Feb

Philippines: 20% are Firefox 2 Users

Rai

Linux

browser, firefox, firefox 3, internet explorer, Linux, windows

Firefox 3 had a successful launch, even breaking Guinness World Records for most software downloaded in 24 hours. But not all people have opted to replace their existing Firefox 2 installation for various reasons. According to Mozilla Blog, 20% of users in the Philippines are still on Firefox 2, along with other countries like Indonesia, Columbia and India.

There could be a few reasons why users are reluctant to switch to Firefox 3. One is the compatibility of the plugins they need. Not all plugins are updated and compatible with the latest version, and users in this category must be feeling that they need to upgrade but cannot, at least not until the new version of their plugin is available for FF3.

Hardware compatibility must also play a role in this which are common for any new software released. Users must have downloaded, tried and then removed FF3 because of its effects to the computer’s performance. Although FF3 promises smaller memory footprint, users who feel that the performance is the same with FF2, if not better, they are more likely to roll back to previous version.

Another issue here is users, especially non-techie ones, would rather stick to one that is “working just fine”. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Or those who can’t download Firefox 3 because fast internet connection is not available. Even user permissions play a role in restricting users in upgrading their browsers.

For some, the inevitable question still remains: Why should we upgrade to Firefox 3?

Despite hundreds of websites that have listed FF3’s features that are better compared to its predecessor, users are still having second thoughts about downloading and installing one. Some websites, TG Daily for example, have published FF3’s popular features. If you are looking for a beefy browser but still unsure why you should switch, a quick read on their posts should help you decide.

Whatever the reason is, Firefox 3 is continuously being developed and updated so users can have safer and faster browsing. I encourage users to try and switch to Firefox 3 and hopefully this time, you Firefox 3 will stay in your computer for good. I also encourage other Filipino bloggers to join in spreading the word about Firefox 3.

4 Comments to “Philippines: 20% are Firefox 2 Users”

marc February 18, 2009 at 12:32 pm
FF3 is definitely faster than its predecessor and work great for me.
Kyle April 26, 2009 at 2:17 am
I tested Google chrome on a XAT chat room and Firefox running at the same room for a few hours. I noticed that Firefox leaks twice as much memory compared to Google chrome.

(Google Chrome has low memory footprint)

but i cant blame you for Google chromes stability issue, it might load heavy pages with serious issues. (im a webmaster myself) but Firefox is tested to be stable for a long time now and im sticking with it.
Kyle April 26, 2009 at 2:18 am
its ff3
Jant November 2, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Well you may have a point…For myself I’ve noticed that Firefox 2 has alot of security holes than in Firefox 3.5…Yes,older Firefox versions might be faster than the latest versions but the browser is more vulnerable to dangerous viruses nowadays…

I’m currently having Firefox 2 and Firefox 3.5 running in my XP…I have 2 versions of Firefox..Because these days,Firefox 3.5 doesn’t have the capability to upload Youtube Videos so I’m using Firefox 2 for it…And I hate IE…It’s the slowest browser ever.There is no “SLOW CONNECTIONS” these days Dial-ups are not very very popular..The one that are introduced is BROADBAND like in Globe and Smart…Also DSL like in Bayantel and PLDT…ISP can give you faster internet unlike past few years, internet connections are very slow that even downloading a 7 Megabyte File will take hours…