DISQUS

Karl Foxley · 4 months ago

Whatever the negatives will be on release the positives of any Firefox browser always shine through. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

omni bar · 4 months ago

Oh no.. omni bar :( clubbed search/address bar. Everything we type will go to search engines for sake of "search suggestions", even web addresses... I want privacy, i wont upgrade from 3.7

limi · 4 months ago

You will of course be able to select what kind of matches you get in the URL bar, just as you can in Firefox 3.5 preferences today.

— Alexander Limi · Firefox User Experience

PS: Look a bit further down on the page for a summary posting where I talk about most of the other changes.

omni bar · 4 months ago

See, i want search suggestions for search badly. But i dont want goog-suggestions when i'm typing web address. Such case is not possible by any settings you prescribe.

dude · 4 months ago

LOL, privacy. Because search suggestions will be stored and mapped to your IP and then google employees will drive by your house and laugh at you because all you search for is lolcats.

Grow up.

frankilus · 4 months ago

There is something about the look and feel of Chrome that I like a lot. Firefox is good also, but it does not have that smooth feel to it. More of an aesthetics preference.

Zachary Collins · 4 months ago

Agreed 100%!

jspegele · 4 months ago

That's what themes are for.

Matthew Lowery · 4 months ago

There are very few themes that are any good.

kajira · 4 months ago

All it takes is a bit of research. I hate when I install a new major upgrade, because my themes are never updated. I'm used to a singular look and feel, so I search the themes until I find one most comparable to the look and feel I want.

I do NOT like the tabs on top option. I surely hope they don't do this!

P.S. I'm very unhappy with change!!

flashydreams · 4 months ago

i have firefox 3.0.12 configured to look and feel like Google Chrome, with all my FF bells and whistles functional. I don't use it unless I need to, as I still find Chrome that much faster, but it's still possible with FF.

Adam Saunders · 4 months ago

Tabs on top is one of the layout features I do like very much with Chrome. It's the space saving side of that layout which is a significant benefit, far over the others described here.

Jeremy Buff · 4 months ago

This looks nice, although I am sure the final version won't be as drastic of a change. I like the reload/stop button and how that it mirrors Safari. The loading bar, as well, looks sharp.

Kayla Griffin · 4 months ago

agreed. it looks a lot like a cross between the new safari and chrome. very snazzy.

Marcella Soraya · 4 months ago

oohh Im hooked already to Google Chrome.. should i go back? tempting .. both are great

Your Name*ignacio sagone · 4 months ago

chrome is way better, faster, its google! i switched and dont think going back, sorry ff

Adam Saunders · 4 months ago

I use both depending on the types of sites/web apps I'll be using. I'd probably move fully to Chrome if they added a Google Bar to it. What's up with that anyway?

Walker Roach · 4 months ago

The address bar in Chrome is also a search bar. Just type in it as though it were a normal search dialogue and hit enter and it'll direct your search to Google.

awallafashagba · 4 months ago

hmm - Do you actually know how to use Chrome?

Adam Saunders · 4 months ago

I think you completely misunderstood me and not sure why you presumed I would only be referring to search? I know that the google bar has a search bar and so does Chrome's address bar, but its the other apps I want like the google bookmarks and quick view calendar along with the highlighter and spell checker etc. All these are in use all the time.

Got a suggestion for them?

Shitij Nigam · 4 months ago

I agree. Chrome is pretty fast. Although the new Firefox buttons "Page" and "Tools" seem a lot like what you see in Chrome.
Looking forward to this release, definitely. Love the new look.

Kris Haamer · 4 months ago

Love the direction they are taking with this. IMO the Chrome look-alike version is superior. Only hope they can make it as smooth and fast as Chrome as well. We need some competition in this space.

Luka · 4 months ago

Tabs on top is almost the only reason why I switched to Google Chrome. I feel like I'm browsing in full screen mode while still having all the necessary buttons. Looks like the fourth version might look like Chrome and I'll go back. I miss addons but I manage without them.

DarrenScottMonroe · 4 months ago

Thats looks HOT I can't wait!

Jonathan · 4 months ago

Chrome is still my #1 pick.

Jessica Liu · 4 months ago

I love the tabs on top look that Chrome has, to easily associate the url with the page you're on. This new Firefox 4.0 is looking alot like Chrome!

But I do love all the cool Firefox add ons.. like firebug, compete ext. :)

Josh Catone · 4 months ago

Curiously, the web search box seems to be missing from these mockups. Though it seems in the tabs on top mockup that it may be combined with the address bar. Not sure how I feel about that. Saving screen real estate by combining things seems like a good idea on the surface, but I feel it could lead to a less usable UI.

Re: tabs, as someone who uses Chrome (on Windows), Firefox (on both OS X and Windows), and Safari (on both) on a regular basis, I actually prefer tabs on the bottom. Tabs on the top seems cluttered to me since the tabs are no longer in their own dedicated area -- they're combined with the minimize, maximize, close buttons and the program menu. That, to me, makes them seem more cramped and less usable. Plus, it's a longer mouse distance to the tabs, as the FF mockup page notes.

