Mozilla Firefox 4.0 Beta 1: download update, go test (and unhappy hipsters)

By Richi Jennings. July 7, 2010.

Yay! It's time for Firefox 4.0 to break cover. Mozilla has released beta 1 for download, and wants us all to test the update to its open-source browser. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers ponder competitive pressure in free-as-in-beer-ware.

Your humble blogwatcher selected these bloggy morsels for your enjoyment. Not to mention unhappy hipsters...
 
 
Ben Parr begins practically:

The new iteration of the world’s second most popular web browser ... has been hotly anticipated for almost a year. ... [Now] it transitions from concept to reality, with many more betas to come until its official release. ... Firefox 4 is a major upgrade from its predecessors. It not only includes a redesign of the user interface ... [but also] enhanced HTML5 ... hardware-accelerated HD video, WebSockets and enhanced add-on support.
...
Mozilla needs Firefox 4 to be a winner ... Google Chrome has been stealing browser marketshare. ... The new version could either reverse the downtrend or accelerate its fall.

Adam Pash is passionate about the 'fox:

The menu bar has been replaced with the Firefox button. ... Tabs are now on top. ... The stop and reload buttons have been merged into a single button. ... The Bookmarks Toolbar has been replaced with a Bookmarks Button. ... More responsive page rendering using lazy frame construction. ... New add-ons manager, which loads in a tab of its own. ... New page loading progress indicator.
...
In this release the new-and-improved Firefox skin is only complete for the Windows release, so Mac and Linux users, you'll have to wait a bit.

Sebastian Anthony adds this tidbit:

The most significant change (other than OMG SHINY WINDOWS 7 AERO UI!!!1) is the inclusion of a built-in Feedback tool. ... You have immediate access to two buttons -- happy and sad. ... The Feedback feature also includes Mozilla's Test Pilot, the add-on that lets you take part in anonymous usage studies.

Mozilla's Mike Beltzner boasts:

Stay tuned, because there is more to come and we plan to release new beta versions every two to three weeks. ... By testing them early we’ll be able to respond to your feedback for future versions of Firefox.
...
In this version, we focused on improving responsiveness at start-up and during page loads. This is just the beginning. ... There will be much more to test in future beta releases. ... Help build the best Firefox ever: Download Firefox 4 Beta. ... We appreciate your assistance in testing this preview.

Trust Gordon Kelly to cut to the chase:

This is by far the most crucial release in Mozilla's history. ... We have a hyper competitive market with browser updates coming every few weeks. ... For the first time in a long time, Firefox market share has been stagnant ... partially because Firefox has come to be seen as an increasingly bloated beast in this increasingly speed obsessed sector.
...
With Chrome having raced towards market share double figures in under two years ... Safari 5 having just arrived and Internet Explorer 9 due ... the battle is going to be more tense than ever before.
... Firefox 4 will have its work cut out – especially with far smaller resources than its nearest rivals.

In a similar vein, Harry McCracken is conflicted:

I find myself in the weird situation of not having a favorite browser–I leap between Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Flock without giving it much thought.
...
I am, however, rooting for Firefox 4 to be good: ... I don’t want it to devolve into a battle between Microsoft and Google, which is the likely scenario if Firefox doesn’t stay ... inventive.

And Finally...
Unhappy Hipsters [hat tip: Howard Price]
 
 
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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.

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