Beta Software

Hands on: Firefox 3 beta 5

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:01:08 -0400

As Firefox version 3 has inched closer and closer to final product status, the chorus of voices declaring that the betas are ready for prime-time has grown deafening. So this week, I decided that I could wait no longer: I dove right in and made Firefox 3 beta 5 my primary browser on both my Windows XP and Mac OS X Leopard machines. Based on my experiences so far, I can say that the chatter filling the blogosphere is totally on-point: not only is beta 5 (the final beta, mind you) totally stable, fast and reliable--it's actually more stable, faster and more reliable than Firefox 2.0.

While Firefox was once clearly the king of the browser hill, I've recently felt that Safari 3 and Opera 9 have edged out the aging Firefox 2.0 in terms of performance and stability. However, judging by my experiences with beta 5, Firefox is back with a vengance. Not only is it blazing fast, it scrolls smoother than the other browsers, has a more unified look under both Windows and OS X and finally resolves the memory leakage issues that plagued version 2.0. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself. Be sure to note, however, that this still technically is beta software, so back up your Firefox 2.0 extensions and preferences beforehand, okay?

For more on Firefox 3.0:
- download beta 5 at the Mozilla developer center

SPOTLIGHT: Firefox 3.0 beta, the fastest browser ever?

Mehan Jayasuriya — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:41:21 -0400

SPOTLIGHT... Firefox 3.0 beta, the fastest browser ever?
Generally speaking, I tend to take grand pronouncements like these with a grain of salt, especially when they involve beta software. Still, ZDnet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has done his homework, pitting Firefox 3.0 against every other browser on the market in a series of benchmarks and claims that it is the fastest browser of them all. Check out the full results of his tests in this article.

Microsoft releases IE8 Beta 1

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:59:55 -0500

Finally reworked those web apps to be fully compatible with Internet Explorer 7? Good, because here comes IE8. Earlier this week, Microsoft posted Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 on its website, in order to offer a sneak peek to developers. The beta is available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 and can be downloaded by anyone, not just developers. Among the revamped features are a new Favorites bar, an improved antiphishing filter and automatic crash recovery (a la Firefox). IE8 also will bring a number of brand new features like "WebSlices" (basically a clone of the "Web Clip" feature seen in OS X Leopard) and "Activities," which will allow users to create their own mashups. Though it should go without saying, this is beta software, so exercise caution when installing and running it on your system.

For more on the beta:
- see this ComputerWorld article

SPOTLIGHT: First look: Firefox 3.0 Beta 3

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:59:52 -0500

Want a sneak peek at Firefox 3.0 but can't be bothered to download and install Beta software? Check out Adrian Kingsley-Hughes first impressions of the latest build of the forthcoming update to Firefox. "[T]he more I handle the betas of Firefox 3.0, the more I'm becoming attached to this browser," Hughes writes. Article

Spicebird: Outlook for open-source fans

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:59:52 -0500

Sure, you love open-source software but you just can't help but long for an Outlook-style program that integrates all of your productivity apps into one page. Fear not, open-source fan: Spicebird, a new piece of beta software, does exactly that with your Mozilla apps.

How to: Make Windows Mobile prettier

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:59:52 -0500

While Windows Mobile is a powerful OS for mobile professionals, it's not quite the most attractive or easiest to use mobile OS on the block. If you're really desperate to pretty-up your device, check out the beta of Pointui, which brings big icons, an uncluttered home screen and iPhone-like touchscreen gestures to WM6.

ALSO NOTED: IE8 beta due in the first half of 2008; Apple rumor site Think Secret settles lawsuit, shuts down;

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> Apple rumor site Think Secret settles lawsuit, shuts down. Article
> Samsung F700 (U940) gets FCC approved for Verizon. Article
> Palm working on "breakthough" devices. Article
> Samsung launches 17" laptop for just under $1000. Article
> IE8 beta due in the first half of 2008. Article

And Finally... Enraged UNIX admin nearly shuts down West coast power grid. Article

OpenOffice.org goes online

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Given that it's name is also its URL, it seems kind of ridiculous to say that OpenOffice.org has "gone online." But that's precisely what Ulteo has done with the open-source application, transforming it into a true web-based app. Ulteo's beta version of online OpenOffice runs directly in your browser (IE, Firefox, Safari), allowing you access to all of the software's functions without having to download and install the program.

So, how does it perform? Ars Technica reports that while the online version seems to boast all of the features found in the desktop version of OpenOffice 2.3, many of those features are marred by noticeable slowdown. "For example, some mundane tasks like selecting a full line of text in Impress, the suite's PowerPoint-like presentation app, can take just a split second longer than a desktop app," Ars writes. And while OpenOffice offers far more features and options than competing web-based productivity suites, it doesn't include any collaborative features like those found in Google Docs. "As OpenOffice.org's GUI matures-and if Ulteo's implementation keeps in step-Online OpenOffice.org has a good chance of evolving into a feature-rich, easy to use, web-based office suite."

For more on the online version of OpenOffice:
- see this Ars Technica article

ALSO NOTED: Hyper-V virtualization beta now available from Microsoft; iPhone marketshare surges in Q3;

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> Hyper-V virtualization beta now available from Microsoft. Article
> iPhone marketshare grows by leaps and bounds in Q3. Article
> Toshiba preps a smartphone for the U.S. market. Article
> Palm Treo 800w on the way? Rumor
> Asus launches 2GB, $300 Eee PC, sells a few more to schools. Article

And Finally... A funeral for a mainframe. Video

ALSO NOTED: The Netherlands going open-source in 2008; Firefox 3 Beta 2 coming this month;

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:59:51 -0500

> the Netherlands is going open-source in 2008. Article
> Firefox 3 Beta 2 coming this month. Article
> Opera tries to force W3C compliance from IE. Article
> Toshiba launches new line of 1.8" drives. Article
> Zumobi browser for WM5 and 6: Beta now live. Article

And Finally... iPods frozen inside popsicles. Article