I’ve found myself using Safari more and more, instead of Firefox, because Firefox is slow.
“Slow”? What does that mean?
It means that when I start up Firefox, even if it’s already in the filesystem cache, the app’s Mac dock icon completes two full bounces before the browser window appears. Safari’s doc icon completes approximately half of one bounce before its window appears. The just-released Chrome for Mac also displays its window in half a bounce.
Each icon bounce takes approximately one second. Thus I’ve developed a preference not to use Firefox–an otherwise excellent product–because it takes 1.5 seconds longer to start than the competition.
I’ll typically keep my web browser running for hours or even days after starting it up, so Firefox’s extra startup time is immaterial when amortized over the time between restarts. That’s my quantitative assessment, anyway. In practice, though, I tend to click the Safari icon because, qualitatively, it’s the fast one.
In software, speed matters.
Gee Brian, I am surprised. Does start-up cost really mean more than perceived running performance? If waiting another couple of seconds to start means an overall better experience while using the browser, aren’t you willing to sacrifice that up-front time? I am…
Adam, I should probably note that once the three browsers are running, they all deliver similar performance for most of the websites and apps I use. And except when I need to use a Firefox-specific extension, Firefox and Safari and Chrome are pretty much interchangeable for me. So startup speed is the major way that the three browsers differ (again, this is based on my typical usage…if you’re using web apps that depend heavily on JavaScript performance, that may be a bigger differentiator).
I think I would agree with Adam, as usual, if my memory serves.
In strength and conditioning, we use power as a differentiators. If I do a workout in 5 minutes with 40 kilos and my athlete does the same workout in 6 minutes but with 60 kilos, he/she is more fit because more power has be developed. I would say in software, at least from a users perspective (now that I am on the other side of the fence), speed is useless without something else the user really needs throughout the day. Speed is the gravy, but what is poured over?