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Tab Effect for Firefox
I like Tab Effect, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's useful. It's an extension for Firefox that adds a sort of rotating cube effect when you switch tabs. It's powered by DirectX 8, so it'll only work on Windows, and how well it performs may depend upon the quality of your graphics card. My graphics card, for example, is a piece of crap, which may be why Tab Effect performs a tad sluggishly. There's a slight delay after clicking on a tab and when the effect kicks in, and the rotation is a slower than I'd like.Like I said, I'm not sure how useful Tab Effect is, but it's definitely a cool concept. We've seen this sort of effect with desktop-switching before, so tab-switching is a natural progression, but as it stands it's pretty limited. But it's only 1.0, so maybe after a few revisions it'll be mind-blowingly speedy, intuitive, and useful.
Comments
24
Subscribe to comments01Jan 10th 2007 5:20PM
(laughs) it's like having virtual desktops or fast user switching for your...browser? Well, good job anyway, if you haven't seen either of the aformentioned switchers (probably because you're using a PC) you're in for a treat.
JustinJan 10th 2007 5:55PM
I installed it right after i read it here. Its fun and runs pretty well for me. Is there anything else like this for pc/firefox?
Kevin M.Jan 10th 2007 8:59PM
Well, snooty mac user, you don't have "spaces" yet. Linux has had workspaces for over a decade, and with XGL you can have the cube effect when you switch. Quartz is only 2D acceleration (how boring), OpenGL is 3D. And free.
JohnkimbleJan 10th 2007 7:37PM
Kinda cool, but defeats the purpose of Firefox all together.
klbJan 11th 2007 10:18AM
...and yet the screenshot is from a mac.
BrandonJan 10th 2007 6:50PM
Nice, runs smoothly. Just cool, that's it.
jtJan 11th 2007 2:11PM
Kind of neat, but a tad slow. What's the use of using tabs if it isn't quick and efficient? Hopefully an update will give some options, like animation speed, effects, etc.
harmxJan 10th 2007 7:34PM
Nice eye candy mate. Works well on my lappy, but gotta feeling its gonna pee me off in a couple of days!
ChrisJan 11th 2007 8:57AM
Ha. I don't usually use Firefox, but I fired it up and installed the app. Looked kinda neat for the first tab... then it crashed Firefox. I reopened Firefox and tried to open more tabs to check it out... crashed it again.
Oh well.
Brian PeirisJan 10th 2007 10:37PM
Looks pretty good for a 1.0 release.
Though there are no options whatsoever.
Also, it crashed my Firefox twice, so I was forced to uninstall it.
I think it has an issue with blank tabs (I was messing with some javascript in Firebug both times)
I'll wait for later versions.
Hollis JamisonJan 10th 2007 11:23PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCPTmh7pGPA
Theres a demonstration video I whipped up pretty quickly. Works good, not sure if it's a novelty or not yet.
Tim KingJan 11th 2007 3:51AM
I tested it this morning, wow, nice job on the plugin... sort of...
Yes as it says in the post it performs sluggishly, there are other problems as well...
1. Have a wordpress based blog? Then you can forget adding links to your text/images if you use this plugin.
2. Want to type in an address on your address bar? Whoops, I cant, the plugin covers the address bar with the history address drop down list.
3. Trying to login to your favorite website... Bad Luck
While this bug doesn't effect all login attempts or login forms, there are a few that I came across that FireFox downright failed to login too, even after I checked (and re-checked) my login details.
I'm sure that these will be fixed in a later version, but for now... Use at your own caution.
Overall:
4 stars for trying and achieving something original in a browsing environment for once.
2.5 stars for pulling it off fairly well with obvious bugs and errors.
