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Firefox 3.7 to replace menu bar with Chrome-like page, tools menus
A few months ago the folks at Mozilla released a mockup showing some proposed design changes for Firefox 3.7. Foremost among them was a redesigned navigation area that replaced the traditional menu bar (file, edit, view and so on) with two drop-down menus, one for Page and another for Tools. You know, kind of like Google Chrome has.Now the Firefox team has released an updated series of mockups that look even more like Google Chrome by placing both the page and tools menus right next to the location bar. This layout saves screen real estate and lets you use a larger portion of the browser window for viewing web pages.
The new browser layout also includes a combined stop/reload button and removes the Home button from the toolbar, instead placing it in the tab area. The Windows version of the browser will also make better use of Aero Glass in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
The new page/tools design will first show up in the Windows Vista and Windows 7 versions of Firefox 3.7 which is due out in March of 2010.
[via ZDNet]
Comments
28
Subscribe to commentsRogueFaceSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
I'll assume you meant March of 2010, not 2007, as 2007 has, to my knowledge, already passed.
gwangiSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
March 2007? Does 3.7 include a time travel mechanic?
HZSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
I was asking myself the exact same thing... Still, it would be pretty nice actually huh?
SeabirdSep 23rd 2009 2:13PM
Dumb, dumb, dumb. Why are they copying Chrome for? I like the menu bar, of course its Firefox so I'm sure somebody will have the "classic" Firefox layout available as an add-on but still this is lame.
der_tuxmanSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
I haven't had a menu bar for years now. I don't actually need it. But why do they copy Google bullshit?
johnwokcSep 23rd 2009 2:18PM
You referred to this being the setup in Chrome, but I believe IE had this setup (in addition to the regular menu) before chrome even came out.
lolMYNEWAIMSNlolSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
Nice to see they're doing this. It's like that in Chrome & Safari and that extra screen space is definitely noticeable.
RobSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
After Netscape messed up, I gave in to IE. After IE messed up their layout, buttons and bars, I moved to Firefox. I don't like the over'simplified' Chrome layout. Just let me need the buttons and bars I need with the small form factor FF has right now. Why make it difficult and hard to find? Big mistake. Maybe I can use Opera - still kinda ok - for a while until the design freaks mess that one up as well.
sRcSep 23rd 2009 3:25PM
and then you wont use the internet anymore?
RobSep 23rd 2009 7:13PM
Hahaha, maybe I won't. No, I was talking about my the browser I used most. I really don't want to go back to Lynx at this point. Over-simplification (e.g. combining many functions in one button) is not a good thing, just as expanding (IE7+8 top rows) is not. When you select the small buttons in Firefox right now, it's still pretty compact, and you don't have to wait for the page to load to have the button change functionality.
RobSep 23rd 2009 7:13PM
Hahaha, maybe I won't. No, I was talking about my the browser I used most. I really don't want to go back to Lynx at this point. Over-simplification (e.g. combining many functions in one button) is not a good thing, just as expanding (IE7+8 top rows, and like the carpal tunnel ribbon in Office) is not. When you select the small buttons in Firefox right now, it's still pretty compact, and you don't have to wait for the page to load to have the button change functionality.
ChrisSep 23rd 2009 3:23PM
2007 what?
JakurbSep 23rd 2009 2:58PM
The great thing about Firefox is, of course, the fact that you will be able to change this in many ways. I'm fine with the simple Tiny Menu menu, so I'll use that.
mettawolfSep 23rd 2009 3:24PM
Dear god NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
knock this crap off, first microsoft makes word unusable by taking away all the menus, then all the web browsers hop on too. This is unacceptable. We need menus. The lack of menus are why Chrome and safari will always be second stringers at best. No the 1/2 cm of extra space does not make a difference. And if they do something stupid like getting rid of the favorites bar too then the damn thing will be totally useless.
ddubSep 24th 2009 3:07AM
not updating then. i need the menus. i'm still on the old office.
FYIanSep 23rd 2009 3:24PM
Why do they even need to do this? I currently have my "File, Menu, etc" bar to the right of my address bar. You can move it with the options Firefox already provides.
I really don't want those menus condensed into two menus.
Ryan EmmettSep 23rd 2009 3:24PM
Mark me down as another user who HATES the idea of losing the menu bar. The gain in space in the browser window really isn't worth the loss of the menu bar for me.
It might be trendy for software to move away from traditional menu bars, but has anyone ever tried to figure out if people find the new layouts any easier to use? If they did, I think the answer would be a big fat NO.
A browser should make it easy and quick to find the features you want. This is a giant backward step IMO. I'm sure there will be an extension almost immediately to reverse this UI horror, and I will be installing it!
Saint SeminoleSep 23rd 2009 3:24PM
This is why I've changed my update settings in Firefox to "never check for updates."
I'll try to keep abreast of the developments via websites, etc. If they offer the option of placing the menu back on the bar, then I *might* upgrade.
"If it ain't broke; don't fix it."
Zachary WaldowskiSep 23rd 2009 3:49PM
I think everyone here needs to be reminded that Firefox is extensible. Fucking extensible. And *themable*. Don't like it? Good. It's the *default* setup. Not the "here's how it is forever and ever" setup.
MKSep 23rd 2009 11:06PM
But having to install 5 add-ons so it can behave like I wanted it to is kinda annoying. I rather choose another browser that offer them out of the box.