FireFox - Full or Portable Version

Published on March 5, 2010 By CharlesCS In Personal Computing

I have a portable version of FireFox that I use at work thru my PortableApps.com menu off my portable drive. I prefer it to IE. Howevere at home I have the full install of Firefox on my onw PC. Today I was reinstalling my portable FireFox because I was having issue with it these past few weeks. My job computer was slow with little memory and a not so great processor by todays standards so Firefox combined with my job applications made for a painfully slow experience on my job computer. Now I have a faster PC as my PC was refreshed with a more up-to-date PC with a lot of memory and a more powerful processor so I don't have the same slow down issues I had before.

As I installed my portable Firefox with all the add-ons I like, I noticed it worked pretty fast on my home PC, it actually seemed much faster than the one I have installed on my home PC. So my question is this, would it be better to have a fully installed version of Firefox on my PC or would the portable version work just as good? Considering is seems faster, I would like to have the portable one on my home PC. What do you think?

Comments (Page 1)

scorpNZ

on Mar 05, 2010

Doesn't matter what anyone thinks you've already made up your mind if the last few words are anything to go by & since you've had both you'd know the pro's & cons so just do it already

CharlesCS

on Mar 05, 2010

LOL, does seem that way doesn't it? I am trying the protable version as my home PC installation but if someone knows of any advantages to having the installed vs the portable on I may reconsider. For now the portable one seems to start faster and seems to run the same at this point which is a positve for it.

frankell

on Mar 05, 2010

your question is my answer: "what is better than Firefox ? 2 firefox !!"

I use the "full" version as resident default browser and .... 2 / 3 portable versions (certainly the last beta available)

also you can run 2 firefox at the same time just move the "FirefoxPortable.ini" from the folder Other> Source to the main folder (where the FirefoxPortable.exe is) then open the ini file and edit the "AllowMultipleInstances" string to =true !

micro5797

on Mar 05, 2010

frankell

reply 3

Or you could just simple minimise FF and double click on the FF launch icon. Also you could add the FF icon to the task bar and click on that once and double click the desktop icon. (win 7 btw, perhaps xp wont let you do this).

Or are you saying that you have to mod FF to run both the portable and the full version at the same time?

PoSmedley

on Mar 05, 2010

I think a lot depends on the add-ons when it comes to speed. I don't have as many add-ons on my portable version.

I use the portable at work as well because it has IE and we are not allowed to install anything. However, the portable does leave traces on the PC so I am probably screwed no matter what.

ALso- my portabke is an earlier version. It was a 'custom made' portable I downloaded off of Lifehacker that got pulled a few days later. Apparently FF does not permit anyone to create a portable version package (add-ons already in place, theme, etc) for any kind of distribution. I have never updated it because I really like the way it was customized and it runs faster than my full install at home.

Now- If you have the same version at home as you do on your portable, and the home is is slower----I might think maybe your home PC needs some maintenance and updating.

CharlesCS

on Mar 05, 2010

Apparently FF does not permit anyone to create a portable version package (add-ons already in place, theme, etc) for any kind of distribution

Actually, I have a portable version of FF 3.6. You can get it at portableapps.com.

Now- If you have the same version at home as you do on your portable, and the home is is slower----I might think maybe your home PC needs some maintenance and updating.

Not sure about that since I'm always doing clean ups, defrags and all that nice stuff. Strangely enough most of my slowdowns started with v3.6. But it's not that bad with the portable version right now.

Teseer

on Mar 05, 2010

I have a question. Why does everyone call it Foxfire?

micro5797

on Mar 05, 2010

Teseer

reply 7

I have a question. Why does everyone call it Foxfire?

it sounds happier then saying "mozilla" and there emblem is a fox.

Teseer

on Mar 05, 2010

So, it's not Firefox then?

I work in tech support and they ALWAYS call it FoxFire

PoSmedley

on Mar 05, 2010

I've never heard it called Foxfire until now.

It started as Phoenix- then Firebird - then Firefox.

skyzyk

on Mar 05, 2010

Teseer

comment 7

I have a question. Why does everyone call it Foxfire?

Just look at the top

Just look at the top of your browser. It says "Mozilla Firefox"

Teseer

on Mar 06, 2010

Yes, I understand it's Mozilla Firefox, lmao. You're missing what I'm saying.

micro5797

on Mar 06, 2010

PoSmedley

reply 10

I've never heard it called Foxfire until now.

It started as Phoenix- then Firebird - then Firefox.

Those are different programs, for example firebird is an email program. I dont know all the einns and outs of each program though.

CharlesCS

on Mar 07, 2010

Those are different programs, for example firebird is an email program. I dont know all the einns and outs of each program though.

Dont you mean Thunderbird which is Mozillas email client?

PoSmedley

on Mar 07, 2010

Those are different programs, for example firebird is an email program. I dont know all the einns and outs of each program though.

The Phoenix name was retained until April 14, 2003 when it was changed (after a short stint as Phoenix Browser) due to trademark issues with the BIOS manufacturer, Phoenix Technologies (who produce a BIOS-based browser called Phoenix FirstWare Connect). The new name, Firebird, was met with mixed reactions, particularly as the Firebird database server already carried the name. In late April, following an apparent name change to Firebird browser for a few hours, the Mozilla Foundation issued an official statement which stated that the browser should be referred to as Mozilla Firebird (as opposed to just Firebird). Continuing pressure from the Firebird community forced another change, and on February 9, 2004 the project was renamed Mozilla Firefox (or Firefox for short).

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