New Firefox Browser Offers Crash Protection
Who hasn't experienced the frustration of a video or online game freezing midstream? The newest, non-experimental version of Mozilla's Firefox browser provides crash protection, which while not preventing untimely interruptions, will allow users to start up where they left off with a simple page refresh.
Firefox 3.6.4, the latest security and stability release for Firefox, will isolate third party plugins including Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime and Microsoft Silverlight, the most popular programs for running online video , and eliminate the need to close the browser and restart it.
Firefox is used by nearly 400 million people, second only to Microsoft Internet Explorer. According to Mozilla, Firefox 3.6.4 will significantly reduce the number of Firefox crashes experienced by users who are watching online videos or playing games . Mozilla estimated that one in three crashes is caused by video plugins.
The new Firefox will also automatically alert users when updates are available for their plugins―the small programs that power video, animation and games―and make the needed updates with user permission.
In addition, Mozilla has a plugin status page where users can see what plugins have been installed and whether an available update is critical (security risk), optional or unavailable, shown by red, yellow and green buttons respectively. Users can update directly from the plugin page or opt for automatic updates.
Results of a SunSpider test on a computer running Windows 7 showed Firefox 3.6 was three times faster than Firefox 3 versions and 20 percent faster than Firefox 3.5, meaning Web applications like email, photo sites, online word processors feel more responsive.
At this time Firefox 3.6.4 offers crash protection for Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime and Microsoft Silverlight on Windows and Linux computers. Mozilla promised support for other plugins and operating systems in a future Firefox release.
The free Firefox 3.6.4 update is available on Mozilla.com and the download and installation process can be completed in under two minutes.
