Firefox Joining the Multi-Process Movement

[david]

Like its brethren browsers Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 8, Firefox is moving toward separating tabs into system processes, increasing browsing stability and taking advantage of increasingly common multi-processor systems.

The wiki outline of the "Content Processes" project states that the browser UI itself, and every page opened in a tab, would be split into a separate running process, which would "Provide better application UI responsiveness" and improve stability. In terms of how most Lifehacker-ish types use Firefox—with a good number of useful extensions—this could only be seen as good news, as extension-related slow-downs might be walled off from actual content.

Read more @ lifehacker

[Zawmbee]

Wouldn't it lag your computer if you open up lots of tabs?

[david]

Wouldn't it lag your computer if you open up lots of tabs?

Google Chrome doesn't :)

[Zawmbee]

I never knew that Google Chrome does this. But then again I never pay attention to updates for browsers except Firefox.

[ConductRe]

Chrome opens up around 10-15 processes. Eventually it starts grouping tabs into the same process.
I really like how Chrome manages the tabs, it has a built in manager that tell you how much memory each process is using.

[Thrax]

IE8 and Chrome each spawn multiple processes. IE8 renders the UI in one process, and all the tabs in another, while Chrome spawns a new process for each tab (and consolidates them with enough open tabs).

It works well.

[acjuan]

I'm actually surprised that Firefox is starting to fall slightly behind.