Kayla Griffin · 4 months ago

try out the combined search/address bar currently in google chrome it makes life easier and its really easy to get used to. also, very helpful if you go to type an address and then dont remember it, you can just immediately google without having to retype.

Josh Catone · 4 months ago

Well, if you type a string in the Firefox address bar currently that isn't a single word or URL, it defaults to search Google, afaik.

But what if you want to search something other than Google? In a given day I generally search Google, Wikipedia, IMDb, Dictionary/Thesaurus.com, and GoDaddy directly from my Firefox search box. I sometimes also search on bing, Twitter, and Yahoo! from there as well.

Like I said, I'm not convinced that combining too many tasks into a handful of ultra-multi-function elements is a win for the UI.

Charles Gedeon · 1 month ago

You can do that on Chrome too. Chrome saves all search engines on all sites you visit. When you go to type the website out, you can press tab halfway through the word of the site and it becomes a search engine on that site.

For example, for youtube, when I want to search for a video on it, all I type is "y" then I press Tab and it says "Search on Youtube:" and you type in whatever you want. You can even configure what letters you want to type for the website you want, but I keep the defualts.

In my honest opinion, Chrome is the best web browsing experience I ever had. Period.

Your Name*ignacio sagone · 4 months ago

i switched to chrome a while ago, i used to be a die hard firefox fan, 3.5 still too slow, will 4.0 surpass chrome??

365icon.com · 4 months ago

Back when i used a pc i LOVED Chrome. Best browser by far, with an awesome layout. I really hope the new firefox has the tabs up top. That would look great on my MBPro. cant wait to see the new setup.

Your Name*ignacio sagone · 4 months ago

looks lighter but who knows....still riding on pc chrome rulz...when gettng mbpro who knows!, W7 is coming i ve heard pretty good comments about it what u think

Demuxer Yque · 4 months ago

IMHO the GO button is useless,if typing,use the ENTER key #firefox needs only positives

Michael Kozakewich · 4 months ago

Some people aren't using keyboards.
They'd most likely copy an address into the bar with 'Paste and Go'; but if they needed to select something and delete it, and then click go, they need a button for it.

FunDave · 4 months ago

Shiney

Mike Convente · 4 months ago

I have to say I tried Chrome and HATED it. I actually like having all my options easily in view, as opposed to hidden in menus accessed only by a first button click (or hotkeys I suppose).

Firefox should stick to its current tabs-on-bottom layout, IMO.

kajira · 4 months ago

YAY! I agree whole-heartedly!

tlrclay · 4 months ago

I hate Firefox on my Mac, but love Firefox on a PC. On my Mac, Safari is the best browser.

Personally I like the tabs on top. Tabs on bottom seems a little old, and with the tabs on top it gives you a little more space. I just recently updated Safari today from 4.0 to 4.2 and noticed that they moved the tabs from the top back down to the bottom. Ugh.

Calvin Chin · 4 months ago

I think it looks stunning and I would gladly switch from Chrome to Firefox when this is released. Also, I would prefer the tabs on the top honestly. It just looks better and puts the tabs at higher priority I suppose.

And, why is the screenshot of the Example search in Google in Vista while the Search button and Search font is from a Mac?

Andrea · 4 months ago

When FF40 will be released, we'll have a Chrome with full working plugins, so I will stay with Chrome even then :)

Rachel · 4 months ago

The potential new look brings images of jellyfish to mind for some reason. I like it!

jcs92 · 4 months ago

What I really like about chrome is the tab disposition. Mozilla should do the same for firefox or at least give the user the choice to put the tabs on top. I don't know why but it's like there is more space for pages with a chrome-like design.

limi · 4 months ago

The intention is to let you choose what you like best, yes. See my full comment further down in this thread. :)

Kim ONeil · 4 months ago

I LOVE Firefox for all it's awesome add-ons..I can't read my email without it!, but I love Chrome for it's quickness, easy in and out (TV guide, banking, webcams), practically no typing involved once your start page is set! No frills...but.. I'm wondering if the tabs go on top, will the added toolbars stay in the same position? Hey, whatever they decide, I know I'll love it.

Dan Citriniti · 4 months ago

I hope this means it runs more efficiently, Firefox is great and all but there have been problems since day one that seem like they haven't been fixed.

John · 4 months ago

Didn't Safari already do both these things first?

Ummm · 4 months ago

Uhhhh so? Competition = Good Thing. Every browser has borrowed ideas.

G. Liu · 4 months ago

You're saying it takes longer to move the mouse to a tab. True, but I don't think 10ms or even 50ms extra makes so much difference.

Anthony Purwadi · 4 months ago

if firefox could be as sleek and fast as google chrome, i'd definitely switched back. Afterall all those plugins in firefox could make life much easier :) and chrome lacks those....

Shane Davis · 4 months ago

I like what I'm seeing. Well, one out of two, I suppose. The hybrid-combo button of universal applicationarianism certainly appeals to me - it's a functional space-saver that looks good to boot. I'd prefer the tabs on the bottom, probably because I don't type in nearly as many addresses as I do visit bookmarked pages.

