So this is your idea of a great user interface, Mozilla?

[shamu726]

I'm a Firefox user, have been for years and even the rise of Google Chrome did not change that fact. I like Mozilla a lot, how they have turned the browser around technology-wise, the organization's stance on privacy, and how everyone can chime in and help out, or voice concern.

The dark cloud of a Firefox redesign hung over the browser for several years, and while Mozilla designers did release mockups of how the new and improved version of Firefox could look like, everything remained relatively stable after Firefox 4.

Australis, the new Firefox theme, will be launched when Firefox 25 comes along in October 2013. It is a major change and while some things are not yet decided upon, it is almost certain that Mozilla will change Firefox's interface radically.

If you download the latest Nightly UX version for example, you will notice the following in the browser''s interface (again, subject to change):

• The Firefox button is gone, replaced by a single Chrome-like settings button on the right.
• Tabs are on top and there is no option to change that anymore so that they are displayed on the bottom instead.
• The add-ons bar is removed and cannot be brought back.
• There is only one toolbar and it shares the search, navigational elements and all add-on icons.
• The search bar is no longer displayed, but can be added to that single toolbar as well.
• The menu bar and the bookmarks bar are hidden by default but can be displayed again.
• Curved tabs that look oh so pretty.

You are probably wondering what this looks like if you have a couple of add-ons installed. Take a look:

And that is with less than ten add-ons installed in the browser. The browser window takes up half of the screen on a 1920x1080 monitor. Imagine adding the search bar back to the interface, and maybe a couple of other extensions that you work with normally.

Does this look like something that you can work with?

I have several issues with the new interface, including that it is madness to force users to display all icons in the only toolbar left in the browser. It is taking up too much space that is then missing for other things there, for instance the full web address of the website you are connected to.

I probably can get used to tabs on tops, even though I dislike the fact that Mozilla is forcing users again into this.

What made Firefox great were two things: its customizations giving users the freedom to choose how they want to use the browser, and its extensions support.

Mozilla seems hellbent to take away one of those features that makes Firefox special in a world where browsers do not offer any customizations whatsoever, and that is a shame. I stuck my head out for Firefox when Chrome came along and kept using it despite its lacking performance in the beginning, but taking away one of the two features that sets the browser apart is just something that I cannot get my head around.

Addendum: Extensions that rely on placing icons and information in Firefox's add-on bar or another bar may stop working when Firefox 25 comes along because of that change. The majority of extension developers will probably fix the issue before that happens, but it is very likely that some won't.

Firefox 24 will be an extended support release, which means that you can theoretically use it for the next eight or so release cycles without having to deal with the interface changes in Firefox 25.

Closing Words

If this is getting implemented the way it looks like, then I'm considering moving to a different browser. This can be Seamonkey provided that it won't make the switch to Australis as well, another custom build of Firefox, or maybe even -yuck- back to Internet Explorer.

Source: ghacks.net

[stylemessiah]

I like it

Dont see the issue myself....

A couple of points..

And that is with less than ten add-ons installed in the browser. The browser window takes up half of the screen on a 1920x1080 monitor. Imagine adding the search bar back to the interface, and maybe a couple of other extensions that you work with normally.

I have 20 addons, for ones that i dont need immediate access to, i remove from the addon bar.....debunked

for instance the full web address of the website you are connected to.

hover your mouse over the address/ most people arent religiously looking at the full address anyhow.....debunked

[DKT27]

Seems fine to me too. Not sure why the author is in rant mode, whereas, there are many solutions to the problem he has mentioned. Also, anyone who has seen my customization of Firefox will see that I see almost no problem in this change and even if I do come across this problem, Firefox offers many many ways to solve it.

[Misaki2010]

The new UI is great, better than the current one... I'm not using Firefox anymore but I may keep it as a second browser... anyway, apparently the ghacks.net guys only found out about the new UI now... I've tested this UI in Nightly like 2 years ago :))

[DKT27]

Indeed, Australis is in development for quite some time now.

[mastershake]

been using it for a good while and i like it.

[dHz73]

i disagree with one toolbar design [whole addons, search bar, menu, etc it will just look ugly] and curved tab bar is look like cr@p.... totally dislike it

[DKT27]

While curved tabs is fully a copy of Chrome (in addition to other stuff too), I'm happy that Mozilla is moving away from squares and rectangles, which is the only design Microsoft makes these days.

Having said all that, my actual view about it looks will only come after I try the v25 beta when it releases.

[ffi]

This seems like a big improvement, especially tabs on top, it's way more logical and takes up less screen real estate, it is one of the main reason why I used Opera in the past and now Chrome. Now they should make the back (and forward button which I don't see) not so round but instead flow out of the address bar and make tab cycling not seem so random and instead when you close a tab go the the previous tab instead of some random one

Edited July 30, 2013 by ffi

[dHz73]

yeah... let's wait to see the improvement...
i just don't want firefox end up like windows 8...
it's great browser compare to other browsers....

[dMog]

some people are just dead set against change... they must view it as practice for when they get to be over 65 ?? were you this upset when when firefox made all the changes from the first day it came out to what it is right now?? I have been around long to enough to know what life was like before computers and mp3 players..and heaven forbid ...cell phones... change happens people learn to live with it once in a while... unless that change will actually kill you i just fail to see the significance you are placing on this interface change...

