Is it the browser, Firefox or Add-ons that make it good

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by zmechys, Mar 17, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. roark37

    roark37 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2006
    Posts:
    193
    Hi, I have not used Firefox in several years but based on this thread I am thinking of giving it another try. I never used any addons prior but if I used current Firefox with say NoScript & Adblock Plus would that make browsing faster or slower? And is there any combination of addons/tweaks that can make Firefox browsing as fast as Chrome or hopefully faster?

    And if you run Firefox portable from a USB drive can you still install addons and if so will they install/stay only on the USB drive?

    Thanks.
     
  2. moontan

    moontan Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2010
    Posts:
    3,931
    Location:
    Québec
    your browsing should be much faster using NoScript and ABP, as your browser won’t be busy trying to load a whole bunch of scripts and whatnot.

    just using those 2 addons would make things much faster.
     
  3. wat0114

    wat0114 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2012
    Posts:
    4,064
    Location:
    Canada
    They're the two that I use and very happy with them :)
     
  4. Wild Hunter

    Wild Hunter Former Poster

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2012
    Posts:
    1,375
    Yes. And you can copy/run Firefox Portable to/from HDDs and SSDs as well.
     
  5. roark37

    roark37 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2006
    Posts:
    193
    Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated and I plan to try FF again with at least No Script & ABP. I am also considering RequestPolicy, Ghostery, & BetterPrivacy, and maybe CookieSafe. Are all those recommended and would they slow down browsing or would these tend to speed things up like NS & ABP?

    With NS & ABP along with any others you may use does FF browse faster than Chrome in your opinion?

    Thanks again.
     
  6. moontan

    moontan Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2010
    Posts:
    3,931
    Location:
    Québec
    i would say it's way too much.
    you'll end up spending all your free times babysitting those addons. :D

    personally, it would drive me insane! lol
     
  7. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2012
    Posts:
    2,171
    I would suggest people not get too hung up on speed. On one hand such addons will eliminate some requests and/or executions and thus provide performance benefits. On the other hand they involve potentially numerous additional steps and thus create additional overhead when starting up, checking requests and possibly responses, deciding what to execute, etc. I've seen people reject more sophisticated and effective addons on the grounds that they found things to be "slower" after they installed them. While others report that they found things "faster" afterward. This could relate to platform performance differences, configuration and subscription differences, network connectivity differences, and browsing behavior. However, even *if* you do perceive some kind of "slowdown" after installing one or several, remember what you are gaining.

    This isn't to say you should completely disregard performance and, for example, install many different addons that overlap each other.
     
  8. bo elam

    bo elam Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2010
    Posts:
    6,144
    Location:
    Nicaragua
    NoScript makes Firefox not only faster but also safer. NoScript is the main reason why I prefer Firefox over all other browsers. I love the way NoScript cleans webpages of distracting annoying stuff, ads that jump all over the place. I get none of that, it makes it easier to focus on whats important. Also, popups basically don't exist when you use NoScript, I hardly ever see one. Personally, I don't worry much about privacy but you can also use NS to block trackers, I do and most people that have used NS for a while do too.

    For myself being able to set Firefox as I like it is important. I am a little old fashioned so I prefer my browser to pretty much look like it did years ago. For example, I feel very uncomfortable using a browser that you can not set it to display bookmarks on the left panel. I would never use a browser that lacks the option to make it that way.

    Bo
     
  9. Mman79

    Mman79 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2012
    Posts:
    2,016
    Location:
    North America
    People are always getting hung up on speed. It's one of the reasons the browser wars get so much attention. But, they always look to one area of speed instead of the whole picture. Like you said, connection speed, browsing behavior can both make a difference. So can poorly-coded websites. As to overloading on add-ons, yeah, a lot of people have gone through that. Stick to basic security add-ons, toss in a few "make life easier" ones and be on your way.

    Really the only major (to me) thing Firefox is missing is the really good built in security. But it has to be understood that when the inevitable Chrome vs whomever comes up in that topic, that Chrome was built from the ground up with its built in security measures. No other browser will accomplish that without doing the same thing from the get go. Also be aware that Chrome security has been brought down from its mythical realm of invulnerability.

    @WildHunter: How is it that "vanilla" Firefox is worse than the others at the moment? I'm genuinely curious as to what you mean since I really don't know of anything special the other options can do that Firefox can't. I'd actually say that unless we bring security into the matter or perhaps Javascript, that the others are lacking in comparison to vanilla Firefox.
     
  10. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    Personally I'd stick with just NoScript & ABP. I use RequestPolicy with SeaMonkey as well as NoScript & it takes a bit of getting used to.

    Is RequestPolicy an alternative or competitor to NoScript?
     
  11. Mman79

    Mman79 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2012
    Posts:
    2,016
    Location:
    North America
    The next question from me would be is Request Policy still alive? It was last updated last Summer. It's a good tool to use, provided you're willing to babysit it. It's like NoScript, great tool in willing hands, but terrible for those who want to simply "surf and forget".
     
  12. Wild Hunter

    Wild Hunter Former Poster

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2012
    Posts:
    1,375
    This is complex.

    On the usability aspect, latest "vanilla" Firefox loses for latest "vanilla" IE and Opera IMO. Firefox needs extensions for what I consider basic browser functionality, for example:
    - context menu search/translate/etc;
    - colorful tabs;
    - open bookmarks in new tabs.
    These things, IE can do without extensions, as well as Opera (except colorful tabs - but it has tab stacking, which is almost as useful).

