The browser war has been waged ever since the early days of the Internet. Netscape used to hold the throne, which was then pushed out by Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Then, Mozilla Firefox came into the scene and took the throne from Internet Explorer. Now, Google Chrome reigns supreme after it took the throne from Mozilla Firefox. And yet, it seems that Mozilla Firefox is not ready to give up.
Mozilla just launched its newest browser "Firefox Quantum." Some critics are already saying that Mozilla's newest Firefox has the necessary elements to be the "Chrome Killer."
Mozilla's Firefox Quantum is heavily advertised as being faster than Chrome, and even uses 30% less memory. Mozilla also revamped the design. The company is ditching the old bubbly aesthetics for darker tones, sharp edges, and a sleek design.
While most experts are saying that Firefox Quantum may have the features needed to be the Chrome Killer, chances of that happening are very slim. Most internet users are stubborn when it comes to changing browsers.
Nick Nguyen, the vice president of product for Firefox, knows this. In fact, Nguyen told Mashable that his biggest fear is that Internet users will not give it a chance.
He also expressed a hint of frustration, saying that their company is working really hard to make a product that may change people's web experience for the better. However, unless people try it, the company's efforts will simply go to waste.
According to Nick Nguyen, he and the Firefox team will not stop until Firefox takes over Chrome as the primary browser of the average Internet user. Nguyen is quick to admit the reality that Firefox is a secondary browser to most users. However, he thinks that Firefox's newest advancement is good enough to be the primary browser.
Mozilla's claims that Firefox is faster than Chrome are not unfounded. According to a test done by WebPageTest, the new Firefox Quantum is indeed faster when it comes to loading top websites such as Ask.com, Shutterstock, and Yelp. On the other hand, Chrome is still faster when it comes to loading YouTube and most of Google's pages.
Tests also showed that Firefox Quantum consumes 30% less memory compared to Safari, Edge, and Chrome while running on a Windows platform. However, when using a Mac, the Firefox Quantum uses a bit more memory than Chrome.
This means that if you are using Windows, you can open 30% more tabs and you won't have to worry about your computer slowing down or crashing.
According to Nick Nguyen, Internet users want a browser that stays out of their way. Internet users don't want to do housekeeping. Of course, the faster, the better. This is exactly what Firefox Quantum is trying to be good at. If you look at the numbers alone, it's safe to say that Mozilla has succeeded. However when it comes to Firefox Quantum's acceptance and usage rate, only time will tell if it will be able to dethrone the current king.