Good news everyone! Mozilla intends to copy Chrome some more

[mikeymikec]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/11/future_of_firefox_is_chrome/

I have to say, if this had been published on Apr 1st, it would have been pretty funny.

 

[akugami]

Firefox used to be fast and zippy. It added just enough features to increase usability. Now it's becoming bloated and it's trying to turn itself into Chrome. With the direction Firefox is headed, why bother using it? I'm asking myself why not just use Chrome as my main web browser?

 

[mikeymikec]

TBH I always found FF to be fast and zippy, but it seems to me that in recent-ish years the devs have been prioritising on "exciting stuff" like re-arranging the interface (making it more difficult for me to use it the way I liked it; I ended up having 3 or 4 add-ons to bring it back to the way I liked it), and adding crap to it (Pocket, Hello, etc), rather than improving on what were its good points (extensions for example, making sure that they don't get broken with every incremental release) and generally helping distinguish it as a unique product.

The final straw for me was when it was dropped from Pwn2Own for being "too easy", and even though I don't like Chrome much, at least Google doesn't seem to be in the habit of senselessly re-arranging stuff and adding crap, and has a good rep in security terms.

 

[sweenish]

Firefox used to be fast and zippy. It added just enough features to increase usability. Now it's becoming bloated and it's trying to turn itself into Chrome. With the direction Firefox is headed, why bother using it? I'm asking myself why not just use Chrome as my main web browser?

Chrome, with its default settings, will nuke a laptop's battery.

They're working on it, but it's still not great.

With that said, telling it not to run in the background can alleviate some of it.

On a desktop, FF really doesn't make any compelling arguments. I use it and my wife uses Chrome. Faster than user switching in Chrome.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

There are aspects introduced by switching to Chrome that are undesirable, even when not considering laptop battery power. Google didn't create Chrome altruistically but rather to data mine your browsing and in doing that restrict what you can and cannot do.

 

[Elixer]

There are aspects introduced by switching to Chrome that are undesirable, even when not considering laptop battery power. Google didn't create Chrome altruistically but rather to data mine your browsing and in doing that restrict what you can and cannot do.

I tend to think this as well, Google made the browser so they can get at data they otherwise couldn't get.

 

[lxskllr]

Chrome is awful. It's especially awful on Android. The last thing I want in Firefox is more Chrome.

 

[mikeymikec]

There are aspects introduced by switching to Chrome that are undesirable, even when not considering laptop battery power. Google didn't create Chrome altruistically but rather to data mine your browsing and in doing that restrict what you can and cannot do.

An argument that can be easily applied to just about anything technological these days. However, a bit of substance to go with it wouldn't go amiss (e.g. "here is some evidence of something that you wouldn't expect is being sent to Google"). Otherwise we can all check ourselves into a "M$ Windows 10 is EVIL!!!1" thread and abandon any notion of reasonable discourse.

 

[slag]

Chrome is awful. It's especially awful on Android. The last thing I want in Firefox is more Chrome.

I prefer chrome on android to opera. I use it daily and think it works great.

 

[lxskllr]

I prefer chrome on android to opera. I use it daily and think it works great.

No addons, and no customization. If you don't like the default, you're SOL.

 

[MtnMan]

There are standard features in FF that can't be found in chrome, even with ad-ons. I like those features, I use those features thus chrome isn't even on my desktop or start bar.

Primarily, Chrome does not allow moving a tab to a new window, nor when clicking on a file, it must be downloaded, then opened. FF I have the option to just open the file directly.

 

[SparkyJJO]

If I wanted Chrome I'd use Chrome. But I don't want Chrome, I want Firefox. Some of it is features and some is just, well, I like the way Firefox works better. Chrome was OK but never really cared much for it, even though I can't really put my finger on exactly why. So please, do not turn Firefox into Chrome! That's just dumb.

 

[MongGrel]

Chrome is awful. It's especially awful on Android. The last thing I want in Firefox is more Chrome.

There are standard features in FF that can't be found in chrome, even with ad-ons. I like those features, I use those features thus chrome isn't even on my desktop or start bar.

