Big changes are coming to Firefox. All signs point to its build 57, which according to Mozilla's official announcement will be called Firefox Quantum. This new browser is twice as fast as Firefox 52, and has the ability to beat Google Chrome in a wide range of speed-related tests. At the same time it brings the Photon interface, improves the use of multiple cores and threads, consumes less RAM, and comes with more than 450 fixes in its code.
I have more than once expressed my rejection of the current state of web browsers. Their pressure on hardware resources is excessive, and security problems (especially when they involve extensions) are the order of the day. Personally, I hope the situation improves soon, but I must recognize that Mozilla has worked hard. Adjustments in stability and the arrival of multiprocess support allowed Firefox to develop a more robust base, however, that is not enough. There are still some performance details, memory leaks haven't disappeared, and its aesthetics have lagged a bit. Mozilla plans to tackle all these challenges head-on, starting a new era for its browser. The future of Firefox is called Quantum.
Firefox Quantum is what we previously knew as Firefox 57, whose official launch is scheduled for November. The changes are so deep that the browser even comes with a redesigned logo, but if we are going to talk about appearances, we have to start with Photon. The key word here is "rectangular". Curved tabs retire, the address bar is now centered, the "new tab" page is much more compact and efficient, Pocket has superior integration (it combines with history and downloads under the new "Library"), and the "screenshots" feature makes taking screenshots easier.
When it comes to performance, the new CSS engine programmed in Rust will seek to take the best possible advantage of new multi-core processors, reducing load times. We will also see more precise priority control for active tabs, and a 30 percent reduction in RAM consumption. Mozilla said it fixed a total of 468 bugs related to performance issues, and from what we've seen so far, it shows. Want to try it? Don't miss downloading the beta.