This would make more sense if you knew that I am using a Mac. Does anyone know how different these screenshots are from that OS? Most notably, they would do well to just keep the go button where it is now, right?

D14BL0 · 4 months ago

Honestly, I like the tabs on top design. I'm all about minimizing clutter and maximizing viewing space. I've installed TinyMenu on Firefox for the sake of removing all of about 16 pixels, and it changes a whole lot. Fewer icons junking up my screen, more room to see what I'm looking at.

Hopefully they'll just give you the option to switch between the two. Obviously you can't make everybody happy by only allowing one of those options.

Adam Saunders · 4 months ago

I use the add-on HideMenubar, which does a fab job of this too.

D14BL0 · 4 months ago

I actually tried that extension out a while back. It does the job well, but it felt too much like IE for me to really dig it. It also didn't like to play nice with other toolbar extensions I had.

Adam Saunders · 4 months ago

lol. Felt too much like IE? Sounds a little bias :)

Can't say I've had any compatibility problems with it. Does the same thing though, so each to their own, and thanks too FF we all get choices!!

The thing with all these browsers is that they all have something good about them, even if its something small. But its becoming obvious how they are all becoming more and more alike now too.

chingo · 4 months ago

Reminds me a lot of google chrome browser in its simplicity.

jason k · 4 months ago

i just need it to be fast.

Matthew · 4 months ago

Thank you for this very informative post! Without it I wouldn't have known about this.
Thanks!

Matt

Matthew · 4 months ago

Thank you for this very informative post! Without it I wouldn't have known about this.
Thanks!

Matt

Matt Cheney · 4 months ago

If Mozilla was smart, they wouldn't put the tabs on top or the bottom.

Vertical space is a premium. Quickly scanning your open tabs in a thin horizontal line is inefficient. The FF plugin Tree Style Tabs which puts the tabs on the left makes far more sense. You can have many more tabs open (perfect for researching and cmd-clicking many links off Google) and it nests them.

More importantly for Mozilla, no one else is doing this...yet. What better way to further separate themselves from the other increasingly similar browsers. "Oh, Firefox? You mean the browser that puts the tabs on the side?"

D14BL0 · 4 months ago

Not that I necessarily disagree with you, but when you use a vertical stacking of tabs, it shortens the amount of text displayed for the tabs tremendously. When you've got a lot of tabs open and are constantly flipping through them, you need to be able to tell at a glance - without waiting for a tooltip to show the rest - what tab is what.

It works great if you really need the vertical real estate, but for the power users, it's more of a hassle than the value you'd get back from it.

Just my two cents.

Matt Cheney · 4 months ago

Joe, I agree with you in that you should be able read what your tabs are, especially if the site is lacking a favicon. My question to you is how many tabs can you have open horizontally before the size of each tab gets shrunken to the point that you are waiting for a tooltip?

With the vertical tabs, you simply grab the edge of the tab bar and drag it out to whatever width you need. And since most sites are less than 1024px in total width or have a fluid layout, there's often more than enough space to drag the tab bar out so you can read ~ 20-40 characters in each tab (assuming you have a wide screen monitor bigger than 15")

Alexander Limi · 4 months ago

Have a look at our proposal at:

http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

— Alexander Limi · Firefox User Experience

Matt Cheney · 4 months ago

Wow, this is exciting! Kudos for exploring the UI so deeply. I'm confident it'll pay off. Thanks again for your hard work Alexander.

Mark | Retroblique · 4 months ago

Toolbar integration within the interface is conspicuous by its absence. I like my bookmarks toolbar and don't really want to lose it.

I'm going to vote for keeping tabs below. To me, it makes sense to have the tabs flow into the page itself (almost like a thumb indexed binder). Put the tabs on top and you get a slight disconnect between the descriptive tab and the page it belongs to.

Having said that, Chrome's approach doesn't really bother me too much, but it seems a bit clunky to have your eyes drift over irrelevant GUI elements when glancing between the tabs and the page content.

The best solution would be just to implement both and allow the user to choose their preference.

limi · 4 months ago

The bookmarks toolbar isn't going away, but might be turned off by default. You should of course be able to use it if you want.

As for the top/bottom placement of tabs, you can have it your way there too.

Alexander Limi · 4 months ago

Hi, Alexander Limi from the Firefox User Experience team here.

Let me try to clear up some common questions that are raised here — and feel free to ask more questions, I'll try to keep an eye on replies to this comment. Some of these are taken from the Reddit thread, since it hit there a little bit earlier, I hope you don't mind me re-using my answers. :)

"I really like this, but hope that all the interface customization ability stays in place" — That is indeed one of our goals with this. You should be able to go back to something very, very close to what you're using right now, regardless of what that is.

"I love tabs on top! / I hate tabs on top!" — Fortunately, we want to support both. What we ship with as the default isn't decided yet, but it's pretty clear that there are compelling reasons to have both available as options.

