Firefox 5 Beta

[BobH]

Just installed Fx 5 Beta. I'll report anything that strikes me as significant.

[Roderunner]

Just installed Fx 5 Beta. I'll report anything that strikes me as significant.

I've been using FF Beta 1 till Beta 2 was released a few days ago. Running sweetly.

[TonyE]

There are not many visible changes when compared with Firefox 4, there are changes relating to improved performance, standards compliance and CSS animations. Details of the changes are shown in the Firefox 5 Beta Release Notes.

Firefox 5 should be released on June 21st.

[stuck]

Firefox 5 should be released on June 21st.

That sounds very quick, considering FF4 only came out in March. Does this mean FF5 is actually FF4 as it should have been?

Ken

[TonyE]

Firefox 5 should be released on June 21st.

That sounds very quick, considering FF4 only came out in March. Does this mean FF5 is actually FF4 as it should have been?

Ken

It does not mean that Firefox 5 is what Firefox 4 should have been. Mozilla have switched over to a rapid release system similar to Google Chrome, with releases planned for every 3 months. A part of this process involves setting up 3 different stages of development at a time and the release version, with different update channels called Nightly, Aurura, Beta and Release. You can switch between Aurora, Beta and Release update channels by selecting "Help > About Mozilla Firefox" and selecting the update channel you want to use.

For details on the update channels and the rapid release system see https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/i ... -releases/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stuck]

So FF5 is actually FF4.1 in real money?

I suppose that's inflation for you!

Ken

[HansV]

No, Firefox 4.02

[stuck]

Yikes! Selling 4.02 as 5 after only 3 months is verging on hyperinflation.

[HansV]

Mozilla are following a good example: Microsoft. Windows Vista's internal version number is 6.0. What eventually became known as Windows 7 is what Vista should have been, witness its internal version number 6.1. But Vista was so impopular that Microsoft didn't want the new version to be associated with it...

[stuck]

Going further off topic... NT 3.5, NT4, Windows 2000 (aka NT5) so XP = 6, which makes Vista 7 and Seven 8


Ken

[HansV]

Here is a list of recent Windows version numbers:
Windows 5.0 = Windows 2000
Windows 5.1 = Windows XP: it's basically Windows 2000 with a lot of bells and whistles to make it attractive to consumers.
Windows 5.2 = Windows XP 64-bit, Windows 2003 Server and Windows Home Server.
Windows 6.0 = Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008.
Windows 6.1 = Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2.

[stuck]

I can still remember the first time I came across Windows, I think it was Windows 1.0.

Couldn't get it to do anything mind you

Ken

[ChrisGreaves]

Here is a list of recent Windows version numbers:

I'll see your and raise you a
What about Word 2010? =Word2.0 with an annoying ribbon, as far as 99.9% of users are concerned.

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[TonyE]

Another change in the development process is support for older versions will cease once the next version is released. Firefox 4.0.1 is the last planned version of Firefox 4. The exception is Firefox 3.6, I have not seen any indication as to when support for that branch will cease. It will probably depend upon how many people are still using it. Firefox 3.5 has now reached end of life, version 3.5.19 should be the last version of Firefox 3.5

Mozilla do not intend to release any minor updates for future versions of Firefox. There should be no Firefox 5.0.1, they will only release a minor update if any security/stability issue is identified that can not wait till the next version of Firefox is due out.

The current release schedule:
Firefox 5 - June 21st
Firefox 3.6.18 - June 21st
Firefox 6 beta - July 5th
Firefox 7 moved to Aurora channel - July 5th
Firefox 6 - August 16th

Previously release dates with Mozilla have been very fluid and they tended not to announce them until the date was very close, the new release schedule is much tighter. Though not set in stone, the dates are unlikely to change by much if at all.

[stuck]

Thanks for the clarification as for

The exception is Firefox 3.6, I have not seen any indication as to when support for that branch will cease. It will probably depend upon how many people are still using it.

I'm relieved to hear that as we're still using that at work. FF4 maybe the latest and greatest but it doesn't render a ColdFuson application we rely on as well as FF3.6, borders that should be clean thin lines come out thick and chunky in FF4.

Ken

[BobH]

I can still remember the first time I came across Windows, I think it was Windows 1.0.

Couldn't get it to do anything mind you

Ken

Ken,

I still have the 5-1/4" floppies containing Windows 1. At the time I got it (free, as I recall), I had a monochrome graphics monitor on the original 8086 PC.