Firefox 4 Beta 9 Already Out, Final Version this February

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 19 Jan 2011

The development team behind Firefox 4 is quite busy working on the web browser and proof is that another Beta version, Firefox 4 Beta 9 has been rolled out to the public not too long ago. This latest Beta version comes with an overhauled bookmarks and history code (which translates to faster startup times and faster bookmarking) and per-compartment garbage collection is enabled (which translates to reduced work during complex animations).

If you would like to get Firefox Beta 9 and put it to the test, the browser is available for download in 76 languages for Windows, Linux and Mac users. You can get the version for your OS in your favorite language here.

To my mind, there’s one thing that’s keeping you from getting Firefox 4 Beta 9 and that’s the fact that there’s still a Beta in the browser’s name. The simple truth of the matter is that Beta testing applications can be a tricky business. Even if you are a big Firefox fan (and I confess that I am a big Firefox fan), unless you know what you’re getting yourself into, it’s best to stay away from Beta releases and wait for the final version to be rolled out.

Beta versions tend to be fidgety, the browser may crash, it may not function properly, it may “eat your data and burn your house down” as Mozilla Evangelist Christopher Blizzard jokingly said once. If you don’t want to face the problems that inherently plague Beta versions of any application, it is better you wait for the final, stable version.

When will Firefox 4 Final be rolled out? Platform Engineering Director Damon Sicore says Firefox 4 Final has to be rolled out by next month.

"We've worked tremendously hard on Firefox 4, and it's time to ship it. I'm seeing the same burst of excitement and activity that we've seen in the endgame of every release. We have to reach Release Candidate status as quickly as possible, ideally finishing the hard blockers by the beginning of February and shipping final before the end of February," said Sicore.

Let’s hope that all goes well and a final, stable version of Firefox 4 is indeed released by the end of February. Until then, here’s the Firefox 4 Beta 9 download link again. Get it only if you know what you’re getting yourself into.


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