Introduction

Mozilla Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate 1 (RC1) has been officially released, marking a significant milestone in its development cycle. Intended for pre-release testing, this build brings numerous performance improvements and new features. Although initially planned for a Q4 2009 release, Firefox 3.6’s final version launch was delayed to Q1 2010, with the RC1 build possibly closely mirroring the final release in capabilities.

Background and Development

Firefox 3.6 is the successor to the widely used Firefox 3.5 browser. Known for its open-source roots and community-driven development, Mozilla has focused on enhancing speed, stability, and user experience in this iteration. The 3.6 RC1 build aims to deliver smoother performance, better web standards support, and an assortment of practical innovations while maintaining familiar interfaces.

Browser Performance Benchmarking

To evaluate Firefox 3.6 RC1, benchmarking tests were conducted comparing it against Firefox 3.5.7, Google Chrome beta 4.0.249.64, Safari 4.0.4, and Internet Explorer 8. Tests were run on a robust hardware setup:

  • Core i7 Extreme 965 processor
  • EVGA X58 SLI Classified E759 motherboard
  • 6GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
  • Windows 7 Ultimate x64 operating system

A popular free online benchmarking tool (used since March 2009) was employed for performance measurement.

Benchmark Scores Summary:

Browser Performance Score
----------------------- -------------------
Safari 4.0.4 5401
Firefox 3.6 RC1 4352
Google Chrome Beta 4 3772
Firefox 3.5.7 2871
Internet Explorer 8 1409

Safari leads with a notable margin, particularly impressive given it runs on Windows. Firefox 3.6 RC1 marks a significant performance leap over previous Firefox versions and even surpasses the Chrome beta tested. Internet Explorer 8 remains behind in performance in this comparison.

Key Features and Improvements in Firefox 3.6 RC1

  • Plugin Out-Of-Date Alerts: The browser now notifies users when installed plugins are outdated, enhancing security and functionality.
  • Enhanced JavaScript Performance: Optimizations under the hood improve the execution speed of JavaScript code.
  • HTML5 File API Support: This modern web standard support enhances handling of files within web applications.
  • Asynchronous Script Execution: Allows scripts to run without blocking page rendering, improving load times and responsiveness.
  • Personas-Themed Appearance: Users can change the browser’s look with a single click using Personas without restarting.
  • Improved Form Autofill: Smarter, more accurate automatic filling of web forms for user convenience.

Implications and Impact

The release of Firefox 3.6 RC1 signals Mozilla’s commitment to closing the performance gap with competitors like Google Chrome and Safari, while advancing web standards. Faster JavaScript execution and HTML5 support align Firefox with evolving web technologies, crucial for developers and users navigating feature-rich websites.

Outperforming Chrome for the first time in a year positions Firefox as a strong contender in the browser wars, especially on Windows platforms. The out-of-date plugin alerts improve security posture, an increasingly important concern.

Conclusion

Mozilla Firefox 3.6 RC1 offers a balanced mix of enhanced performance, modern web features, and usability improvements. Its competitive benchmark scores affirm Mozilla’s progress in optimizing browser speed on modern hardware. Users and developers are encouraged to test RC1 actively and provide feedback before the final release.

Download Information

Firefox 3.6 RC1 is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms for pre-release testing. Users can download it from Mozilla’s official channels.

References & Further Reading