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firefox-3.7 posts

Filed under: Linux, Mozilla, Browsers

Mozilla release mockups for upcoming Firefox Linux releases

Firefox 4.0 Linux mockup
The folks at Mozilla have released the first mockup showing what Firefox 4.0 may look like on Linux... and it looks an awful lot like the Windows version.

Firefox 4.0 isn't due out for another year or so, but the developers have already stated a few goals for the project. One idea is to move the browser tabs above the location bar. Another is to consolidate the menus into a few tabs that will hang out next to the location bar. Both movies will free up space, allowing more of the browser to be dedicated to displaying web pages.

If the end result looks familiar, that's because it looks an awful lot like the default layout in the Google Chrome web browser.

Mozilla has also released some mockups of Firefox 3.7 for Linux. One of the most notable changes is that the interface will be more consistent across platforms. Firefox 3.7 for Linux will use the same Forward/Back buttons as the Mac and Windows versions, for example. The edges of the browser, tabs, and other elements will also be curved rather than angled, which will make the browser look more like the mac and Windows versions.

At this point, both the Firefox 3.7 and 4.0 mockups represent proposed changes and not finished products, so things may change by the time these browsers are actually released.

[via OMG! Ubuntu]

Filed under: Windows, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.7 adds per-tab taskbar thumbnails (like IE8) on Windows 7

Those of you running Windows 7 and prepared to tiptoe through the Minefield, Firefox 3.7's most recently nightly build has added another taskbar integration feature.

Now the latest trunk build includes support for per-tab thumbnail previews just like Internet Explorer 8. And just like IE8, the magic works across multiple instances. If you have two Minefield windows open at the same time, you'll get previews for both.

Read more →

Filed under: Windows, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Windows x64

Firefox 3.7, now with Windows 7 jumplist support


Now that Windows 7 is just weeks away from hitting retail shelves, more and more applications are beginning to take advantage of the new shell integration features.

A while back, Google added jumplist support to Google Chrome. Just days ago, a build offering the same functionality finally appeared on Mozilla's Tryserver.

Yes, Firefox fans, you now have the opportunity to test jumplist support in Firefox, as long as you're o.k. with running a Minefield build. As you can see in the image above, the feature is fairly basic right now. In addition to the default Windows 7 "pinned" area, Firefox maintains a list of frequently visited site and allows you to open a new tab or window. I'd like to see a list of recent sites and private browsing added to the list.

You'll find the installer for Windows here. After about 24 hours with the tweaked build, I don't find it to be any less stable than the Minefield nightly. Tried the build out yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.7 to replace menu bar with Chrome-like page, tools menus

Firefox 3.7 tools conceptA 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]

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox 3.7a1pre Portable lets you try before you install

Firefox 3.7a1pre portable
Curious about the first pre-release version of Firefox 3.7, but don't want to actually install it on your computer and risk messing up your Firefox profile? The folks at PortableAppz have put together a portable package. What that means is you can run Firefox 3.7a1pre as an executable file without installing it first.

Instead of an installer, what you get when you download the portable version is an application that you click in order to extract the contents to any folder on your hard drive or a USB flash drive. Then all you have to do is open that folder and click the FirefoxPortable.exe file to launch the browser.

Keep in mind, this is pre-release software. It hasn't even reached the Alpha stage yet, which means there may be some major bugs lurking beneath the hood, so don't expect miracles. But that's all the more reason for using a portable version.

Eventually Firefox 3.7 may introduce a tweaked theme with redesigned toolbars. For now, the biggest difference between Firefox 3.7 and Firefox 3.5.2 (the latest stable edition) and Firefox 3.6 Alpha 1 (the latest Alpha version) is that Firefox 3.7a1pre features an even newer version of the Gecko rendering engine.

Update: We've removed the link to the PortableAppz download for two reasons. First, the site sharing unauthorized versions of this and other software. And more importantly, the fine folks at PortableApps.com that make an excellent suite of Portable Software asked RapidShare to remove the download links for the unofficial software that also happened to violate the PortableApps trademark.

Fortunately PortableApps.com now has a portable version of Firefox 3.7a1pre. Actually, it's even better than that. The new portable version of Firefox automatically downloads the latest pre-release builds of Firefox, so you can always test the bleeding edge (and often unstable) version of the browser without installing anything to your computer.

thanks John!

Filed under: News, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

First Firefox 3.7 pre-alpha appears in nightly builds

With the first Firefox 3.6 alpha in the bag, what's the next logical step for Mozilla to take? Why, to roll out the first pre-alpha of version 3.7, of course.

Sure, the 3.6 alpha 2 is still labeled Minefield, but why not go for maximum danger factor with your bleeding-edge install?

The 3.7 interface hasn't yet started to look like the mockups we saw a little while ago. Glass support isn't built in and the UI elements are still the same as those in 3.5, and the standalone search box is still there (appearance in my screenshot is different due to my previously modified 3.6 install). I've only been using it for a few minutes, obviously, but it feels as stable as the 3.6 alpha so far. It's also pretty damn speedy and easy on ram.

Head-to-head against Chrome 3.0.197.11 in Futuremark's Peacekeeper, 3.7 came up short - posting a score 19% lower. In actual use, though, I don't notice a substantial difference. Responsiveness is actually better than Chrome, which has suffered intermittent sluggishness over the past few days.

As with any new Minefield build, you're probably not going to be able to use some of your go-to add-ons and favorite themes. To take it for a spin, head over to the Mozilla FTP and download it.

Share your impressions in the comments!

Filed under: Mozilla, Open Source, Browsers

Make Firefox 3 or 3.5 look like the Firefox 3.7 new theme mockup

Well, that sure didn't take long.

Just days ago Mozilla posted a few conceptual images displaying a new default theme for Firefox 3.7. Thanks to DeviantArt user Boneyard Brew and his friends, you can now tweak your existing Firefox 3 install (provided you're not running 3.6) look pretty dang close to the mockups.

You'll need to grab a couple things to pull off the transformation:
The end result is pretty faithful to the mockup. Pull the switcheroo and confuse your pals - tell them you got your hands on an early pre-alpha (Make it more convincing with a quick Titlebar Tweak)!

[via Tweaking with Vishal]

Filed under: Windows, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Mozilla offers first look at potential Firefox 3.7 theme, features

Firefox 3.7 mockup
Firefox 3.5 is still warm, but those crazy kids at Mozilla are already working on future versions of the browser. This weekend the team posted an image on the Mozilla wiki showing a mockup of 3 new potential features for the Windows version Firefox 3.7:
  1. Toolbar and tabs using Windows Vista and Windows 7's Aero Glass effects, including glossy, translucent buttons
  2. Page button on the left side of the tab area with options connected to the page
  3. Tools and Bookmark bars on the right side of the window that you can use to toggle the bookmark menu or customize the user interface
This is just a mockup, and it's possible that only some of these features will be in the finished product. Or none of them. You can also see a conceptual picture showing the browser with the page and tool buttons but without the Aero Glass effects and another set of images showing what the Windows XP version of the browser might look like.

[via Mashable]

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