Firefox 3.0 vs IE7 - memory usage
Mozilla browser test :
- Firefox 3.0 Beta 4,
- Firefox 2.0
- and Internet Explorer 7
After testing the memory usage of Firefox 2.0, IE7 and Firefox 3.0 Beta 4, has come to the conclusion that the latest development milestone for version 3.0 of its open source browser delivers superior memory handling capabilities compared to its alternatives. In terms of memory 
usage the conclusion favors the last iteration of the open source browser over its predecessor, but also over the proprietary Microsoft product.
In a test performed by Stuart Parmenter, a Software Engineer working at Mozilla Corporation, the memory usage of Firefox 3.0 Beta 4 is stabilized under 100 MB, while Internet Explorer 7 uses five times as much approaching 500 MB.
“All browsers increase in memory use slightly over time, but the Firefox 3 slope is closer to 0. The peak of Firefox 3 is lower than the terminal size of Firefox 2! The terminal state of Firefox 3 is nearly 140MB smaller than Firefox 2. 60% less memory! IE7 doesn’t appear to give any memory back, even after all the windows are closed! Firefox 3 ends up about ~ 400mb smaller than IE7 at the end of the test,†(Parmenter). - (source: rlslog)
