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Mozilla 1.4 Released
Phil writes "MozillaZine is reporting that Mozilla 1.4 has been released for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. The new version is pretty similar to today's Netscape 7.1, which is based on the same code, but lacks Netscape's proprietary features. More information can be found in the release notes. The release can be downloaded from mozilla.org's releases page or via FTP. From here on, mozilla.org's focus shifts to Mozilla Firebird and Mozilla Thunderbird." The official release news is now up on Mozilla's main page, so let the downloading begin.
Sexy, finally I can trash that old Netscape 7.1 installation!
Support bacteria, it's the only culture some people have
Just installed the windows version: release notes don't require an uninstall of previous versions (in my case 1.3.1) but V1.4 barfed every time it started until I had rebooted and uninstalled 1.3.1. Seems fine since though
The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet. -- William Gibson
This is a very big addition. Some of the intranet sites I use require NTLM to access and I was never able to use Mozilla.
Like mandatory pop-ups...
"Linux is a serious competitor"
- Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Microsoft Corp.
As was pointed out to me in the recent Netscape 7.1 story, Mozilla 1.4 final is the same code as Mozilla RC3. (Check the "about:" page to see the idential release date.) So if you have RC3 installed, you can safely leave it there without worrying about major changes.
When I noticed that 1.4 had been released (in the comments for the Netscape 7.1 story) I figured I'd give Mozilla another try under Windows.
I was amazed.
Mozilla 1.4 is noticeably faster than previous versions under Windows, and seems on-par with Opera 7. For a while, I was running Opera 7 for browsing and Thunderbird for mail... I think now I'm going back to Mozilla for both.
Once the xft-enabled RPMs are up for Red Hat 9, I'll give it a try on that OS as well, but, as I said, speed didn't seem to be an issue there to begin with.
Bravo, Mozilla. Firebird is certainly fast, but some people like the integration of the web/e-mail programs, and it's nice to see a speed boost for us as well.
You make a fair comment, but this is Mozilla's new stable build, and the last one distributed as a monolithic application bundle. The stories about the RC's were mostly free advertising for last-minute stress testers, because this stable build has to last until they completely separate the innards into separate applications.
You tell me how "whilst" differs from "while," and I'll stop calling you a pretentious jackass.
That's the classic 0x610f0769 bug.
Increment by 1 so it reads 0x610f0770.
Results may vary.
Get a BitTorrent download here!
I just installed Netscape 7.1 :-(
/me bursts into tears because his browser is out of date.
Mozilla is one of the 'pillars' of OSS software, along with GCC, the Linux kernel, KDE, GNOME, and Apache (I'm probably forgetting some too). It's important to hype it up and keep us informed so we can test and push the technology. If we were all still using Mozilla 1.0 there wouldn't _BE_ a 1.4 release for a LONG time.
Slashdot is the appropriate place to make such release announcements. If you don't like them taking up space here, turn off mozilla stories in your prefs, if you want to track Mozilla closer turn on the Mozilla slashbox.
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
I don't know why you haven't upgraded to 2003. I did it nearly seven months ago...
Maybe when Microsoft integrates Mozilla into the OS. Most of what makes up IE loads when Windows starts, due to MS making IE the default interface to every fricken part of the OS. Double-clicking on the "e" icon simply loads the last 10% or so (prob not even that).
You can use "Quickstart" in Mozilla or NS to enable to same behavior, but honestly I find the whole idea of an app sucking up RAM when you aren't using it to be pretty stupid. Like leaving your car running all night just so you don't have to waste the 5 seconds in the morning to start it.
I mean, really: compare the startup time to how long you spend actually ON THE NET. Do a few seconds really matter??? Isn't it nice to close it and have it be GONE FROM MEMORY (unlike IE)?
You're mistaking a lack of guarantee with a lack of testing.