[calguyhunk]

You know the best thing 'bout using an open source browser? There will be an add-on that brings back this current interface in it's entirety LOL! (At least I hope so :P ) The best of both worlds, ya'll. The functionality of the newest FF with the usability of the known interface :dance:

This seems like a big improvement, especially tabs on top, it's way more logical and takes up less screen real estate, it is one of the main reason why I used Opera in the past and now Chrome. Now they should make the back (and forward button which I don't see) not so round but instead flow out of the address bar and make tab cycling not seem so random and instead when you close a tab go the the previous tab instead of some random one

• The tabs on top has been standard for a very long time on FF. I continued using the old tabs-beneath-the-address-bar interface with modern builds for a while before changing over (browser.tabs.onTop in about:config). Saves a heck of a lot of space and indeed much cleaner :)
• The forward button appears when you press the back button to go to the previous page and there's a forward page to go to! You also have the option to have square back and forward buttons side by side all the time anywhere on the address bar. That's what I do :)
• Tab cycling isn't random. When you close the open tab, it goes back to your last viewed tab :)

Try FF 22 Stable or 23 Beta now. You'll like it :D

Edited July 30, 2013 by calguyhunk

[Alanon]

The Chrome-like appearance is generally a minus, why copy someone else's work? The orange button was strange, but it's a Firefox thing, isn't it? Something of a trademark? Very much like the curved tab which makes me think of Chrome every time I see it.

I can imagine being among the first to download an add-ons bar extension when one crops up. I really like that bar, with it I can keep the top clean and thin. Without it it can get cluttered, and that's with the non-essential ones hidden away. LastPass, Greasemonkey, NoScript, Wot, email checker, Ghostery, must all be up there all the time, and that's the bare minimum. For those of us who like the entire URL bar visible, it can be an issue. Not to mention that if you use a bookmark bar, it quickly turns that streamlined, bright, slick interface into a fat-lined awkward one.

[DKT27]

The Chrome-like appearance is generally a minus, why copy someone else's work? The orange button was strange, but it's a Firefox thing, isn't it? Something of a trademark? Very much like the curved tab which makes me think of Chrome every time I see it.

I can imagine being among the first to download an add-ons bar extension when one crops up. I really like that bar, with it I can keep the top clean and thin. Without it it can get cluttered, and that's with the non-essential ones hidden away. LastPass, Greasemonkey, NoScript, Wot, email checker, Ghostery, must all be up there all the time, and that's the bare minimum. For those of us who like the entire URL bar visible, it can be an issue. Not to mention that if you use a bookmark bar, it quickly turns that streamlined, bright, slick interface into a fat-lined awkward one.

That Firefox button was Opera's copy. :tehe:

However, Mozilla steals nothing. Long ago they had mentioned that they like certain looks of different browsers and are open to accept the things that make Firefox better looking or improves it overall.

However, I need add-on bar too. Will see how I can get it back. :)

[alaindc]

The tabs are already above the adress bar, since a few release (i use 23 beta), and no problem there.

I can live with the Firefox button on the right (Chrome like).

We can surely add the Bookmarks personal bar, below the adress bar, with this new UI too?

adress and search all in one (because Chrome and IE do it), i prefer them separate.

The main problem i may have is...all browsers become look alike.

[nIGHT]

No problem with this one, the force is too great to comment on it. :showoff:

I simply follow some basic matters:

1. Will it affect my performance?

Can't comment with it yet, using stable version here. -_-

2. Will this be a problem to me, since I'm using a lot of add-ons too?

It's an opportunity to make add-ons that solve this problem and ask for donations later. tehehehehe! :dribble:

3. Are you afraid of change?

That depends, as long as it does not affect my workflow and performance, and when I see an opportunity to make money out of it then I see it as a good thing. :wub:

4. Do I make money commenting?

Certainly, not! :rolleyes: I better get back to work now. My time is wasted trying to understand the relevance of this topic. :P

Please do not read my comment, you are not paid to read it. :sneaky:

[figjam88au]

the screenshot is missleading, who uses their browser in 720p resolution, it looks alot better at 1366x768.

[ffi]

• Tab cycling isn't random. When you close the open tab, it goes back to your last viewed tab :)

Try FF 22 Stable or 23 Beta now. You'll like it :D

nope it doesn't I just tested it on a new clean install of the current firefox, it seems completely random unlike opera's behaviour

[calguyhunk]

nope it doesn't I just tested it on a new clean install of the current firefox, it seems completely random unlike opera's behaviour

Use Tab Mix Plus. You can customize every single tab behavior that you can possibly think of - including the one that you're talking about. A must use for every Firefox user IMO. :D

That's the best part 'bout using Firefox. You can customize it in any way, shape, or form you want :dance:

[amor.love]

just wanted to ask a quick question here about when we get ff 25 - if anyone's familiar with the ff addon 'quick search bar' (http://www.nsaneforums.com/topic/178677-firefox-add-on-quick-search-bar-46/), will it be possible to still use it in ff 25? cuz if they're removing the search engine box, i worry there'd be no way to use that addon. i really love it, and i still, even now, don't like the idea of imcorporating search engines into the url bar.

[DKT27]

just wanted to ask a quick question here about when we get ff 25 - if anyone's familiar with the ff addon 'quick search bar' (http://www.nsaneforums.com/topic/178677-firefox-add-on-quick-search-bar-46/), will it be possible to still use it in ff 25? cuz if they're removing the search engine box, i worry there'd be no way to use that addon. i really love it, and i still, even now, don't like the idea of imcorporating search engines into the url bar.

Same question here. I guess only time will tell.

[Mo Husen]

Seems fine to me too. Not sure why the author is in rant mode, whereas, there are many solutions to the problem he has mentioned. Also, anyone who has seen my customization of Firefox will see that I see almost no problem in this change and even if I do come across this problem, Firefox offers many many ways to solve it.

Where is your customisation of firefox?

Please provide a link or pm me,

thanks.