The Mozilla Foundation released an entirely new web browser called Firefox Quantum. Of course the new browser, came to compete with Google Chrome.
Firefox Quantum was released in November 2017 for users of almost all operating systems: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac and Windows. The Mozilla Foundation announced that Firefox Quantum is designed to offer twice the speed of its predecessor, while uses 30% less memory than Chrome browser.
Great marketing, but is Firefox Quantum better than Google's rival browser?
Below we will try the pros and cons of the two browsers.
In December of 2017, just one month after the launch of Firefox Quantum. the Mozilla Foundation he said that there were 44% more downloads than Chrome users compared to the same time period last year. On Android and iOS devices, in particular, Firefox installations increased by 24%.
Introduction
Let's put the above information in context: First, when Chrome debuted 2008, it quickly became the de-facto web browser. Before then, everyone was using Firefox as an alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer or Apple Safari.
Chrome has shunned Firefox, which seems to be starting to reverse. According to the Digital Analytics Program, in January of 2017, Chrome dominated the US (with 44,5% market share). Safari (with 25,4%), Internet Explorer (with 15,5% market share) followed by Firefox (in fourth) with 7,4%.
However, one month after the launch of Quantum Firefox, the Mozilla Foundation has confirmed that 170 millions of people have installed the new browser, which allows you to open more than 1.500 tabs in just seconds.
What's new in Firefox Quantum?
Before we go ahead with Firefox Quantum, you should know that we are talking about technical version 57 of the proletterof the Firefox browser. The name “Quantum” comes from the development project that made Firefox the browser it is today. But the name remained.
Speed
Beneath the redesigned look is a new browser engine, born out of the Quantum project, along with new multi-display technologywork that the Mozilla Foundation has created for the browser.
Firefox Quantum also features an AMD VP9 video codec, which helps reduce battery consumption by cutting video decoding per tab. The result is a browser that is very light and built to run multiple tabs of different tasks with 86% less latency. All this while using less RAM than Chrome uses. You can play gamea 3D at native speeds and browse with confidence knowing that Firefox uses enough memory to let you work alongside other applications. Firefox uses 1,77 times less memory than Chrome, according to the Mozilla Foundation.
Design
We all want a fast and light browser, but we also want one that looks good. Firefox Quantum does not seem to disappoint. You will immediately see the changes throughout the browser, from the toolbar icons, the "Settings" menu, the "New tab" etc. If, for any reason, you do not like the new look, Firefox Quantum lets you customize it to your liking. You can move all the buttons, change the colors and fonts and even control the browser's optical density. You can also choose from thousands of themes.
Specifications
Firefox Quantum comes loaded with a lot of tricks. Like Chrome, it has a built-in QR reader and menu item for copying a URL. With Firefox Quantum you can capture a section from your screen, or the entire screen, or just a webpage. You can enable "Night Mode" to invert browser colors. You can also install extensions and add-ons, sync your browser, and share open tabs on your mobile phone, desktop, or tablet. You can manage your passwords and give your computer a master password for extra security. You can browse privately. Mozilla Foundation with Firefox Quantum as an open source browser will not make your electronic data available and lets you choose privacy so you can browse freely.
With private operation, for example, Firefox Quantum actively blocks any unwanted content, including ads, analysis snippets, and social sharing buttons that capture your behavior without your explicit permission.
Google Chrome
The latest version of Firefox seems to be superior to Chrome, in all the comparative tests I have read so far. The test results show that a lot of effort has been put into a better performance of Firefox. However, although something seems obvious, no one can see a huge difference in speed - but this should not be a surprise, as in 2018 all modern browsers are quite fast.
If you want to know more about Chrome and the technical details behind its speed, such as WebKit, V8 JavaScript and more, see the comic book made by Google. Explains everything you need to know. For those of you who want to learn even more, such as DNS pre-resolution or DOM bindings, Google has several technical videos.
The Mozilla Foundation, of course, could not stay behind and released a commercial video that directly compares the two browsers. Watch the video.
Design
Chrome has remained the same for years. So if you're feeling a little tired of the look of Chrome, you might be fascinated by Firefox Quantum's "Photon" look. Just do not expect any new browsing experience. We are always talking about a web browser. In fact, Firefox Quantum is very similar to Chrome. And to be fair Firefox Quantum is not the only browser that comes with its own custom store. You can easily browse through the thousands of themes available for Chrome, from here.
Specifications
Google is always trying to crack Chrome as a safe browser and right. It features built-in malware detection software and phishing detection thanks to sandboxing technology and safe browsing. The Google app offers automatic updates for security fixes. It also has many privacy tools. For example, as with Private Firefox Quantum, Chrome has something called incognito mode. The function mostly automatically deletes the cookies.
Finally, Chrome also lets you sign in to instantly access your synced bookmarks, history, and other settings from any device. Like Firefox Quantum, it has add-ons and extensions as well as the Chrome Web Store.
We will leave aside the design (as the subject is subjective), and we will be turning to the speed and more generally the features that make the confrontation between Firefox Quantum and Chrome quite difficult.
As we said earlier, much of the data seems to indicate that Firefox Quantum is faster, but some synthetic tests suggest that speed is negligible in the real world.
In other words, both browsers may be just as fast, but you may notice differences when you work side by side on your computer. Twelve tabs in Chrome can reach memory limits, while in Firefox Quantum, you can have 30 to 40 tabs open and do not feel any delay. It's something worthwhile to try, especially if you use the browser for most hours on the computer.
Firefox Quantum vs Google Chrome: The browser war
Chrome has won several wars, but as the story has shown, at some point it's likely to lose its crown. Although Chrome has been dominating over the past few years, Firefox seems to have moved at quantum speed.
Mozilla now hopes that Firefox Quantum will allow it to regain ground lost to Chrome, although it faces some very difficult challenges: Chrome is the default browser for all Android devices, and Safari is the default browser for the Mac and iOS devices, while the Microsoft Edge is the default browser for Windows 10 devices.
Ultimately, changing browsers is not easy. There is a learning curve, and even behavioral learning.
What you will choose, rather go with the operating you are using, although it is never too late to learn something new.