"It looks just like Chrome! Where's the innovation?" — Chrome was not the first browser to have tabs on top, not the first browser to have glyphs instead of icons for the buttons, etc. If you read the proposal, there's a lot of new interesting things hidden here (home tab, progress bar, the stop/reload/go combination), but it's not all expanded on at once. Just because another browser has something, doesn't mean we *have* to do it differently. There's a lot of cool things in all the major browsers these days.

"Why are they doing this instead of focusing on speed and memory usage optimizations?" — Because they are done by different people, and once does not preclude the other. We can do both, and there's a lot of effort invested in stuff like this as we speak — vastly improved startup time for Firefox 3.6, etc. Follow the Mozilla blogs at planet.mozilla.org if you want the inside scoop. :)

"Whoever thought it was a good idea to remove the menu bar?" — Quite a number of other browsers. But to give you a proper answer, the amount of functionality you use in day-to-day use of the browser really isn't that large, so having a dedicated bar for the menu makes less sense. On the Mac side, things work differently, and the menu bar will probably stay in place, as the OS X user interface has a different approach to menus.

Also, we have some cool s—t lined up for this that isn't in these mock-ups yet. ;)

"I think tabs on the side or having no tabs at all is a better approach" — We want to support this too. See the article on this here: http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

Let me know if you have other questions! I'll keep an eye out and try to answer as many as I can.

— Alexander Limi · Firefox User Experience

Alex · 4 months ago

PLEASE PLEASE, I beg you do not put the go/reload/stop button on the right hand side of the address bar! It belongs next to back/forward for quick easy access! It is seriously one of my biggest gripes about IE.

While I'm at it, how about the address bar + controls on top where the title is, but it only displays the address on mouseover? Otherwise it shows the title. Then the tabs underneath. Might be neat!

limi · 4 months ago

You should be able to put back the dedicated stop/reload buttons if you want. We're not going to remove them from the customization UI, just have a slightly different default.

hongkongren · 4 months ago

I m the last one

skylights · 4 months ago

Tabs on top or bottom? Neither! Tabs on the side. Install the Tree Style Tabs extension, and you'll never go back.

limi · 4 months ago

I think you'll like my recent blog post, then:

http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

:)

Ibrahim · 4 months ago

Great kool looking interface. I hope it will be as fast as Chrome browser but keep up with a good quality of Firefox.

I'm going to use it.

Jack · 4 months ago

I like my tabs on the left side. With wide screen monitors most web sites have wide empty areas on their sides, which give me enough room to put all my tabs in a tree style. It is the best way to organize tabs if you often have more than 10 of them open (76 open right now in 12 groups).

limi · 4 months ago

You'll be happy to hear that I'm currently working with the author of Tree Style Tabs on some explorations for Firefox 4.0, then — have a look at my write-up here for the details:

http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

james · 4 months ago

As long as I can put the buttons where i want them, I don't care what it looks like, provided it's fast.

limi · 4 months ago

That's the idea, yes. If you don't like the position of the tabs or buttons, you can customize it until you have the setup you want.

datingcougar · 4 months ago

Really? hard to believe.i heard this news times from many friends playing on a tall dating site ___kisscougar. com___,i did not believe, i think that they are know nothing but dating and love.
i am wrong.

hongkongren · 4 months ago

it is me

Niv Calderon · 4 months ago

what a great day to start my day :) firefox 4 screenshots

Shosh · 4 months ago

The latest version of IE has that combo button thing. I don't find it that revolutionary...

LC · 4 months ago

Well ... hate it.

1/ Tabs on top : since this idea is debated for "ui logic" i find it stupid. I don't like it in chrome. It forces you to do more mouse and eye movements. Do you really look that often to the address bar ?

2/ Personal toolbar is gone / moved ?

3/ No more status bar ? I hate in chrome how it popped when you move your mouse over a link. It just catch my sight and I don't want that, I like to look a it only when I want to ;) And also lots of extensions use it.

(maybe you just hide all those thing for the screenshots ?)

4/ If i wanted the Chrome UI, I woud use Chrome.

5/ I also hope you would revert the new default which prevent closing the last tab opened (!?)

Nice Aero integration though.

limi · 4 months ago

1) People are mostly split on this, which is why we will probably offer both. What will be the default is still up for discussion

2) Personal toolbar remains, just not in these screenshots. Probably off by default, since few people use it based on our (admittedly non-scientific still :) ) sampling

3) We have some thoughts around this too, but they aren't in these particular mock-ups. Coming soon.

4) I'd like to think that there is more to the difference between Chrome and Firefox than just the placement of the tab bar. ;)

5) Not sure what you mean here. I'm on Mac, where it's possible — maybe this is a Windows thing?

LC · 4 months ago

Thx for the reply.

3/ really surprised people don't use perso toolbar, couldn't live without it. I mean it's bookmarks without having to click on it ;) Maybe now it's on IE8 ...

5/ it's "browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab". With the default in 3.5 you can't close the last tab whereas with "false" it closes the tab and show a white page (maybe this behavior not makes sense for average user, especially with the tab hidden when only one is open ? why not showing home page instead ?). Not of the utmost importance anyway :)

He ... glad you put a refresh button in the address bar. I love the "awesome bar" since the start although sometimes it just swap my hdd a long time before displaying anything (pc laptops ...)

