Mozilla compromises on x64 Firefox after user backlash
Backtracks from earlier decision, will continue offering a 64-bit browser for Windows
Mozilla on Friday backtracked from a decision to suspend all work on a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows, acknowledging that user criticism had changed its mind.
In November, after months of debate, Mozilla suspended development of 64-bit (x64) Firefox for Windows, citing add-on incompatibilities, problems deciphering crash reports, and a low priority for the project.
Some users said they would dump Firefox because of the decision to abandon the x64 nightlies.
The biggest advantage of a 64-bit browser on a 64-bit operating system is that it can address more than the 4GB of memory available to a 32-bit application, letting users keep open hundreds of tabs without crashing the browser.
"It seems that there are users who regularly run into the 4GB memory limits of 32-bit builds," Smedberg said in his Dec. 21 message. "These users often have hundreds or even thousands of tabs.
At the moment, only Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) and Opera Software's Opera are available in x64 editions for Windows.
But while Mozilla's compromise means users will continue to have access to a 64-bit Firefox, the company will still scale back its efforts, said Smedberg, who outlined a number of caveats.
Testing of the x64 Windows version of Firefox will be discontinued, Smedberg said, and crash reporting -- one of the trouble spots earlier discussions argued -- will be disabled. Users will also be told point-blank that the version is not supported by Mozilla.