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View Full Version : Mozilla quietly ceases Firefox 64-bit development



Kizzume
11-27-2012, 07:47 PM
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57553467-93/mozilla-quietly-ceases-firefox-64-bit-development/


Mozilla engineering manager Benjamin Smedberg has asked developers to stop nightly builds for Firefox versions optimized to run on 64-bit versions of Windows.

A developer thread posted on the Google Groups mozilla.dev.planning discussion board, titled "Turning off win64 builds" by Smedberg proposed the move.

Claiming that 64-bit Firefox is a "constant source of misunderstanding and frustration," the engineer wrote that the builds often crash, many plugins are not available in 64-bit versions, and hangs are more common due to a lack of coding which causes plugins to function incorrectly. In addition, Smedberg argues that this causes users to feel "second class," and crash reports between 32-bit and 64-bit versions are difficult to distinguish between for the stability team.

This is disappointing for me, as I use a 64 bit windows 7, and as the 32bit version of Firefox works alright, it still has the 2gb memory limitations of a 32bit program, and I tend to max out the browser a lot in that area. I was just looking up to see if there were any official versions only to find out that the whole thing had been discontinued. Oh well. Maybe Google will make a 64bit version of Chrome, as much as I don't want GoogleUpdater running on my system. It'll probably happen eventually, I'm just very disappointed in the Mozilla team for dropping 64bit.

Peter1469
11-27-2012, 07:55 PM
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57553467-93/mozilla-quietly-ceases-firefox-64-bit-development/

I had a problem with Chrome and advertisements.


This is disappointing for me, as I use a 64 bit windows 7, and as the 32bit version of Firefox works alright, it still has the 2gb memory limitations of a 32bit program, and I tend to max out the browser a lot in that area. I was just looking up to see if there were any official versions only to find out that the whole thing had been discontinued. Oh well. Maybe Google will make a 64bit version of Chrome, as much as I don't want GoogleUpdater running on my system. It'll probably happen eventually, I'm just very disappointed in the Mozilla team for dropping 64bit.

Kizzume
11-27-2012, 07:58 PM
You needed to get the Adblock Plus addon/plugin--unless they've recently done something that puts more ads on your screen...

Conley
11-27-2012, 11:36 PM
I have had more and more trouble with FF...didnt really want to switch to Chrome but I started feeling like I didnt have a choice. This story makes me think I'm not the only one and that FF overall is in trouble, which stinks

Peter1469
11-27-2012, 11:42 PM
Typical. Software gets obsolete and we have to move on to something better.

Captain Obvious
11-30-2012, 07:55 PM
Typical. Software gets obsolete and we have to move on to something better.

I disagree. The software market is always changing/upgrading to generate sales, not to improve the product.

Peter1469
11-30-2012, 07:59 PM
I disagree. The software market is always changing/upgrading to generate sales, not to improve the product.

That is true too. Had VISTA not sucked so bad Mircosoft would not have kept XP alive for so long.

I was thinking about anti-virus software as an example. Program A could be great in 2009, 2010, and then turn to crap in 2011. So you move onto Program B....

Captain Obvious
11-30-2012, 08:46 PM
That is true too. Had VISTA not sucked so bad Mircosoft would not have kept XP alive for so long.

I was thinking about anti-virus software as an example. Program A could be great in 2009, 2010, and then turn to crap in 2011. So you move onto Program B....

I'm not a techie by a longshot, but the nature of the industry is just that. Mice outsmart the mousetraps, hence the need for better mousetraps. A viscous cycle. Having said that though, "don't let a crisis go to waste" - it's all a rouse to sell those mousetraps.

Every couple years Microsoft releases new everything. "Better security" and all of that which might be true, but functionally most of it is just a different way of doing the same shit it always did.

From a practical standpoint I have little patience to re-learn how to do what I already knew how to do so I avoid it if I can.

As for Mozilla, the product works great - AdBlock. Never see ads but I figure that either adsters will find a way around that or Mozilla will be pressured to weakening that product at some point.