCounter puts Chrome well above the pack of other browsers like Firefox, Safari, and Opera at a whopping difference of about 50%.
But the 57th version of Mozilla Firefox has dropped, and it’s already making big waves in changing the way the world looks at browsing. It resembles Chrome, but with some extra features that makes it looks unique in comparison to its competition. According to the foundation’s numbers upon release, the 57th browser uses 30% less memory when used on a Windows system. And that’s just one of the major selling points that Mozilla has flaunted; there are even more. Check out the release video below to see for yourself.
The newest addition to the Firefox family is also, apparently, double the speed of the Firefox 52, which was released about 2 months ago. This information is based on a set of data collected by Mozilla on a Windows Surface Laptop in determining how the speed of the 57 (aka Quantum) compares to that of the 52. The numbers are surprising, to say the least. But that’s still not even the half of what makes Quantum a serious threat to Chrome.
The Quantum also has a number of other little features that make for a smooth browsing experience. For instance, it uses a read-it-later service called Pocket to recommend stories based on the sites that you frequently visit. It’s like StumbleUpon but without having to visit the site. There’s also a screenshot feature that looks as simple as snapping a photo on your iPhone X. This tool will be especially helpful when you’re trying to take a picture of a certain part of the screen. Considering you can take a screenshot of a single window and nothing specific within that window using the screenshot function on your laptop or PC, this feature of the Quantum will allow you take a snap of windows within your window. It’s browsing inception.
Firefox Quantum will still support a number of extensions, themes, and add-ons, but the majority of the existing ones will need to be updated so that they can function on the new browser. Nothing too bad. Everything technical has to be updated at some point. And, hey, do you love Lord of the Rings? Quantum has the theme just for you.
There’s no way that people will make the switch from Chrome to Firefox immediately, but Mozilla has made the necessary steps to ensure a successful browser for the near future, and that’s enough to spark my interest, at least. The Firefox Quantum is available for download on Windows and Mac or iOS and Android devices.
