

Major browsers release security updates quickly should any problems be discovered, and the unofficial builds are always second in line for them. Using unofficial builds of browsers is not exactly a good idea Yes, this does mean by having the three tabs open of webmail, Facebook and Netflix that Waterfox will explode up to half-a-gig of memory use just by sitting there just like Firefox does. The way the engine works just explodes in memory use by nature. That’s not fixed, and that’s not Waterfox’s fault at all. This is Firefox we’re talking aboutīeing that Waterfox is Firefox in 64-bit flavor, it still has the exact same memory-munching problem Firefox does. Startup and shutdown would show no major difference in speed. Document load time – especially over a network – would only be slightly faster on 64-bit (meaning you really wouldn’t notice any significant difference). Think of it this way: Would you notice a difference between a 32-bit Microsoft Word and a 64-bit Microsoft Word? Nope. You can benchmark-benchmark-benchmark all day long and spout out numbers-numbers-numbers, but the fact of the matter is that in practical use, you will notice little to no difference in performance compared to a 32-bit browser. In a browser application, 64-bit at this point really hasn’t proven to be any better than the 32-bit flavors. It remains to be seen whether speed and its embrace of 64-bit architecture is enough to drive users into its arms.Now if we’re talking about, say, a video editing suite that requires gobs and gobs of memory to crunch and render video data faster, then oh yes, 64-bit is better because that architecture can process and access everything quicker. The reluctance to install and try out a new browser is certainly understandable, but there’s no expense in trying out Waterfox, seeing how it’s completely free. Kontos, a student at the University of York, pitched his project before the event, an initiative by the Duke of York to encourage entrepreneurship in the UK.īeyond its creator, the Waterfox community remains one of the more active ones in the browser scene, offering plenty of support for would-be users.

Unlike other browsers with large development teams, Waterfox is created by a small team lead by 20-year old Alex Kontos, who says he held a fascination for the web and wanted to expand upon the ideals Mozilla had for a free and open web. In practical terms, Waterfox isn’t limited to the 2GB or so that Firefox instances tend to clock out at. If you’re in the market for a 64-bit alternative to the most popular browsers out there, Waterfox is a decent option. Given that they share the same architecture, it doesn’t hurt to make the switch to Waterfox from Firefox. Installing the browser allows you to import all of your bookmarks, customizations and plugins that you already have installed for Firefox. Waterfox comes with full support for Adobe Flash, Oracle Java, and Microsoft Silverlight, so you’ll never find yourself unable to browse the web the way you’d expect. Fully compatible with Firefox add-ons and 64-bit browser plug-ins, its creator expects Firefox users to find themselves fully at home with the client.

Ease of Useīuilt with Intel’s C++ compiler, the code enables its creator to build something fast and sleek without changing too much of the core code of Firefox. The browser was started in 2011 as one of the very first 64-bit distributions of Mozilla Firefox and quickly grew to become one of the most popular versions, alongside the likes of PaleMoon and Cyberfox–two other popular alternatives. Made specifically for 64-Bit systems, Waterfox has one thing in mind: speed.” That’s a bold claim. The team says that, “Waterfox is a high performance browser based on the Mozilla platform. Much like Firefox, the browser is fully open-source and free to use. It’s incredibly difficult for new browsers to penetrate the market, but there’s one such browser called Waterfox, which is attempting to gain a foothold into the market by claiming to be the fastest browser in existence by leveraging on the 64-bit architecture of the latest operating systems.īuilt in Mozilla Firefox, Waterfox bills itself as an alternative to the popular browser, and it manages to do so simply because there isn’t a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows-at least not at the moment. The browser business is booming, and it’s lead by a few familiar faces including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
