Firefox 2.0 released a day early

GameMaster · 10-23-2006, 11:36 PM

http://weblog.infoworld.com/techwatc...es/008508.html

Link to Firefox 2.0

http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozi.../releases/2.0/

Quote:

Mozilla has released Firefox 2.0 a day early, and this is no malware site spoofing the release a day early as with Microsoft's IE7 last week.

Mozilla wrote to talk up its party tomorrow... there's even a dedicated site...

You might ask, what does a crop circle, space balloon, sidewalk chalk and a NY Times ad have in common? They highlight the long lists of wacky events Firefox fans have organized to celebrate major milestones for the Firefox browser. To celebrate the release of Firefox 2, Firefox fans are being equipped with the tools to plan launch parties around the globe at www.firefoxparty.com. There are currently over 375 parties playing host to approximately 3300 Firefox fans who will be celebrating the launch of Firefox 2 this week. Enthusiasts as far south as Antarctica and as far north as Norway have registered thus far and the attendee list is still growing. You can check out a map detailing the party locations in real-time at the Web site.

But InfoWorld's Kevin Railsback ferreted out the back-door soft-launch to get the party started.

Not to be mistaken for the usual weight put on a 2.0 such as Web 2.0, this latest version of Firefox adds some handy features, but don't expect anything earth shattering.

The real message here with Firefox 2.0 coming out just days after Microsoft released IE7 is that the browser wars seem back on, which hopefully means some new features will add some genuinely new life to browsers.

A day early? Hopefully Mozilla dotted its Is and crossed its Ts, to avoid the bad news Microsoft got when holes were thought to have been found in IE7 within 24 hours of its release.

Microsoft says the bug is not in the browser but Outlook Express, its e-mail client. Finer points...

Back to the state of browsers: OK, so IE7 now has tabs -- finally. And Firefox has added a nifty new feature that recovers pages and data from the browser following a crash.

A PR guy for the social web browser firm Flock e-mailed to point out how the two leaders are "really about incremental changes to an outdated model." He said browsers had been stagnant for 10 years.

Flock's focus: "The Web's evolution from a passive to a fluid, participatory medium ... [Marking] the change in Web user behavior and experience -- from just 'looking' at the Web to 'making' the Web."

Very true, and little is reflected in IE7 or Firefox 2.0, but I will update after talking through some of this with Mozilla tomorrow, so check back then.

If you have questions for the Mozilla or IE teams, leave them with us below and we'll see if we can get an answers or roadmaps. I'll also set up a chat with Flock so they can have their say as to why their browser is it.

Update: A Mozilla representative said the link we have in this post to 2.0 was "to get Firefox 2 ready for release on Tuesday. Mozilla does not guarantee that any set of files currently found within its Web site or elsewhere will be the final release." ...

Starting tomorrow afternoon, everyone should go through Mozilla's main channels for download at getfirefox.com or mozilla.com to obtain Firefox, as this is the pathway Mozilla has optimized for the high volume of Web traffic.

Please help us get the word out to your audience that they can get their hands on Firefox 2 as of tomorrow afternoon at www.getfirefox.com and not at a direct file link.

Dyne · 10-24-2006, 12:59 AM

Sweet, I hope they upgrade Camino too.

Seven7 · 10-24-2006, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GameMaster

Firefox 2.0 released a day early

Actually that is Wrong as the planned release has always been and still is Tuesday afternoon PST (October 24). The site is (or was until the update notice on bottom of article) just jumping the gun early as many other sites have done ever since Mozilla put the 2.0 files on mirrors before then updating site and such as they have always done in past but yet sites are saying otherwise.

http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/a...d_tuesday.html
http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/preed...tirelease.html
http://www.beltzner.ca/mike/archives...e_ashamed.html

But hey if your already using the 2.0 RC3 then well your using 2.0 final as it is the same.

It will not be until 1.5.0.8 likely that users will be given the option of updating to minor 1.5.0.* update or to get choice of separate major update to 2.0.*

As for Camino the 1.1 alpha 1 test release was recently released as the 1.0.3 is still the current stable.

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061023 BonEcho/2.0 ID:2006102304 (no real differences from 2.0 final at moment due to no checkins since 20061010.

GameMaster · 10-24-2006, 01:56 AM

Shouldn't you be at a Firefox party?

But seriously, we have a lot of great discussions outside the realm of Firefox. Why have you only elected to participate in Firefox related topics. And how did you know to visit GT today when I would make this thread? I know you don't visit daily.

Look what I'm using:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20061010 Firefox/2.0

Oh yeah!

Teuthida · 10-24-2006, 05:43 PM

Well, it's officially out now.

GameMaster · 10-24-2006, 05:46 PM

OMG, give us impressions, details!

Teuthida · 10-24-2006, 06:27 PM

....right.

Well, did not like the new look so got a theme to match that of old.

Happydude · 10-24-2006, 09:25 PM

do i have to uninstall 1.5 and then install 2? becuase the auto-update feature isn't working

Teuthida · 10-24-2006, 09:35 PM

Nope, don't have to. I heard that there is no auto-upgrade for this one since it's so major...or at least that's what the folks were chittering about at digg. I'm liking this auto spell check that's implemented. "Chittering" and "digg" are underlined in red as I type this.

Happydude · 10-24-2006, 11:01 PM

well, as i said...the auto-update feature doesn't work...do i have to wait for it or something?

Teuthida · 10-24-2006, 11:12 PM

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Happydude · 10-25-2006, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teuthida

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

thank you

Null · 10-25-2006, 10:01 AM

ah, now Firefox is going tell me i spelt Firefox wrong every time i don't capitalize the F, lol.

Stonecutter · 10-27-2006, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Null

ah, now Firefox is going tell me i spelt Firefox wrong every time i don't capitalize the F, lol.

Give it three days and there'll be an extension to fix that.

I love the spell check.

Jonbo298 · 10-27-2006, 10:19 AM

The 2 things that annoy me with 2.0 is that if I click a link from the drop down address bar it doesn't go to it, it just shows it in the bar but I have to either hit enter or the go button (hate doing that). Unless there's some option to change that.

The other minor thing is that I can't remove the Go button anymore (without removing the entire address bar)! >< I hated having it there since I just hit enter or clicked on the link I was going to and just took up wasted space.