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Topic: Apple

Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 faster on Mac OS X than Safari 3.1

Summary: Previous benchmark tests that I'd carried out on my Mac mini had shown that Safari 3.1 was the fastest browser for the Mac OS X. Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 changes that.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

Previous benchmark tests that I'd carried out on my Mac mini had shown that Safari 3.1 was the fastest browser for the Mac OS X. Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 changes that.

Using the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark test my testing shows that Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 holds a 7% lead over Safari 3.1. 

Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 faster on Mac OS X than Safari 3.1

Firefox 3.0 is shaping up to be a fine browser.

Thoughts?

Topics: Apple, Browser, Hardware, Operating Systems, Software

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Talkback

47 comments
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  • What about Camino?

    I use it on Mac mostly because it's more integrated, but in the future it'd be nice to see how it stacks up as well.
    kronj
    Reply Vote

    • camino

      i ran the same test with camino on my macbook after i tested firefox, but became too impatient with camino. took much longer.
      burgerboy9n
      Reply Vote

  • Just how can MS let a bunch of punks beat them so badly? MS has the best

    paid employees on the planet, the best road map (just ask Steve Balmer), and the most to lose. What gives here????
    DonnieBoy
    Reply Vote

  • Speed is less important than security

    The real question is: can Firefox be used to pwn an OS X machine within 2 minutes of being connected to the Internet like Safari can? Anyone still using Safari is absolutely out of their mind after what the [url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=984]PWN to OWN [/url] contest proved.

    Oh, and if anyone using Windows on anything other than a Mac was considering using Safari, keep in mind that you are [url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/26/apple_safari_eula_paradox/] breaking Apple's license agreement [/url] and Apple could come and sue you. You've been warned!
    NonZealot
    Reply Vote

    • You should read your own links better.

      In your link, it states that the EULA is now changed to allow MS users to run Safari. That argument is rubbish.

      The security issue is real, but based on what happened at PWN, Java seems to be an even bigger risk as it apparently opens up any of the three OS types tested according to the author.
      philpenn
      Reply Vote

      • Hmm, hasn't changed on my copy

        When I run the Safari setup program that I downloaded when it came out, I'm still asked to agree to a license that forbids me from installing this software on my computer. Sorry, I'm an honest person and I won't open myself up to being sued by Apple.

        About security, OS X was the first OS taken down, end of story. Quite frankly, I have to thank Apple for making it illegal to install Safari on my computer since it turns out that they've made my computer much more secure! :)
        NonZealot
        Reply Vote

        • captain troll.

          you are so disingenuous, it's kind of amazing.
          lostarchitect
          Reply Vote

          • Can't dispute anything I said!!

            If one person is stating indisputable facts (OS X was the [b]first[/b] to be pwned by hackers) and the other person attacks the first person with an ad hominem since he can't dispute the facts, who is the real troll? Hint: it's you.
            NonZealot
            Reply Vote

          • this is me ignoring the troll (sort of) [n/m]

            .
            lostarchitect
            Reply Vote

  • RE: Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 faster on Mac OS X than Safari 3.1

    I guess that might be true - if Java is the sole determining
    factor in browser speed. I don't know about you, but I do
    more with my browser than run Java benchmarks all day
    long.
    jragosta
    Reply Vote

    • Good point, Safari renders faster than Firefox

      Turns out that Safari is using [url=http://www.macworld.co.uk/macsoftware/news/index.cfm?newsid=20593] hidden and undocumented APIs [/url] to render pages through the graphics layer. Thanks for bringing that up!
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

      • Huh?

        What part of "may be" don't you understand? "Apple may be
        boosting Safari speeds" is how the article starts out.

        In any event, thanks for admitting that Safari is faster than
        Firefox.
        jragosta
        Reply Vote

      • Not very well hidden

        if looking through the open source webkit lets you spot them
        so easily.

        Apple is obviously incompetent. Even Microsoft knows you
        put your undocumented APIs in closed source code so no
        one can browse and see it.
        frgough
        Reply Vote

      • you know that's not true

        i told you so in a previous talkback. the original source, which you don't link to because it doesn't suit your agenda, says so:
        http://blog.vlad1.com/2008/02/28/finding-the-os-x-turbo-button/

        From his blog:
        "To be clear, I do not think that Apple is in any way trying to purposely "cripple" non-Apple software. I also do not think that undocumented APIs give Safari any kind of "significant performance advantage" (as Firefox 3 should show!)"
        lostarchitect
        Reply Vote

        • What he thinks is quite irrelevant

          The [b]fact[/b] is that these hidden APIs exist, are used by Apple to give their applications a speed advantage, and they are completely undocumented. Quite frankly, it seems to be SOP for an Apple fanboy to apologize for the beating he gets from Apple so his apology on Apple's behalf is hardly surprising. Just because he is willing to apologize for this anti-competitive behavior does not make it any less anti-competitive. Here are some more quotes from the article:
          [i]There are now over 100 private "OS-secrets-only-WebKit-knows" in the library, many of which are referred to in a mostly comment-free header file.
          ...
          Would any other apps like to take advantage of some of that functionality? I'm pretty sure the answer there is yes, but they can't. It's not even clear under what license libWebKitSystemInterface is provided, so that other apps can know if they can link to it.
          ...
          Despite my frustrations with Linux, this type of hiding isn't really possible in a [b]real open source environment[/b].[/i]

          As far is his "as Firefox 3 should show" comment, you are confusing GUI speed with processing speed. FF3 [b]crushes[/b] Safari in the processing speed department and it was only until [b]after[/b] the developers figured out Apple's anti-competitive hidden APIs that FF3's rendering speed surpassed that of Safari's.
          NonZealot
          Reply Vote

          • did you read the tech note?

            he cites an official apple tech note. you should read it. i'm afraid this is a case of his earlier language not really being accurate to the issue, which he apologized for. you need to follow the whole story, not just the parts that you want to see.
            lostarchitect
            Reply Vote

          • Can't dispute anything I said!!

            Once again, you fail to counter the [b]facts[/b] that I have [b]quoted[/b]. Do try again though, all of this is quite amusing for all of us. :)
            NonZealot
            Reply Vote

          • there's no point.

            when i, or anyone, disputes what you say with facts, you simply make up a new fake issue to harp on.
            lostarchitect
            Reply Vote

    • But Java IS what I run all day

      I thought about your comment, and true, browsers do other things than run Java. But beyond simple text and the occasional graphic, I spend most of the time waiting for Javascript and Java to run. The beta (both 4 and 5) is unbelievably faster than either Firefox 2 or IE7 at running the rather pokey stuff my employer gives us to use. Worth putting up with the Yahoo Mail problems in 4 (may be fixed in 5, still testing).
      Aesculapian
      Reply Vote

      • Even for Java

        Check this out:
        http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/04/03/firef
        ox-3b5-fastest-browser-on-mac-os-x-depends-on-the-
        test
        jragosta
        Reply Vote
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