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Firefox to Get a New Interface in Second Half of 2012

by - source: Mozilla

Mozilla has updated its Firefox roadmap for 2012.

Those who have been following the Firefox release tracking tables will not find any surprises, but the list certainly serves as a guide of the baseline of new features and changes Firefox will see by the end of the year, when we will be using Firefox version 17.

Immediate changes for Q1 include add-on sync and add-on compatibility improvements as well as the long-overdue Chrome migration feature, which will allow Chrome users to switch to Firefox and take all their data, including bookmarks, conveniently with them. Mozilla will also update its media control set for HTML5. Q2 will bring the also long overdue Home Tab app, Firefox's new start page, as well as a new New Tab page and Silent Update support, which has been delayed since version 9 and now appears to be scheduled for a final and complete release in version 13, scheduled for a June 5 release.

Mozilla expects to deliver web apps and market place integration by version 13 as well and provide URL auto-complete for Firefox's location bar, faster session restore as well as a memory improvements with a new garbage collector.

For the second half of the year, we are noticing a resurfaced Firefox Share, which was first mentioned for Firefox 5, a built-in PDF viewer, Mozilla's web identity management system and IonMonkey, Mozilla's new JavaScript engine. Noteworthy is also an updated interface, which replaces the current interface with a much more stylish version that makes Firefox much more recognizable than it is today.

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Netherscourge 02/15/2012 7:08 PM
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And it looks just like Chrome.

cknobman 02/15/2012 7:13 PM
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The look sucks.

Anonymous 02/15/2012 7:14 PM
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If I wanted Chrome, I'd download it. Let's call this FIRECHROME!

Netherscourge 02/15/2012 7:40 PM
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I think it's cool they're adding a new Chrome-Migration feature.

What I wasn't expecting was that Mozilla was ACTUALLY IMPORTING CHROME ITSELF into it's Firefox Browser.

lol

Come on guys! DO something DIFFERENT.

Anonymous 02/15/2012 7:48 PM
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Ditto that, if i wanted it to loolk like chrome id go use chrome. I dont like chrome....

Anonymous 02/15/2012 7:57 PM
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Sooo... even les space for tabs? That sux....

amk-aka-phantom 02/15/2012 7:59 PM
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No, no, NO. Again? I HATE Chrome look! The current Firefox look with menu enabled and tabs at the bottom is THE BEST. They better leave an option to customize the new Fox back to that normal look.

hope1355 02/15/2012 7:59 PM
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If this happens, please find and kill me! I'm almost serious about it.

NapoleonDK 02/15/2012 8:26 PM
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Agreed with the above. This is way too much like Chrome. As a Chrome fanatic, I like the style, since the minimalist features are what drew me when Chrome was first released. Since its release, other browsers have taken a large number of features of Chrome and incorporated them into the interface...but variety is the spice of life! If I want to explore a new browser, I expect something different from the one I am already using!

That said, I really like the little download manager in the upper right. (Says "↓ 10s") I wonder if that is part of the browser or an extension? Chromes manager could use a little work!

Kreth 02/15/2012 8:34 PM
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What the fuck is this shit?

If i wanted crap i would isntall something that isnt firefox, give me back my original firefox look.

Anonymous 02/15/2012 9:04 PM
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i was going to add something about how much this sucks and how if i wanted chrome i'd get it, and all that jazz... but it looks from the comments that everyone already on board. praise jesus.

velocityg4 02/15/2012 9:41 PM
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I like my search bar and address bar to be separate. I'll keep using an older version if I can't choose the older look myself. I've turned on the menu bar and tabs on bottom on my current version of Firefox.

CaedenV 02/15/2012 10:27 PM
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bobusboy 02/15/2012 10:31 PM
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-4+

Guess I'll be going back to opera.

LaHawzel 02/15/2012 10:32 PM
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Don't worry, a plugin to revert to the older look will probably be released day 1 of this new FireChrome appearance being pushed out.

sonofliberty08 02/15/2012 10:39 PM
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where's the firefox gal ? i want my firefox gal back, i don't like this firechrome :(

tlmck 02/15/2012 10:50 PM
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Well Chromium "is" open source...

zulutech 02/15/2012 10:52 PM
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It feels like every second day firefox gets an update.