0 stars for ripping off an idea that has been in place for a while with other software (XGL, parallels etc...)
arghJan 11th 2007 4:59AM
Tim:
Why 0 stars? Even though it's been done via Beryl, Parallels, Virtue Desktop, etc. those are made for the entire desktop. This is being done for a browser so take it or leave it. It's relatively new if you view from the perspective of it being for the browser itself. I've come across one of the bugs myself, it is very similar to the address bar problem. But the difference is mine drops from the top left corner of my desktop. Too bad it's using DirectX for this though. They should have gone with OpenGL, but really though, I can't complain because I didn't make this. I can't wait to see the next iteration of this.
BazzaJan 11th 2007 8:00AM
:( crashes my FireFox 2 even tried new directX with no luck.
balaJan 12th 2007 4:37AM
Love the eyecandy ;-)
GuillermoJan 11th 2007 10:07AM
Piece of crap... crashes Firefox every single time.
MattJan 11th 2007 1:52PM
"0 stars for ripping off an idea that has been in place for a while with other software (XGL, parallels etc...)"
------
It's not 'ripping off'. That's why XGL is open source in the first place...to allow people to take their code and modify it to their needs.
joshjJan 11th 2007 12:34PM
"1. Have a wordpress based blog? Then you can forget adding links to your text/images if you use this plugin."
what? All links are perfectly fine.
"
2. Want to type in an address on your address bar? Whoops, I cant, the plugin covers the address bar with the history address drop down list.
"
huh? you have something wrong with your browser. Installing this plugin did absolutely nothing to firefox other than the 3d cube effect.
"
3. Trying to login to your favorite website... Bad Luck
While this bug doesn't effect all login attempts or login forms, there are a few that I came across that FireFox downright failed to login too, even after I checked (and re-checked) my login details."
"
uh, again, you have something wrong with firefox. this plugin works exactly as advertised.
btw, i have an intel GM945, and 2GB Memory... so that could be a reason it runs well for me.
Tim KingJan 11th 2007 6:36PM
Wow, I started a flame war...
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is nothing wrong with my fresh install of Firefox 2.0.0.1, in fact I've been keeping a watch on other sites with users pointing out problems with this plugin and they are all similar, the fact that some people also have a problem with using CTRL + T to create a new tab that causes Firefox to crash out is indicative that there are problems with it.
And Joshj:
1. "what? All links are perfectly fine."
I'm talking about adding links in the wordpress backend while writing a post. By your comment, it looks like you were just "reading" a wordpress based blog.
2. "huh? you have something wrong with your browser. Installing this plugin did absolutely nothing to firefox other than the 3d cube effect."
A lot of people have mentioned this *exact* issue, you are just one of the lucky few (I say lucky, and I'm talking about sheer DUMB LUCK in your case clearly) that hasn't had any problems with the plugin in Firefox
3. "uh, again, you have something wrong with firefox. this plugin works exactly as advertised."
Once again, fresh install of Firefox 2.0.0.1, fresh install of XP and DirectX 9.0c (October 2006 release) so I do not have anything wrong with Firefox. In fact,
turn on the plugin, *SOME* websites won't allow logins, mainly those that use a javascript entry page in between the login form and the actual member area, and as if you didn't read my comment above... I mentioned that does not effect ALL logins... Next time actually READ a comment before commenting on it.
Tim KingJan 11th 2007 6:56PM
Oh and for the record joshj,
The fact that you have an Intel GM945 (which is an integrated chipset on your motherboard) that is sub-par to almost all other available integrated video chipsets tells me that:
A. you have no clue what a decent video card is.
and
B. Way to give yourself credit for owning a crap product.
And yes I do have a better video card than that, that can handle way more than that cobbled together integrated video card you have there.
I have an ATI Radeon X1950 Pro with 256mb on board (rather than the Intel GM945 integrated that draws on system ram to do its bidding muwahahah...) and 2gb of ram you say? please.... I've got 2.5 gb of Kingston dual channel ram (one of the best manufacturers).
So BTW, my system should run this plugin FAR better than yours, but doesn't cause of inherent flaws in THE PLUGIN, it isn't a Firefox/system fault, it just looks like that Version 1.0 tag was placed on Tab Effect was a little premature...