Users Say Firefox 29 Not So Great

[Littlebits]

Content source

http://www.toptechnews.com/news/Users--Firefox-29-Not-So-Great/story.xhtml?story_id=030002R9WDQ6

Firefox 29 users are not at all happy with the updated browser they say Mozilla has forced on them. What Firefox users want -- and what they are used to -- is a robust browser with numerous customization features, but that is not what they feel Mozilla's Firefox 29 browser is providing.

Mozilla's modernized Firefox 29 browser has been heavily criticized by users since it was released on April 29. Users say that without a way to revert to the old browser, this update may force them to switch to new programs entirely.

Unlike in previous versions of Firefox, the new browser shares many design elements with slimmed down programs like Google Chrome. Although users are attacking the overall design, they are not criticizing some of the features included in Firefox 29, like the Enhanced Firefox Sync. This feature lets users easily transfer their Firefox features -- including their settings, their histories, their bookmarks and more -- from one device to another.

A Bad Design

The overwhelming response to the design change has been negative, based on NewsFactor's coverage of the update. Users feel Firefox has pushed the type of design on them that they have been trying to avoid. Firefox 29 may include some great features, but the design changes that people must interact with every day do not seem as good.

Even though the update is not automatic -- users have the option to install it -- the shock that is associated with the design change has only made things worse for Mozilla.

Andy, one of the users who responded to NewsFactor's coverage, pointed out that some of the changes don't seem to work with a desktop PC. "The whole 'toytown' look and feel simply doesn't work on a desktop PC. Significant areas of customization have been removed (there's no way to configure a proper menu bar, for example) and the add-ons that are supposed to restore the previous UI don't work," Andy said.

Other comments, such as "this update is terrible," make it clear that users are not happy with the direction that Mozilla is taking. A robust browser with numerous customization features is what Firefox users want and are used to, but that is not what they feel Firefox 29 is providing.

More Complaints To Come

Given the feedback that users have provided to Mozilla over the past two weeks, you would assume that the company would be trying to make things right wherever possible. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case, as Firefox may soon come with ads.

Users were concerned in February when Mozilla took to its blog to explain that the "new tab" page would potentially include "sponsored content from hand-picked partners." Mozilla Firefox VP Johnathan Nightingale has now responded to those concerns by stating that Firefox will not be turned into a jumbled mess of advertisements, but that does not mean there will not be sponsored content.

To start, the Firefox team is experimenting with new types of non-sponsored content that can be shown whenever someone opens a new tab. If that experiment goes well, Nightingale said that the team will then consider sponsored content.

Source

 

[Nico@FMA]

Nice article, but i really do not see what most users bitching about.
I just want a browser that works and is fast....all others i can take care of myself.

 

[XhenEd]

I just want a browser that works and is fast....

This. ^^^

I actually like the new look of Firefox v29. This is maybe because I'm used to the minimalist design of Chrome.
But I found Firefox v29 to be slower than Chrome in my computer's system. Though I can say that it is faster than its previous versions.

 

[illumination]

i kinda feel for Mozilla with this. As many complained of slow cold starts, of heavy bloatness, ect.. To find a middle ground, and achieve some speed they streamlined the browser some, hence losing some abilities of the customization. They did so trying to balance out being able to customize and gain some of that speed.. what they have to contend with, is a simplistic, slim lined browser, that is very fast.

It is a give and take kind of situation to which they find themselves..

 

[cruelsister]

All issues solved.

 

[Icy]

All issues solved.

Looks like a pad at a first glance

 

[Deleted member 178]

"in the realms of the blinds, the one-eyed man is king"

Umbra said: "but i have 2 eyes so as a god i ignore the whinners"

 

[cruelsister]

Heathens, the lot of you (although the Erasmus quote was cool).

 

[Littlebits]

The major problem with these changes is most users didn't know about them before it was too late and it corrupted their profile and cause them to have to work for hours to get their settings back again, broke several extensions many of which will be no longer updated by extension developers because they have moved to developing Chrome extension instead. What this means from a development point of view is Google Chrome will eventually have much more to offer for extensions since many Firefox extension developers have call it quits because of the changes. Google Chrome will not continue to get even more popular with extension users and Firefox will slowly drift away.

Since I did know about these changes I prepared and made a backup of my profile that I move to both Pale Moon and Cyberfox, I personally don't care for new design and the lack of supporting full themes and have to manually add a bunch of extensions to get my settings close to original as possible. Cyberfox developer is having major problems with the new source-code, it is unknown how the project will continue. Pale Moon will continue using Firefox ESR source-code and adding new features. Mozilla has basically closed the doors to extension developers and source-code builders with these recent changes. While the door remains wide open for Chrome development.

The future doesn't look good for Mozilla.

Eventually I will be forced to move to Google Chrome since the main reason that I prefer Firefox is the huge amount of extensions which keep fading away and Google Chrome keeps getting better extensions and will continue to get more extension developers.

For now I will hang on to Pale Moon as my default browser since the future in not certain for Cyberfox or Waterfox.

Enjoy!!

 

[Deleted member 178]

Chrome DPI management for high res system is very bad , can't use it right now. FF or IE are the best for that at the moment.

 

[Ink]

Chrome DPI management for high res system is very bad , can't use it right now. FF or IE are the best for that at the moment.

Try IE Tab for Chrome (Windows only).
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/hehijbfgiekmjfkfjpbkbammjbdenadd

Also available for Firefox, http://www.ietab.net

 

[Dima007]

If you updated by mistake...You can install the 28 from here: ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/28.0/win32/en-US/

 

[Littlebits]

If you updated by mistake...You can install the 28 from here: ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/28.0/win32/en-US/

But it doesn't have the latest security patches, so you're only option if you want a secure Firefox version without the new UI is Pale Moon or Firefox ERS.

Thanks.

All issues solved.

SeaMonkey is an excellent browser but lacks extensions compared to Google Chrome.
Otherwise that would be my first choice for a browser.

 

[Dima007]

Thanks Littlebits

 

[Koroke San]

For now I will hang on to Pale Moon as my default browser since the future in not certain for Cyberfox or Waterfox.
Enjoy!!

And i thought Littlebits never use any clone version of original browsers

 

[zeusc4]

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

 

[WinAndLinuxTutorials]

I find the new Firefox to be just fine, and since they fixed the performance issues I had earlier, I have no problems with it. By the time everyone will get used to its new design, just like Windows 8.

 

[musings4]

For those people lamenting about the new Firefox design, you can always use a complete theme like mx4 which is akin to the Maxthon design.

I'm also using the Location Bar Enhancer extension to modernize the address bar to a clean and informative look as well.

 

[Oxygen]

People to quit crying about it... seriously if you don't like firefox then don't use it.

 

[Littlebits]

And i thought Littlebits never use any clone version of original browsers

There is nothing wrong with using a clone browser if it keeps the vulnerabilities patched and offers features not included in the original that can not be duplicated by extensions. Pale Moon includes all of the features removed from Firefox 29 plus has a 64-bit version and is optimized for better performance. It is more customizable, supports full themes with Personas and supports all of the extensions broken by Firefox 29. Most browser clones really don't offer anything special that can't be duplicated by extensions.

View the comparison table of Pale Moon compared to Firefox.

Enjoy!!