    On the security aspect, latest "vanilla" Firefox loses for latest "vanilla" IE and Chrome. I don't think I need to elaborate.

    The performance aspect is a bit trickier, but the benchmarks keep telling Chrome leads, although Firefox isn't too behind.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2013
  13. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    I believe that a beta 1.0 is being developed by Justin Samuel. I've experimented with it but I use the bog standard version (0.5.27) on SeaMonkey.

    RequestPolicy Version 1.0

    Version 1.0

    RequestPolicy 1.0 is a major rewrite of RequestPolicy. It has many new features including:

    A new UI
    A new rule system that supports wildcards in rule hostnames
    Blacklists in addition to whitelists
    A "default allow" mode instead of just a "default deny" mode
    Subscription whitelists/blacklists
    Lots of other stuff
     
  14. Mman79

    Mman79 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2012
    Posts:
    2,016
    Location:
    North America
    Okay, I understand all that :) Translate would be a fantastic function to be built in to any browser, and I agree that Firefox could really use it. I love hitting a foreign website that is in a language I'm not too fluent in, and having Chrome offer to translate it right then and there. Heck, I may even consider that to be the best thing Chrome has to offer, in my own opinion of course.

    Colorful tabs, well, to each their own there. You know you can open bookmarks in another tab by right-clicking them in the bookmark list don't you? I mean yeah, it is an extra step, but it's there. I agree that security doesn't even really need discussing. It's fairly obvious that Chrome "did it right". Being better than something else is a discussion that will forever just go in circles.

    Performance..hmm, well, on Google websites I think it's safe to say nothing will ever really trounce Chrome :D Everywhere else is another matter. I follow the benchmarks and the reviews and agree that Chrome can be blazing fast in places. For an overall, daily experience I personally don't believe it matters all that much. The bad thing about benchmarks is that the browser vendors build for them, they have to, it's a part of marketing. When they all get out there and start going to real websites that differ wildly in coding and features, benchmarks start going from essential information to a "guide". Again, my opinion.

    They all have their pluses and minuses, and whether you're a benchmark junkie or just the average Joe or Jane, it comes down to your own preference, comfort zone and usage needs.
     
  15. Mman79

    Mman79 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2012
    Posts:
    2,016
    Location:
    North America
    Thanks for that, Dave. I'm glad to see there is some activity even if I don't have current plans to use it. (NoScript works well enough for general use, and most real redirects I've come across are on the porn sites).
     
  16. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    You're welcome Mman.
     
  17. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2004
    Posts:
    10,639
    For the original question: I would definitely say extensions/addons are a large reason I use Firefox. Chromium does come close, but there are still a few addons that are either Firefox-only or simply much better in Firefox. I've also tried Opera but its addons are even sparser and theres other minor issues.
     
  18. chrisretusn

    chrisretusn Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Posts:
    1,669
    Location:
    Philippines
    I guess I would have to be the extensions for me. I have 96 Add-ons installed, 85 of them extensions right now. :)

    The is nothing out there that compares to my Firefox. While using a vanilla Firefox is nice, I need chocolate, nuts and other stuff added to the mix. :)
     
  19. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2012
    Posts:
    2,171
    Uhm, I feel somewhat silly even asking this but I have to... you are joking, right?
     
  20. chrisretusn

    chrisretusn Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Posts:
    1,669
    Location:
    Philippines
    No joke. I could provide a list, I have an extension to do that. ;)

    Make that 97 now, I just added another one a few minutes ago. Just to make sure my math is right; 86 extensions (80 enabled, 6 disabled), 2 Greasemonkey User scripts, 8 Plugins (3 enabled, 5 disabled), and 1 Sylish User Style; Total 97. No Appearance Add-ons aside from the default which if counted would make it 98. :)

    You may wonder about 'disabled' ones, these are useful extensions that I only occasionally use. Leaving them installed, but disabled allows them to stay updated. Two extensions are on trial right now.
     
  21. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2012
    Posts:
    2,171
    Of course you do. LOL. Well, I can find no entry for "most Firefox addons" in the Guinness World Records database. You could be the one to start some competition: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/how-to-apply/!

    If you could only bring *one* addon to "show and tell", which one would it be?
     
  22. chrisretusn

    chrisretusn Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2004
    Posts:
    1,669
    Location:
    Philippines
    LOL, thanks but I'll pass... I'm happy not being famous ;)

    Only one? :gack:

    So many to choose from... I guess I'll go with the extension I use the most. It called CoLT which made adding BBCode tags simple in forums. The following links were adding using CoLT. The Mozilla Add-ons page. CoLT :: Add-ons for Firefox. I have custom option that used selected text for the title. Copy Link Text (CoLT). I also find it useful in forming quoted tags with links, here is an example:

     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2013
  23. WSFuser

    WSFuser Registered Member

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2004
    Posts:
    10,639
    Why do you have so many extensions? Can you not consolidate any of them? Are they each so unique that there's no redundancy?

    I have 13 addons and I wish I could trim my list. I think 85 would kill my Firefox startup speed.
     
  24. TheWindBringeth

    TheWindBringeth Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2012
    Posts:
    2,171
    I love "helpers" that save steps/typing and can appreciate something like that. I should probably just browse the Mozilla addons site some day. Your bowing out of the competition creates an opening :)
     
  25. Mman79

    Mman79 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2012
    Posts:
    2,016
    Location:
    North America
    The day you enable all of them at once, I'll say a little prayer for your poor Firefox install :D
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.