Mozilla introduced the first 64-bit version of Firefox

    Mozilla introduced the 64-bit version of Firefox. Over the weekend, the company’s FTP server has a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows available for download. Given that Mac OS X, Windows 7 and most versions of Linux have a 64-bit version, it is logical that Firefox wants to catch up with the Safari and Internet Explorer browsers, which are already in 64-bit versions.

    Owners of 64-bit operating systems already know that unofficial 64-bitthe Firefox assembly already exists (for example, part of the 64-bit Linux distributions include 64-bit Firefox assemblies), but the version posted this weekend is actually the first official release from Mozilla. Now it is available only for Windows 64-bit, but Mozilla plans to make an official 64-bit version for the rest of the OS, simultaneously with the release of Firefox 4. At the same time, the company says that at the moment the version of Firefox 64-bit is only for testing. You can install several add-ons for FF in 64-bit mode, but there is no 64-bit version of Flash Player for Windows 7: there is only a beta version of 64-bit Flash for Linux.

    There is a topic on the Mozilla website that a 64-bit browser will provide more options for users, although some disagree. One of the main advantages of 64-bit applications, such as Photoshop, is the ability to use huge amounts of RAM. Compared to such applications, browsers do not need large amounts of memory, but it will be more convenient to work with Firefox 64-bit if you keep dozens of tabs open and several web applications running at the same time.

    In Firefox 4 64-bit, most older add-ons will work, but they will run in 32-bit mode. To rewrite all the add-ons for the new Firefox, their author will need a lot of time. Although many doubt the need to switch to a 64-bit browser, Mozilla looks at competitors: Safari on OS X 10.6 is 64-bit, just like IE8 on Windows 7, and Google is actively developing a 64-bit version of Chrome. Unfortunately, Adobe has not yet released the official 64-bit version of Flash Player, and most next-generation browsers will probably use some of the code in 32-bit mode.

    You can find more information on the 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows here (there is also an installation instruction there).

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