Outcast? · 4 months ago

Am I the online person that really enjoy the tabs at the bottom?

Nice screenies.

limi · 4 months ago

Nope, a lot of people prefer their tabs on the bottom. You should be able to pick whatever you prefer.

Brian L Johnson · 4 months ago

All this buzz about tabs above or below the URL Bar? Pffft!

Has anyone yet looked at the Opera 10 beta? http://is.gd/1Q73Y Tabs top, bottom, left, right; fully re-sizable *and* with or without visual thumbnails on them.

Now *that* is a TabBar improvement!

limi · 4 months ago

Not to shoot down Opera (I have lots of friends there, and use their browser for newsgroup reading), here are some details on why it doesn't really work that well:

http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

(third example in that section)

Tahir Akram · 4 months ago

Sound cool

Paul Godden · 4 months ago

Great post - thanks. I like the look, and as a lot of people have said, it's a lot like Chrome. But then Chrome does look nice and clean, simple etc.

The thing we want as well is Chrome's speed though - it would be great to have a clean browser, fast with add-ons. If Chrome gets there first with add-ons then I think it could be a new browser war!

Paddy · 4 months ago

It seems to me that tabs on top makes more sense semantically. It make sense for the location of a tab's content to be displayed within that tab. Tabbed browsing can confuse some users (though presumably not anyone commenting on here) - I think tabs on top could be easier to understand.

palPalani · 4 months ago

Wow! awesome design & great look! and Agreed 100%!

Josh · 4 months ago

I don't get how you have more space, because it just means you can't open your window as high up as before so it's just six and two threes. When they switched the tabs in Safari everybody got annoyed, and it's just lost the FF feeling about it.

MirchiWoods · 4 months ago

great look! and Agreed 100%!

Peter Yee · 4 months ago

The page loading is awesome!!! cant wait for the release... Kudos to the firefox team!

Jake · 4 months ago

Such a copycat.....That's Chromium's Design aka Google Chrome....

Chris · 4 months ago

Hope they implement some Windows 7 features like jump-lists, download progress in the task-bar, common tasks pinned in the start-menu, etc..

Rose Matthews · 4 months ago

I disagree with giving users the choice - the two designs simply aren't different enough to release as alternatives to one another. Tabs on top appears to be the winner, although I wonder why FireFox feels the need to remove the titlebar on this design..? Surely there's room for both.

I like the design and positioning of the progress bar - much more usable. And although the combi-button is a neat idea, I'm concerned about control. For example, if you start typing in the address bar (it becomes "go"), then change your mind and decide to refresh the page instead, how do you change the button back again to hit "refresh"?

Rose Matthews · 4 months ago

I disagree with giving users the choice - the two designs simply aren't different enough to release as alternatives to one another. Tabs on top appears to be the winner, although I wonder why FireFox feels the need to remove the titlebar on this design..? Surely there's room for both.

I like the design and positioning of the progress bar - much more usable. And although the combi-button is a neat idea, I'm concerned about control. For example, if you start typing in the address bar (it becomes "go"), then change your mind and decide to refresh the page instead, how do you change the button back again to hit "refresh"?

Richard · 4 months ago

Pros for Chrome: feels a little bit faster
Pros for Firefox: great add-ons

I personally can not live without great add-ons like Ad Block Plus! It annoys the hell out of me surfing without it. Chromes speed is just not enough benefit to compete with the whole customization thingy. Also my privacy feels being at risk using Google Chrome.

Leslie Williams Isah · 4 months ago

Firefox as a software dev. company has swam well in all the hype they've recieved....the reason they are still swimming is because they ALWAYS deliver the preferred choice.

However, it turns out, i like both designs, though it'd take a longer time to get around the new interface + features but there's nothing to fear.

till then, i'll be waiting patiently

mahmud ahsan · 4 months ago

looks nice

Mayur · 4 months ago

Well, it looks like a browser.

Ace · 4 months ago

Two words: Google Chrome.

Alexander Bickov · 4 months ago

Great gadget

david · 4 months ago

...and what up with the mac version?

Sean Boone · 4 months ago

Interesting! I love how they utilize the Vista menu properties... in all respect I think that is the only thing Microsoft nailed in Ultimate with Aero "transparent" windows.

My Firefox has been crashing like mad recently, probably because I keep 13+ tabs open at all times but I hope 4.0 can handle it better.

limi · 4 months ago

13 tabs is nothing, and it should obviously not do that. Drop by the Mozilla support channel, and they can probably figure it out with your help.

Will · 4 months ago

Looks like IE 7.0

Michael Kozakewich · 4 months ago

I think the big reason I've never been a Firefox fan is that I'm forced to have the File | Edit | View | Etc options up there, as well as the title bar, a tool bar, the tab bar, and a status bar. IE7 took the toolbar and menu bar away (you'd press Alt to bring up the menu bar), but it was Chrome that took away the toolbar, title bar, menu bar AND status bar (which floats up when needed). It's tabs and address bar, and that's it. I fell in love.
Basically, the needs of people like me were ignored until recently. I'm happy to see Firefox heading in this direction.

