Firefox Quantum

[AluminumHaste]

I just started using the nightly build of Firefox which ships with their new Quantum engine, and holy crap this thing renders fast!

Give it a shot.

[duzenko]

I just started using the nightly build of Firefox which ships with their new Quantum engine, and holy crap this thing renders fast!

Give it a shot.

How many background processes does it launch?

If I wanted a browser that eats all RAM I could have gone with Chrome ages ago.

[lowenz]

Same 8 tabs open:

 

[Bikerdude]

Tried it, but too many of my addons were not compatible so will wait untill they are.

[lowenz]

Tried it, but too many of my addons were not compatible so will wait untill they are.

Search for new alternative ones (as a precaution measure )

[duzenko]

Same 8 tabs open:

 

 

Two tabs - four processes. Uninstall.

 

Hmm... There's an option to limit number of processes. Maybe will give it a try...

[Bikerdude]

Search for new alternative ones (as a precaution measure )

Did, there are currently no dirrect replacement for the vast majority of the addons I use. There is no rush FF 57 is still beta.

[lowenz]

Two tabs - four processes. Uninstall.

 

Hmm... There's an option to limit number of processes. Maybe will give it a try...

Well.....why this "multi-process strategy" hatred ?

Edited September 30, 2017 by lowenz

[AluminumHaste]

Two tabs - four processes. Uninstall.

 

Hmm... There's an option to limit number of processes. Maybe will give it a try...

 

I thought you were a coder? Do you like browsers that completely crash when one tab goes down? Maybe you should go back to IE6 where you can't use tabs, that way there's only one process.

[duzenko]

Well.....why this "multi-process strategy" hatred ?

That's bad design. It's like you take N buses to transport N passengers.

 

 

I thought you were a coder? Do you like browsers that completely crash when one tab goes down? Maybe you should go back to IE6 where you can't use tabs, that way there's only one process.

Those were happy days. Still need to draw a line between a tab and a process though.

Back to topic, I can't remember FF crashing on me.

Maybe if you're used to chrome crashes then it's kinda makes it ok that it only crashes in one tab.

[AluminumHaste]

I've been using Firefox since beta years ago in college, random crashes happen all the time, but I also have several tabs open usually.

It's the way of the future, each tab is an isolated entity, so that it can't affect the rest of the browser. When you tab away from a heavily resourced tab, it will stop affecting the rest of the program. (at least that's the theory) .

And things like memory are installed on your computer to be used, what's the point of having 16GB of ram installed if you freak out every time it gets above 50%?

It's a nice feature and a long time coming. Ever since tabbed browsing became a thing this has been needed.

I do often see negative reviews online about people complaining that a program is using their comptuers resources, like that's a bad thing.

What's the point of having a processor with 18 cores and 36 threads, and want your program to only use 1 core? Every program should be written with multi-threading in mind.

Ever since it's become clear that single core performance has hit a brick wall, every manufacturer is going to be releasing multicore CPU's (AMD Threadripper and Intel's 18 core monster), and that's going to continue.

[duzenko]

I've been using Firefox since beta years ago in college, random crashes happen all the time, but I also have several tabs open usually.

It's the way of the future, each tab is an isolated entity, so that it can't affect the rest of the browser. When you tab away from a heavily resourced tab, it will stop affecting the rest of the program. (at least that's the theory) .

And things like memory are installed on your computer to be used, what's the point of having 16GB of ram installed if you freak out every time it gets above 50%?

It's a nice feature and a long time coming. Ever since tabbed browsing became a thing this has been needed.

I do often see negative reviews online about people complaining that a program is using their comptuers resources, like that's a bad thing.

What's the point of having a processor with 18 cores and 36 threads, and want your program to only use 1 core? Every program should be written with multi-threading in mind.

Ever since it's become clear that single core performance has hit a brick wall, every manufacturer is going to be releasing multicore CPU's (AMD Threadripper and Intel's 18 core monster), and that's going to continue.

I see. Maybe this could be interesting for you: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/200469/what-is-the-difference-between-a-process-and-a-thread

[AluminumHaste]

Thanks for the link, I did learn something but that doesn't change the fact that apps are moving towards taking advantage of the many cores on a cpu, and also executables spawning multiple threads. Why do you think this is bad?

[duzenko]

I think multiple processes is bad when multiple threads in one process is enough

[AluminumHaste]

Okay, so that helps. You are more knowledgeable about these things, but in order to stop tabs and the program completely crashing, it's coded so that there's a min of 2 processes, one main process, then one for managing the tabs, then each tab has it's own thread or multiple threads.

 

So even if all the tabs crash, and the tab process crashes, the main firefox.exe process doesn't crash and you can just reload the tabs and continue on.

 

That was my understanding, and so far with testing, this seems to be way better than the old Firefox.

[jaxa]

Tried it, but too many of my addons were not compatible so will wait untill they are.

 

Is that due to the version with Quantum or one of the other recent versions that broke compatibility with many add-ons?

 

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/08/10/upcoming-changes-compatibility/

[lowenz]

Either

[Noisycricket]

Have you guys tried the new Edge browser? I switched to it on my laptop because the scrolling speed and smoothness was so much better than firefox, its amazing. I'd describe it as almost instantaneous 1:1 mouse movement with a smooth scrolling mouse wheel, in the way that it feels and looks on the browser. Its totally smooth. I didn't switch to Edge for a long time because it didn't support loading only the existing tabs you click on instead of all at once, but they finally put that in so i switched.

 

On my main computer im using Firefox on Win7, but am so tired of how slow Firefox feels, im going to try this Quantum version out.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Noisycricket

[AluminumHaste]

Remember, it's in Beta or Nightly only, so most extensions or add-ons don't work.

Surprisingly, ublock origin does .

[Noisycricket]

Also, if your like me and you can't stand the maximum speed limit firefox has on scrolling movement. I recommend this little program> https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/48426-accelerated-scrolling-script/

 

It gets you a little closer to one to one mouse movement.

 

It doesn't give a perfect result, but it helps. Theres other programs out there, mainly made by hobbyists it seems, but this is the only one i've tried.

[jaxa]

Tried Edge on a friend's garbage laptop. Firefox was better on the same system.

 

I would use Chrome, Firefox, or Vivaldi. Not Edge.

[lowenz]

Tried Edge on a friend's garbage laptop. Firefox was better on the same system.

 

I would use Chrome, Firefox, or Vivaldi. Not Edge.

+1

 

Vivaldi is surprising powerful.

Edited October 1, 2017 by lowenz

[Oktokolo]

For those who do not want the original from google: There is also chromium if you are on linux (or want to keep it up to date yourself on windows). Cloud stuff, lookahead, asking strange servers about malware, DRM can be disabled on this (but some VOD services might require widevine to work).

And on Gentoo, you can even pick and choose the stuff you want to get compiled in.