Mozilla finally released a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows. (Photo : REUTERS)
Tech company Mozilla announced the release of Firefox version 43, which is the first Windows-based Firefox version to offer support for 64-bit computing.
A preview version of the 64-bit Firefox for Windows was released in March. The preview led to a speculation that Mozilla will release the version in May, which follows the usual release schedule of the company.
The biggest advantage of applications with support for 64-bit computing is its ability to support more than 4GB of RAM. With more RAM, Firefox can support more tabs as well as run complex internet contents and apps.
According to Engadget, Firefox's leap to 64-bit web browsing means improved security and app compatibility.
Compared to some of its rivals, Mozilla Firefox is somewhat lagging in terms of support for 64-bit computing. Google released a 64-bit Chrome browser for Windows in August 2014, which was followed by an OS X version in November of the same year. Apple released a 64-bit version of its own browser, Safari, in 2009. A 64-bit version of Windows Internet Explorer from Microsoft has been around since 2006.
Aside from releasing a 64-bit version, Mozilla Firefox version 43 also brings in search suggestion for the Awesome Bar. It also features a better on-screen keyboard compatibility for touch devices running on the Windows 8 operating system or higher.
Mozilla said that users who upgraded to the Firefox 64-bit version will notice some drastic changes like plug-ins that cease to work. Mozilla added that this is part of the company's plan to cease support for NPAPI plugins like Silverlight and Java. The new version of Firefox will still support Flash, according to PC World.