I would like to see the menu bar survive in hiding, though. Most people don't specifically need to use it, but it should be there for all who know to press Alt, filled with all the options one needs.

Benjamin Reid · 4 months ago

Nice, can't wait! :D

Vlad Nistor · 4 months ago

Looks Chromy if you ask me :P Can I haz it now?

gummisig · 4 months ago

this looks smashing, I´m excited. Cant wait to see what kind of css 3.0 support they will have. And html 5.0

Giorgos · 4 months ago

WOW! i already loved it! :)

kapowaz · 4 months ago

Top tabs vs Bottom tabs appears very much to be a Marmite kind of argument; some people love it, others hate it. The thing that makes tabs on top less appealing to me is generally the reduced clickable titlebar for dragging the window around.

As for the new reload button; this one really bugs me. Microsoft started it by putting it on the right, and it always annoyed me. Then Safari 4 followed suit (I'm certain this was to try and make it easier for Windows-based switchers) and now finally Firefox is doing it too. Putting page navigation buttons on different ends of the location bar has always struck me as bad. Associating the actions of reload/stop/go all within a single button isn't itself fundamentally bad, but it should be on the left hand side, so that it's next to the forward/back buttons. Putting it all the way over there makes it feel isolated and lost.

Graham · 4 months ago

Wow Firefox 4 looks great.
Looking forward to this one!

sashiimonster · 4 months ago

it looks almost identical to google chrome.......

Chris · 4 months ago

Looks just like Google Chrome. Rather just use chrome

aawindoze2 · 4 months ago

Wow, Firefox just keeps getting better and better!

RT
www.anon-web-tools.tk

Remiel · 4 months ago

At a glance, the Mozilla team's proposed "tabs on top" design appears to miss the boat by not honoring Fitts's Law:
http://bit.ly/xNx44 [Wikipedia - Fitts's Law]

Arguably, the biggest advantage to "tabs on top" is that the height of each tab (button) is made effectively infinite -- and therefore an easy mousing target -- but only if the tabs are flush with the top of the screen. Google Chrome gets it right by taking full advantage of this precept. The screenshots suggest that Mozilla's approach leaves several pixels of dead space between the tabs and the top of the screen.

Of course, the clickable area of each tab doesn't have to be the same as its visual area. It's possible that Mozilla's proposed tabs would terminate several pixels below the upper screen edge only VISUALLY, but remain clickable all the way up to the very top of the screen. That's better than nothing, but still a poor choice because the user has to figure out the "secret" for themselves.

limi · 4 months ago

When the window is maximized, the tabs should indeed go all the way to the edge, as I have written in earlier comments. :)

Matthew Willison · 4 months ago

I have a feeling that with Mozilla conforming by putting the tab bar at the top (Like other browsers have) that sooner or later we're going to have browsers that look and feel the same. Is nothing in this cyber world sacred? or will every original idea be copied? Just because one person ripped off another person it makes it alright to do the same thing?

Still, as an avid Firefox fan, I will be looking forward to the release of Firefox 4.

LOL · 4 months ago

lOL IT WAS MADE BY THE CIA!

geoffreygordon · 4 months ago

SOOOOOOOOOOOO exciting I cannot wait, I would not use any other browser firefox is the best by far.

Chris Horton · 4 months ago

haha thats funny cuz you look SOOOOOOOOOOO exited.

mona · 4 months ago

yeah, but will this firefox not crash consistently like my 3.5.1 does at work EVERY SINGLE DAY and multiple times a day?

limi · 4 months ago

It should not do that — drop by the Firefox support channel, and let them help you figure out why (and how to fix it).

Bill · 4 months ago

IE7 was a copy of Firefox.
Firefox 4 is starting to look like a copy of IE8.

Kim · 4 months ago

Wow, looks awesome!

Nate · 4 months ago

Noooooooo! I don't want a chrome/ie8 look-alike. What is with this copy-everyone-else trend with the browsers? I don't WANT "page" and "tools" menu tab-thingies. I want File, Edit, View, Tools menus. Don't take away the menu bar. This is all fkn Microsoft's fault for doing this crap to the MS suite (Word, Excel, etc). Not happy with the way things are going.

Firefox 3.5 is still slow as hell. General browser responsiveness is a joke compared to Chrome and Opera. How about the developers stop focusing on the omg-let's-make-things-neater-and-cleaner, and focus slightly more on actually delivering a browser that is fast to use.

Nate · 4 months ago

Noooooooo! I don't want a chrome/ie8 look-alike. What is with this copy-everyone-else trend with the browsers? I don't WANT "page" and "tools" menu tab-thingies. I want File, Edit, View, Tools menus. Don't take away the menu bar. This is all fkn Microsoft's fault for doing this crap to the MS suite (Word, Excel, etc). Not happy with the way things are going.

Firefox 3.5 is still slow as hell. General browser responsiveness is a joke compared to Chrome and Opera. How about the developers stop focusing on the omg-let's-make-things-neater-and-cleaner, and focus slightly more on actually delivering a browser that is fast to use.

