Does anyone here use Mozilla Firefox?

[Impret-Sir]

If so, can I just ask, how long does it take from you clicking on its icon on your desktop to the browser actually opening?
I have just started using it recently, and am surprised that it takes so long to open, usually about 75 seconds in fact. I also have IE v6 on my PC, which continues to function normally, I wonder if this could be the cause, although I have made Firefox my default browser.

[kempie]

I use both IE6 and Firefox and find that usually neither takes more than 10 seconds to open for the first time in a Windows (XP) session, and around 2-3 seconds maximum if reopened later in the session.

[fo3nix]

it does take longer, yes.

this is because IE is built into windows itself; it's actually part of the operating system (some parts of it, anyway). so when you click on the IE icon, it doesn't have to load the whole thing.

firefox, like most other programs you download and install, are not part of windows. so it needs to load the entire thing, and thus takes a little long.

also, due to the way it's been programmed, it is a little slower than IE. but this is negligible.

if you have a really fast computer, then it will load up very fast indeed. on older, slower computers, it takes more time (obviously). and of course, if the computer is doing anything else when you ask it to run firefox, it'll take longer too. finally, extensions you add to firefox also make it take longer to open.

[rojash]

I use 1.0.7 and it takes slightly longer to load than IE. How long it takes is influenced by the number of extensions and plugins you have installed.

As fo3nix says, Windows has lots of built in bias (both accidental and deliberate) towards loading MS programs faster. Of course once it's loaded it's much faster at downloading and rendering most web pages.

Having said all that, there is supposed to be some kind of bug in v 1.5 which makes it horrendously slow on some machines and not on others. It's one of the reasons I've stuck with 1.0.7

[boobesque]

erm, there is not a bias in loading ms programs. what fo3nix meant was that IE is a part of windows and portions of it are loaded during the windows boot. clicking on the IE shortcut loads the gui while firefox loads the program.

[Impret-Sir]

Thanks for that folks.

[rojash]

Erm, boobesque, that consitutes an "accidental" bias towards loading the program faster. For deliberate biases, have a look at your startup folder after installing MS Office. You will find "Office Fast Start" which preloads part of Office to ensure that it apparently loads faster when you choose to use it.

[boobesque]

touche

[sleepyrohan]

question:is there a way firefox or a part of it can be pre loaded wen windows is booted...just like IE??