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Firefox 2 Launch - Interview With Chris Beard
ReadWriteWeb writes "This afternoon Firefox 2 will be 'officially' launched. In anticipation of the unveiling, ReadWriteWeb has a brief interview with Chris Beard — Mozilla Vice President of Products. Subjects discussed include the growing enterprise usage of Firefox, the importance of user experience and security, Mozilla's theory behind Web feeds and why they haven't included an integrated RSS Reader, the growing add-on ecosystem, offline browsing, and finally a little about the future of the browser." From the article: "It felt to us like a 2.0 product, particularly if we looked at it from what 1.0 was, to 2.0. It was like half steps, from 1.0 to 1.5 to 2.0. It's also a very stable and rock solid release - it's really ready for the masses. So it really does feel like a 2, as opposed to a 1.x product. Firefox 2 has, we estimate, between 3-4 times the number of fixes than FF 1.5 did. And that doesn't just include fixes and bugs, but all of the feature work as well as memory, stability and security issues. But there's certainly a lot in it which makes it really solid." Also on the site is a concise review of the product, and an overview of Marketing Firefox 2.0.
...and yes, I know you've been a member longer than I have. .....and besides, the question I asked had nothing to do with the default installation at all. I agree that it is a fine browser out of the box. I simply asked a question (that was in no way trollish, or fanboyish) about how users "find out" about these extensions.
If joe user never looks at slashdot or strolls through the list of extensions (or reads your website), how does he find out about extensions?
I just addressed the andectotal instances I've run across where even slashdot users are in the dark on the available extensions. Again- these are for the people who aren't happy with the default install.
First of all, Firefox tells you about them at multiple points, including the screen displayed after your first run. If you actually read that - I know most people don't, but that's their problem - then you can go straight to extensions.
Second, everyone knows about browser toolbars and such from having them shoved at them nonstop, so they know that web browsers are extensible. They also know that search engines exist. They do have a decent shot to find extensions that way, especially since they have been referred to as everything from plugins to modules (and firefox refers to them both as add-ons and extensions depending on where you look.)
Anyway your comment reads more like a complaint that people can't find them - when most people will never need them.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"