Mozilla Firefox 5.0 Review

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System requirements
Intel Pentium 4
processor or better;
Windows 2000/Server
2003/XP/Vista/7/Mac
OS X 10.5 or later/Linux;
512MB RAM; 200MB
hard-disk space

Abandoning its usual slothful approach to updates, Mozilla has quickly followed the Firefox 4.0 web browser with version 5.0. So what's new, and is Firefox 5.0 any good? The answer to the first question is: not a lot. Previous updates to Firefox have changed the look and feel of the open-source web browser; we had to check that we were even using version 5.0, so similar does it appear to its predecessor. Our tests suggest that there are, however, key improvements in this iteration that warrant a swift upgrade.


Speed

It's quicker and less resource-hungry. Web browsing in Firefox 5.0 feels faster than its predecessor: not earth-shatteringly so, but enough to notice. More importantly, after growing increasingly frustrated with version 4.0's propensity to slow down and fall over in Windows, this release seems lighter on its feet (and less heavy on the memory). In fact, we reckon Firefox 5.0 could be the Windows 7 to Firefox 4.0's Vista. Digitizor benchmarked both browsers and found the latest version to be significantly faster. Firefox 5.0 stomped all over Google Chrome and Opera in the SunSpider JavaScript test; and in a race to start up and display a web page. In real-world testing on our Dell Windows 7 PC with 4GB of RAM, we noticed that Firefox 5.0 utilises significantly less memory: with 10, processor-intensive pages live in separate tabs, Firefox 5.0 was utilising around 225MB of memory; Firefox 4.0 required around 280MB. It also seems a lot more stable. This is important. We recently switched from using Firefox to Google Chrome - even for working in PC Advisor's Content Management System, which was written for Firefox. We were simply losing too much work when Firefox chewed up a ton of memory and fell over.

Security

According to Mozilla, Firefox 5.0 is also safer. This version sees the introduction of the 'Do Not Track' feature, which may or may not work to prevent websites from spying on your surfing behaviour. Version 5.0 of the desktop product puts the feature front and centre. Go to Options, and it's right at the top: select the relevant option and participating websites will know not to harvest your habits. We'll leave it up to you to decide how useful Do Not Track will be, but it clearly demonstrates Mozilla's desire for Firefox to be seen as the go-to web browser for savvy users who value their privacy. Just remember to switch off third-party tracking cookies, though, which are still accepted by default. Similarly, Mozilla says that in this version of Firefox WebGL content can no longer load cross-domain textures. WebGL is an application programming interface (API) used by websites to display 3D imagery. It utilises your computer's graphics hardware to render complex images. When someone tells you that mysterious code is giving websites access to your graphics hardware, you'd be forgiven for running for the hills. But WebGL is a legitimate way of using JavaScript to improve your surfing experience.

Standards

In the current browser market, Firefox may be the best option for open web standards. Version 5.0 brings improved support for HTML5, XHR, MathML, SMIL and canvas, while Firefox 5.0 for Android now enjoys IPv6 support. It also adds support for CSS animations, a Firefox Add-on SDK for Windows, Mac and Linux, and the Firefox Add-on Builder Beta, which provides a web-based build environment. If you're a web developer or Firefox add-on maker, this latest release will be a welcome upgrade. Mozilla claims to have made 'more than 1,000 improvements and performance enhancements' in Firefox 5.0. However, you may find that the add-ons you used in version 4.0 are not yet compatible. Extensions for Firefox are usually developed by third-party publishers, so developers have a bit of a scramble to catch up when Mozilla updates its web browser. We were using four add-ons that are now incompatible, but Firefox periodically checks for updates and installs them without you having to do anything other than approve the change. Mozilla also invites you to submit feedback, explaining why Firefox made you either happy or sad. This should help improve future versions.



Verdict

There has never been a better
selection of web browsers with which
to, well, browse the web. Firefox 5.0
demonstrates a clear improvement
over its predecessor. This surfer will
certainly consider ditching Google
Chrome after falling again for
Mozilla's charms.

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