Are "Fast" Browser Versions A Good Idea?

Mozilla is going to "pull a Google" so-to-speak and release Firefox 4, 5, 6 and 7 this year; it’s true. This is something where I’m not sure if I’m in total agreement with. Google has been able to get away with fast-change Chrome browser versions and nobody seems to mind. The current Chromium nightly builds for example are already at version 11.

imageI personally use a Chromium nightly build because it seems to work very well. If I download a version one day that’s a little buggy in some areas, it’s no big deal because it will most likely be fixed with tomorrow’s release. In addition, I haven’t had any browser extension break from release to release. For example, Lightshot, which I use and is a fairly "heavy" extension, has never failed on any nightly build of Chromium I’ve used, including the latest version.

With Firefox on the other hand I can’t use nightly builds or beta releases because of my dependency concerning certain add-ons. For example, the LogMeIn Firefox add-on is something I absolutely have to have working so I can support my father’s PC when necessary. That plugin does not work in Firefox 4 beta or at least it didn’t the last time I checked and it’s not worth the effort to see if it does.

Firefox add-ons are both the best and worst part of the browser. It’s great that there are so many add-ons to choose from, but the problem is that if you become dependent on any of them (such as I have with LogMeIn), you must remain with current-release-only, otherwise you suffer from broken add-ons. Heck, there are still people who refuse to upgrade from Firefox 3.0 for this reason, never mind 3.6.

Fast-revision changes used to be solely for betas and nightly builds, but not anymore. Now they’re being applied to official-release browsers at the same lightning speed.

Will these fast-version changes bust all my Firefox add-ons that I depend on? I hope not. With Chromium the browser extensions continue to work from version to version, but what about Firefox? It’s well known that for every Firefox release, add-ons bust routinely. Will my installed add-ons "survive" through four major releases in less than 12 months?

Fingers crossed. :)

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4 comments

  1. When I first heard this yesterday, my gut reaction was, “What? Why?!” It just seems like a shallow move to me. I didn’t even think about add-ons breaking from release to release, but that’s a very good point. I’d hope since they’ll be releasing them so close together that there shouldn’t be a problem, but I’ll have to keep by fingers crossed as well.

  2. Firefox busting plugins is certainly a problem for me too. I like the fact that they are being fairly XXX about the number of releases but wonder if they’ll factor in the downtime it causes to users. Best option is to update on a non-critical machine and see what it breaks – if you can live with it then update your main computer, otherwise wait until the plugins have been updated too.

  3. Love using them both cause they have special functions that I often used.. Hope to hear more strong points about these browsers and not those negative ones..

  4. Yellowcabairportrides /

    I do used both . Personally i do used chrome otherwise firfox . Forfox is helpful for SEO like it easly install google toolbar . And it allow anothe add on toolbar .

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