Nate · 4 months ago

Noooooooo! I don't want a chrome/ie8 look-alike. What is with this copy-everyone-else trend with the browsers? I don't WANT "page" and "tools" menu tab-thingies. I want File, Edit, View, Tools menus. Don't take away the menu bar. This is all Microsoft's fault for doing this crap to the MS suite (Word, Excel, etc). Not happy with the way things are going in this new Vista/Windows 7 styling.

Firefox 3.5 is still slow as hell. General browser responsiveness is a joke compared to Chrome and Opera. How about the developers stop focusing on the omg-let's-make-things-neater-and-cleaner, and focus slightly more on actually delivering a browser that is fast to use.

I always kind of proud of the fact that firefox did things differently. As the months go by, it's becoming clear that they're playing the same game as every other browser - the only thing that matters is the race to be part of the popular crowd.

thiagomenezes · 4 months ago

Can't wait for it!

PZ · 4 months ago

Sorry, but aren't those mock-ups, not screenshots?
The article calls them screenshots, then mock-ups, then screenshots again.

Looking good, however. But vertical tabbar is the way to go.

limi · 4 months ago

They are mock-ups, not screenshots.

And if you're interested in vertical tabs, have a look at the proposal at:
http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

Broughton · 4 months ago

Loose the bookmarks toolbar, status bar...as the guy in 'Meaning of Life' said, 'But I'm still using it'! Yey, there is an 'Option' button right there where I can click on it with no struggling with menus...it's just that I am not going to click on it really often after I install new version of browser and set it up like I like it...
Bookmark button in address bar - yeah, great, although I don't use it - drag and drop is easier when you have bookmarks toolbar, organized bookmarks and Xmarks to take care of them...you get the idea.
What is next? I mean, except to look like Chrome?
It would be better to
1) make edit boxes (like the one I am using right now) resizable;
2) for download manager to remember sessions and to resume downloads (and oh yes, it would be great if I could restrict traffic to each download separately);
3) maybe you could actually give us opportunity to edit 'Application' list (Tools>Options>Applications tab...pfeew, this was hard!) since every now and then Fox seems to forgot that png and text files should not always be opened with Notepad;
4) remove the 'add tab' button in tab bar...why is it there? There are at least three different ways to add new tab, why would you possibly need fourth? To save one click?
5) and, oh, yes, could you pretty please take care of that RAM issue? I mean, I do have 3 gigs on my machine, but to have 190 megs for only three tabs opened (and this is good result) is just a bit to much, in my honest oppinion.
'Why the heck are you using Fox if you don't like it?' I used it while it was still Mozilla and I like it better than any other browser. So please, don't make it look like gChrome. I am sure there are much more ideas where theese came from and they must be better than the ones you have presented.
Thanks.

patri manao · 4 months ago

Firefox 4 is the best. but, when firefox 4 in release and how can i download this software? Thanx.....
Go On to Forefox 4

west-texan · 4 months ago

Don't try to fix things that are NOT broken.

Tabs are not broken in Firefox right now, so don't try to fix them.

Changing things that work, just for the sake of a new look...is bad software design.

Gordon · 4 months ago

Unless they fix the frickin' slow loading, I'll stick with 3.0

limi · 4 months ago

Firefox 3.5 is much, much faster than 3.0 (2x-10x, depending). If it isn't for you, please drop by the Firefox support channel and let them help you figure out what is wrong. :)

deanholmes · 4 months ago

Interesting. UI does cause confusion though.
http://deanholmes.me

mwaters5 · 4 months ago

I love the tab on top it does save space, and the intuitive bar is very very cool.

Brady Valentino · 4 months ago

I don't like it at all. It looks like they're taking a lot of ideas from Chrome and Safari, most of which just don't work with how their browser is laid out.

deanholmes · 4 months ago

Interesting. UI does cause confusion though.
http://deanholmes.me

deanholmes · 4 months ago

Interesting. UI does cause confusion though.
http://deanholmes.me

phaoloo · 4 months ago

Whatever it is, I still love it :D

Ecrap · 4 months ago

Sounds fake

eDDi Hughes · 4 months ago

lol safari

Denis · 4 months ago

Looks suspiciously like ie7 don't you think?

peter · 4 months ago

I don't know, it looks a lot like google chrome. And since I'm using chrome exclusively now anyways, it doesn't really matter.

I hate to say it, but looks like google screwed the fox.

Andrea · 4 months ago

IT kinda looks like opera and chrome mashed together

Hans Notelteirs · 4 months ago

Great idea to combination go/stop/reload and putting tabs on top.

I do think that the 'page' menu (when tabs on bottom) isn't at its place there. I get the philosophy behind it but it seems so on the foreground. It would be better placed next to the 'tools' menu. After all, how many time do you use the file menu anyway?

Also the ability to remove the text for file, tools and bookmarks menu would be great so instead the users uses only icons. Gives an even more cleaner look.

mike · 4 months ago

the combo button is so nicked from safari

limi · 4 months ago

For the record, I think Opera had it first.

hompti · 4 months ago

The replacement of the Refresh button is good idea. However, putting the tabs on top makes no sense - as I switch tabs more often than I access page controls.