Mozilla isn't guaranteed to do ANYTHING. It's not guaranteed to be Y2k "compliant," it's not guaranteed to cause no damage to your hard drive, it's not guaranteed to cause SOME damage to your hard drive! Nor is it guaranteed to render web pages correctly, avoid sleeping with your spouse, or save the world.
The y2k non-guarantee was put up many years ago, because nearly every organisation on the planet was being hounded with the "are you y2k compliant?" question. Mozilla is just as non-compliant today as they were then, which is to say that nobody has found any issues.
Mozilla HAS been tested to work with four digit dates, and also been tested to render almost all web pages properly (certainly all proper web pages). It has NOT been guaranteed to do these things.
Seriously, download 1.4 and give it a go. I think you'll be very happy with its behaviour.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
Too bad, so sad. Moz 1.4 is fulla da bugs.
:)
Within 1 minute, I found that it's listing sans-serif fonts as serif, and serif fonts as sans-serif. Yikes.
Also some weirdness in the toolbar buttons with vertical alignment. (Back & Forward buttons 'valigned' to the top, whilst Reload & Stop buttons are on the bottom). Bizarro.
At least this is the FIRST time a Mozilla release has actually NOT decided to make itself the default browser in spite of my always telling it not to. One bug fixed, yay!
1) I still find an occasional page that renders incorrectly. Or maybe what its actually doing is rendering correctly due to spec compliance. But I don't really care what the problem is, I just want them to always render like other browsers.
2) There are weird problems with keyboard keys not working right sometimes. For example, occasionally if I click in the document that has been displayed, the arrow keys will not move the page. Or in forms the home/end keys, etc. dont work. It seems like these events aren't being captured, although I can't find any consistent way to cause it.
3) When I view my rental queue in Netflix, Mozilla crashes completely. This is the biggest problem...other things are just irritating, but I can't get rid of IE while this still happens. Again, maybe Netflix is using improper javascript or something. But, my perspective as a user is only "does it work." In any case, the browser should be able to handle nasty code in a way that doesn't cause a complete crash even if it infinite loops or something.
Despite these kinds of annoyances, I am going to stick with Mozilla. I love tabbed browsing, and I really like being able to bookmark a set of tabs that I may want open for reference while working on a project. 1.3 was the first version I started using regularly because my form filler/password manager finally supported Mozilla, and with googlebar all my needs are met.
I guess I'll go see now if 1.4 has addressed any of these issues...
"is it really news worthy every time Moz makes a release?"
/. in its entire history, they would be for (1)the initial creation of the project, (2)the 1.0 milestone, and (3)the 1.4 release.
No. The announcements for RC1, RC2, and RC3 were really unnecessary.
However, this release--1.4 final--is definitely worthy of a post. This is the official 'stable production' release (the first since 1.0, I think), and is also the final relase in the old development path. If there were only three Mozilla announcements on
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
I mean come on, what did you think Release Candidate meant?
For those of us used to Microsoft's 'Release Candidates', it's a big frigging surprise for the RC to be identical to the release version.
Microsoft Release Candidate == alpha version
Release version == beta version
Service Pack 2/3/4 == almost there...
Oh come on! We're talking about a web browser here, not your respirator.
Parent: I don't know why you haven't upgraded to 2003. I did it nearly seven months ago...
I'm not sure which is more worrying: being 2 1/2 years behind the times or almost a month ahead. Or the state of the U.S. educational system?
Breaking up Mozilla isn't primarily about making it smaller, it's about making it more maintainable. The way it is, bugs in the mail component may hold up release of the browser component. Separating them into separate programs means they can be released independently. Besides, many people don't want to use one or the other Mozilla component.
Functionally, Firebird is as full-featured as the Mozilla browser, and there are more extensions and skins available for it (most of the Mozilla extensions just work).
This easter egg has existed since the Netscape/Mozilla 0.9.x days, but it's still neat. Type "about:mozilla" in the address box and see what comes up...
Try it in IE too. You get something rather cryptic, to say the least... No, I don't know what it means either.