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Firefox 43 Arrives With 64-bit Version For Windows, Android Tab Audio Indicators (venturebeat.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Mozilla today launched Firefox 43 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Notable additions to the browser include a 64-bit version for Windows (finally!), a new strict blocklist for the browser's tracking protection feature, and tab audio indicators on Android. "There is, however, a bit of a caveat. Firefox 64-bit for Windows has limited support for plugins. Certain sites that require plugins and work in Firefox 32-bit might not work in this 64-bit version. But Mozilla doesn’t see this as a big problem, and says it is by design. After all, the company plans to drop support for NPAPI plugins in Firefox by the end of the year (though it will keep Flash around). Mozilla has just over two weeks to deliver on that promise." Here are the changelogs: desktop and Android.
Which about:config preferences do I have to mess with to disable all the unwanted "features" in this version?
Unfortunately, it's the browser with the best implementation of NoScript. Thus, it is indispensable.
What's wrong with acting exactly like how the older product worked? Newer is not better. A web browser is simple, it doesn't need biweekly changes to its UI. the old Netscape was just fine. Web browser as an application platform is the dumb idea. DRM in browsers is a dumb idea.
If firefox goes away then there is literally nothing left. A browser must support adblock and noscript, as well as general purpose plugins.
Chrome has all the disadvantages of Firefox, but from Google. Rapid fire unnecessary updates unrelated to security, dropping of support for plugins, development oriented towards developers rather than users, frequent kissing of advertising butts, etc.
The version number almost says it all. How can you get excited about a new Firefox release with any feature, when it's just another rapid release. It could have true hard AI and no one would notice any more. It would get lost in the staggeringly mediocre array of non-features nobody wants, forced UI changes, broken addons, and developers that decide they know more about what people want than the users do.
Firefox adopted Google's rapid release cycle on a project that it was neither technically nor culturally suited for. One has to actually admire their dogged persistence to holding course in the face of what is an almost a completely unified chorus of "WHAT THE FUCK PEOPLE?!?!?".
I recommend Palemoon. A fork of the previous Firefox LTR, it has refused to add features unless they make sense, is compatible with most addons, and has its own growing body of its own addon developers that are quite loyal to the project for the simple reason that the project remains loyal to them. That's not to say that it's a static browser. Just one that took the best of what Firefox was and decided to continue in the direction of sensible goals and not alienating its user base.
Same problem every other 64bit browser has that uses plugin made under designs from 20 years ago
But with 64 bits, Firefox will finally be able to address all the memory it uses!