How about putting everything to the bottom?

Or page controls all the way to the left - next to the tabs?

steve · 4 months ago

I absolutely hate the merged stop/go/reload button. This failed miserably in Opera and IE. In fact in IE they had to yank it due to such overwhelmning complaints!

Its a bad move.

limi · 4 months ago

It was a bad execution of that idea, in my opinion. There's a lot you can do to make it work better than what IE did.

JNFerree · 4 months ago

Not only does Mozilla work at a lightening pace, but did you notice how quickly they repaired the short term incompatible Bit.ly add-on? It was less than a week before I was back in the saddle.

Miroslav Nikolov · 4 months ago

Waiting for Mozilla OS. Its gonna be new age:)

Stian · 4 months ago

I'm so glad I'm not on Windows ...

Scott · 4 months ago

All I can say is - don't get rid of the menu bar. I use it a LOT and narrowing it down to one "tools" dropdown isn't going to cut it

anang20 · 4 months ago

great modifications... can't wait.

Mark Tomczak · 4 months ago

I really like the tab movement. From a conceptual standpoint, the current URL and forward/back history are properties of a given tab of content; moving the URL bar and the forward-back arrows under the auspices of the tabs makes sense. Moving bookmarks and tools down there... I could take it or leave it. It probably makes sense given horizontal space constraints.

Mark Tomczak · 4 months ago

I really like the tab movement. From a conceptual standpoint, the current URL and forward/back history are properties of a given tab of content; moving the URL bar and the forward-back arrows under the auspices of the tabs makes sense. Moving bookmarks and tools down there... I could take it or leave it. It probably makes sense given horizontal space constraints.

Omar Bennani · 4 months ago

dude, just steal the progress bar from safari(i think). instead of a goofy looking line on the bottom just fill the address bar. there's already a plugin for this.

Suneel · 4 months ago

Stunning looks : Great, Tabs move below the address bar - Little sad on it. Love firefox more than any browser ...gr8 make over ;)

Greg · 4 months ago

Love they are using Windows 7! Tabs on top - Nooooooo!

Suneel · 4 months ago

Stunning looks : Great, Tabs move below the address bar - Little sad on it. Love firefox more than any browser ...gr8 make over ;)

makis · 4 months ago

In version3.5 firefox lost one of its best features, the ability to drag an address to bookmark bar and its folders. Hopefully they will not destroy firefox further in version 4

aaaaaaa · 4 months ago

Those look terrible. I'm turning auto update off immediately.

Chloe · 4 months ago

Can't wait to see this new version in the future. Very nice...

Chloe · 4 months ago

Wow awesome...Can't wait to see this future version come to life.

ChromeFan · 4 months ago

You have to be kidding me. It looks almost exactly like Google Chrome. Chrome has had stop and go integrated into one button for ages, what makes firefox so special?

FireFox still isn't clean enough for me. Remove the text from the bookmarks, page and tool options and MAYBE I'll consider it. The tabs still look ugly to me, they don't look like they are a part of the page like Chrome's do. The one button stop/go's colour changing feature also bothers me. It stands out like a sore thumb when they do it that way. Sorry but I'll stick with chrome.

Now if only Chrome/Firefox had mouse gestures and they ability to remove everything but the address bar... that would be the dream browser.

limi · 4 months ago

You can already do everything you mention here using Firefox add-ons. :)

daphna · 4 months ago

the tools on the right doesn't look fun :(

M.L · 4 months ago

I like firefox a lot, but I find that Google Chrome to be way more convenient, especially with the most commonly used websites as your home page.

sasdaman · 4 months ago

I use Chrome for everyday browsing for the simplicity it brings but firefox as my productivity tool. With the web developer extensions I can debug websites/webpages and use search marketing & search engine optimization tool to research competitors, checkout search engine ranks and more. I'm not too worried about new firefox versions but more concerned as updates are made available that all my toolbars and extensions work in the next addition!

sahus · 4 months ago

Chrome for everyday browsing, firefox for productivity & IE for designers + developers who release non-compliant websites that require IE6,7 or 8 to function properly!!!

Michaelc · 4 months ago

Tabs on top or bottom, both are a waste of space. Tabs up the side are the only way to go. Most screens have plenty or horizontal space and you can fit 30 tabs even on a small screen and still read all the titles. Try the firefox extension TreeStyleTabs to experience the wonder.

limi · 4 months ago

As earlier mentioned, we want to suppor that too. See my blog post about this here:

http://limi.net/articles/reinventing-tabs-for-t...

Liz Pike · 4 months ago

just as long as 4.0 isn't as buggy as 3.5. Can't switch to Chrome, cuz where would I be without Firebug, ColorZilla, MeasureIt, TwitterFox, HtML Validator, Codeburner, lori, & Web Developer?? love these tools!

Liz Pike · 4 months ago

just as long as 4.0 isn't as buggy as 3.5. Can't switch to Chrome, cuz where would I be without Firebug, ColorZilla, MeasureIt, TwitterFox, HtML Validator, Codeburner, lori, & Web Developer?? love these tools!