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Here's a look at Google Chrome's new, simplified menu
No, you're right...there's nothing new in the image above. Right now, Google Chrome has two separate menu icons in its top right corner: the wrench menu for options and settings and the page menu for functions like zooming, dev tools, and copy/paste.
A while back, I'd reported that changes were likely on the way, in the form of a single, unified menu. Google pitches minimalism as a central theme in Chrome, so it certainly makes sense to use as few UI elements as possible.
Take the jump to see the unified menu, which has just landed in the Chromium snapshot builds!
A while back, I'd reported that changes were likely on the way, in the form of a single, unified menu. Google pitches minimalism as a central theme in Chrome, so it certainly makes sense to use as few UI elements as possible.
Take the jump to see the unified menu, which has just landed in the Chromium snapshot builds!
Here's the latest version as it appears in the current Chromium builds. As you can see, edit and zoom functions have been combined into single lines and all developer functions slotted into the tools menu.
One thing I don't like about the menu is that the extensions entry -- which used to be on the wrench menu below Downloads -- has been moved into the tools sub-menu. Sure, it's only one extra click but extensions was the one thing that I clicked on the wrench menu with any frequency.
There may, of course, be additional changes before the unified menu even makes the jump to the Chrome dev channel build.
What are your thoughts on the new menu? Better? Worse?
Heck, maybe you never bothered with either of Chrome's menus -- it's certainly possible to get along without them if you know your keyboard shortcuts.
Comments
16
Subscribe to commentsSebastian AnthonyJun 25th 2010 7:19PM
Ewww!
David LevineJun 25th 2010 7:25PM
On Chrome 6.0.447.0 for Mac, the unified menu is already available. However, the Windows version is not. Go figure.
This doesn't bother me because I don't access the downloads or extensions tabs using the menu. I only look at downloads when I'm actually downloading by clicking on "Show All Downloads" at the bottom when something is downloading. To access extensions, I right-click on an installed extension and click on "Manage extensions."
Also, the Mac version has everything in the menu bar, which is nice because no matter what menus are created in Chrome, I can keep accessing them the same way using the menu bar.
kojo87Jun 26th 2010 2:44AM
@comment above me: are you 12?
Aldo MannJun 25th 2010 7:28PM
So... where the hell is the shortcut creator? Come on! we save only 30! I really don't like it.
Juan R. PerezJun 25th 2010 7:39PM
Does it have keyboard shortcuts? Huh, never look that detail before.
And what's with the Edit and Zoom Menu/Botton-Entry????
DeoWulfJun 25th 2010 7:47PM
That doesn't really look much simpler to me.
flarkleJun 26th 2010 3:13AM
Agreed.
I actually think the Edit and Zoom entries almost make it look more complicated.
[5e] AmphesiumJun 25th 2010 10:59PM
Totally didn't realize I had this until this post. Wow. Don't love it, don't hate it, no big deal.
KevinJun 25th 2010 11:43PM
The extension menu, at the very least, needs a keyboard shortcut if not a small status bar button for easy access. Choices like these make me wonder if the developers use Chrome like a normal person ever, or if they're always in nuts-and-bolts development mode.
bubs353Jun 26th 2010 2:14AM
The menu does not look so bad. I too find myself accessing the extensions menu very often. What i do is keep a small bookmark with the text removed on the bookmarks bar or accessing the extensions page. It's fast an easy.
Saint SeminoleJun 26th 2010 11:44AM
Honestly? I think the newer menu is worse. The first one was bad enough and is now the only reason Chrome isn't my main browser.
(I know, I'm old-fashioned, but) I prefer having a menu. We've trained for more than a decade now to use "file", "edit", "tools", etc. and now apps are moving away from this. They can't give a good reason except "minimalism" or "saving screen real estate."
I thought the entire point of our larger, wider monitors was that we'd have plenty of real estate to begin with. I wouldn't mind a roll-up or hideaway menu, but I *do* want a menu.
ProlornJun 26th 2010 8:17PM
Most of their choices look like reasonable calls, but Extensions definitely needs to be on the main list.
I do like what they did with Edit and Zoom there. Hope to see more of that.
FlavioJun 30th 2010 9:05AM
To access the extensions quickly just right-click on any extension button and select "Manage Extensions" from the menu. Simpler even than the older menu!
Dragoro7Jul 1st 2010 4:54PM
Where can i get that theme in the second image?
Lee MathewsJul 3rd 2010 8:43AM
https://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en/themes/theme_at_chuckanderson.html
MarkJul 2nd 2010 2:21PM
I like where it's going, I found it confusing remembering which menu had which items in the previous set up.
Agree that it need some tweaks (I'd like Extensions in the root menu too), but the Edit and Zoom icons are a clever touch... I'll be interested to see where it goes.