Tesla1483 02/15/2012 11:09 PM
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I swear to god, when did everyone decide that menu bars were so awful? I'd rather have everything in an easy-to-find, sensible location than having to search for a damn hidden button. I really don't care that much about losing one centimeter of vertical screen space.

Maxor127 02/15/2012 11:20 PM
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Another interface change that I'll have to change back to look the old way like I already do for the current interface. And if I can't change it anymore, I might start looking at other browsers. Some of these changes just seem stupid to me and more likely to drive users away instead of winning users over from other browsers.

otacon72 02/15/2012 11:22 PM
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Tesla1483 :
I swear to god, when did everyone decide that menu bars were so awful? I'd rather have everything in an easy-to-find, sensible location than having to search for a damn hidden button. I really don't care that much about losing one centimeter of vertical screen space.



Totally agree. Why is it so wrong having a Menu bar? I know exactly where everything is. I don't have to hover over something and have some menu shoot out of no where.

jryan388 02/15/2012 11:41 PM
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hunshiki 02/16/2012 12:01 PM
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You can always have "Classic Compact" skin and "Classic Compact Options" addon. :)

GenericUser 02/16/2012 12:14 PM
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Why do companies constantly change the look of these things? I find nothing wrong with even the original look.

__-_-_-__ 02/16/2012 12:51 PM
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the only thing that I like is that will be somekind of add-on to bring the old (now current) interface.

sublime2k 02/16/2012 1:42 AM
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What are you guys talking about? Chrome's tabs and menu work perfectly fine. I guess it's a matter of taste, heh. As for new Firefox, it certainly does look similar to Chrome. I remember the last time I used Firefox it was version 3. When the hell did it reach version 17!?

Titanius 02/16/2012 1:55 AM
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Firefox is looking more and more like Chrome...if this continues I'll have to check in Task Manager to see if it is really Firefox I'm running and not Chrome. What's the point of copying Chrome? Lots of features that Mozilla is going to be implementing into Firefox came from Chrome, and some of these features are pretty controversial like the Silent Update. Call me old fashioned, but I like to know and upgrade stuff myself and I don't trust "automagic" updates from any company.

I don't know if the marketers of Firefox (if there are any?) know that advertising an ambiguous product is so much harder and less satisfying than advertising an "out of the box" exciting product. I remember when Firefox 1.0 came out, it was exciting, new, different...Firefox 10? Meh, pretty much the same thing that everyone else is doing...the only thing keeping me on Firefox are the excellent Addons like NoScript (if that addon ever lands on Chrome I might not stay too long on a "Chrome-copy" and will go for the real thing instead).

livebriand 02/16/2012 4:30 AM
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I like firefox the way it is, with an addon (foobar) that makes the address and search bars into an omnibar. I'm fine with them putting that into the new version, but I imagine some people might want the ability to revert back to the old one. Also, it would be nice if they gave options to revert back to the old look if people want it. I like the current 'firefox' menu, and there's no reason to change it. (and of course, some people might want to use the traditional file menus) Putting a downloads indicator in the toolbar isn't a bad idea, but I kinda feel that belongs at the bottom of the browser, like the little popup you get when mousing over a link. I feel that this looks a bit too much like Chrome.

manu 11 02/16/2012 6:39 AM
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Why You Did This To Me Mozila !

danwat1234 02/16/2012 6:54 AM
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And version 17 I bet will still just be able to use 1 core of a CPU to render all the tabs. Ugh

mitch074 02/16/2012 8:37 AM
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It seems Mozilla is doing what they've always done: look at features that work, and then integrate them into Firefox. Currently, the Chrome interface seems to work well, so they're porting it in - however, that's the default. Contrary to other browsers, at least Firefox allows you to change your interface - and while I, personally, enjoy opening a dozen tabs at once, many people I know don't go past 2 or 3 - as such, the major UI feature I appreciate is the ability to have the tabs on a menu bar with other stuff. And, if Mozilla is consistent, if you've set up your interface differently from default, the update won't break it. As for silent updates, they'll be enabled by default but making them manual again is a checkbox away.


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