Primarily, Chrome does not allow moving a tab to a new window, nor when clicking on a file, it must be downloaded, then opened. FF I have the option to just open the file directly.

If I wanted Chrome I'd use Chrome. But I don't want Chrome, I want Firefox. Some of it is features and some is just, well, I like the way Firefox works better. Chrome was OK but never really cared much for it, even though I can't really put my finger on exactly why. So please, do not turn Firefox into Chrome! That's just dumb.

+1

 

[TheRyuu]

Primarily, Chrome does not allow moving a tab to a new window, nor when clicking on a file, it must be downloaded, then opened. FF I have the option to just open the file directly.

What do you mean by this? You can drag a tab away from the bar and it will create a new Chrome instance/window separate from the previous one. Am I misunderstanding what you're referring to?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I hate the new (well newish, been a few years now?) look of FF in Windows, it's so ugly. I'm glad the Linux version has not been butchered as badly as the Windows version. There are addons to change that, but still. What is it with the need for extra software to make existing software look decent? Even windows is so ugly now you need software to make it look better. Why do these companies keep having to change stuff and uglyfying it just because?

 

[Mem]

Chrome is awful. It's especially awful on Android. The last thing I want in Firefox is more Chrome.

Agreed!... I really don't understand the love for Chrome, what we need is original browsers that stay away from the Chrome clones.

 

[John Connor]

I dropped Firefox after 28. Before that I used Mozilla. Now I'm using Pale Moon and that's a grand experiment with the UA. He needs to change that.

Cyberfox is alright, but it has a lot of the stupidness of Firefox.

I tried the Pale Moon Android App, but it's an experiment too. I uninstalled and now have to use Firefox.

 

[slag]

No addons, and no customization. If you don't like the default, you're SOL.

Default works great on a mobile device so yeah, its perfect. I don't customize any of my browsers except for the adblock on my desktop and laptop either so chrome and/or IE work fine there also.

 

[TeknoBug]

Copying Chrome is "good news"?

I personally have no problems with Firefox aside the removal of "ask to allow or block cookies" option. And for that i'm using Opera 36 as my main browser now.

 

[nemesismk2]

If I wanted Chrome I'd use Chrome. But I don't want Chrome, I want Firefox. Some of it is features and some is just, well, I like the way Firefox works better. Chrome was OK but never really cared much for it, even though I can't really put my finger on exactly why. So please, do not turn Firefox into Chrome! That's just dumb.

i agree with you, if i wanted chrome then i would be using chrome but i am using firefox which i have always used and always wanted. i have even donated a bit of money in support of firefox

 

[inf1nity]

A question for the people here:

Are Google Chrome and Chromium browser equal in terms of their speed, performance, and security features?

I use Chromium because i have privacy concerns, am I missing out on anything but not using Chrome?

 

[shimpster]

A question for the people here:

Are Google Chrome and Chromium browser equal in terms of their speed, performance, and security features?

I use Chromium because i have privacy concerns, am I missing out on anything but not using Chrome?

Privacy concernz, go with SRWare Iron

 

[mikeymikec]

AFAIK Chromium is basically Google Chrome but without the Google-centric bits. It's maintained by Google. So basically I'd expect all three of those factors to be identical.

Maybe a smidgen off the startup time for Chromium because it lacks the Google-centric bits, but I would be surprised if there was much in it even on an ancient machine in terms of cold start time.

 

[shimpster]

Another forum member says Chrome has had a meteoric rise, so i reckon if Chrome is the meteor, otherz will follow suit.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2467291

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

I tend to think this as well, Google made the browser so they can get at data they otherwise couldn't get.

Google wanted to create a browser to promote web standards and practices. As a company whose largest properties can exist largely on the web for many it's important to them that the browser, wherever it be located, can be expected to do the things they want it to.

Through Chrome push for adoption of whatever they want. webM, HTML5 audio/video, increasing JS performance expectations, hardware acceleration or access, etc. Not saying these are things that came individually from Google but with control of the browser they can make a push for things that work for their products and needs.