Topic: Firefox new tab page to change

[Clive]

Future versions of Firefox, including further betas of Firefox 3.1, could include several improvements to the new tab page, Mozilla said today.

At the moment, when you open a new tab in Firefox, the page is completely blank, something Mozilla is seeking to change.

Aza Raskin, head of user experience for Mozilla Labs said: "The problem with the new tab page is that it is blank, therefore it is always not the thing you want."

However, soon the new tab screen will have thumbnails of sites you most commonly use, such as the last couple of emails you viewed in your webmail service, for example.

Other additions include entries from your RSS feeds and you will also, when you select text from one tab and open another, be presented with options for your selected text.

Say you highlight a postcode and open a new tab, for instance, you will be asked if you want to go to a mapping service, reminiscent of the Accelerators function in Internet Explorer 8.

According to Mozilla's Dan Mills, the options on the new tab page won't "overwhelm" you, as they will be faded out. However, if you move your mouse over them, they will be shown in full colour.


www.mozilla.org

[Simon]

I hate tabs.  They clutter up the screen, and it's the first thing I disable in Sea Monkey or FF.

[chorleydave]

th the new tab page is that it is blank, therefore it is always not the thing you want."

However, soon the new tab screen will have thumbnails of sites you most commonly use, such as the last couple of emails you viewed in your webmail service, for example.

If I have read this correctly, what a terrible idea.  I don't want my lad (or anyone else for that matter) accessing my emails just by opening a tab.  I too hate tabs, but have been trying them out recently, however, I think I will disable them again.

[chorleydave]

Thinking about it, one of the best features ever found in Firefox was in Firefox 1.5 (the best ever version of Firefox) and gave the option to "Force Links to Open in an Existing Window".  Does anybody know if there is something in about:config or an add on that gives this option in Firefox 3 series?

[Camstop]

Thought you would like Google Chrome Simon?

I got round to trying it last night and i'm impressed so far having got it how i like.  

[mistybear]

I seem to be the odd one out, I love tabs. I have, at the moment, 7 open, things I'm looking at and searching, also emails. I like opening a blank tab, so I can paste a URL in it. Opening separate windows is annoying for me

[Camstop]

I tried the tabs for the first time with chrome and had it to open 8 tabs when i connected. The only thing i didn't like was that you really needed to refresh the page anyway when you went to the next tab so now i have the 8 most used site icons in my "bookmark bar" so i open the home page when connecting then just click the link for the next and its refreshed when i open it. erm i think i know what i mean 

I'm sticking with chrome for a bit 

[sam]

I seem to be the odd one out, I love tabs. I have, at the moment, 7 open, things I'm looking at and searching, also emails. I like opening a blank tab, so I can paste a URL in it. Opening separate windows is annoying for me

I also love tabbed browsing... but the question is are we talking about the same tabs, are we talking about a tab instead of opening up a new window, or are we talking about the annoying ones that you can get on the side (such as history etc)

[mistybear]

Tab instead of opening a new window.... I find them very handy.

[sam]

oh yeah, why open a new window when you can tab it.. saves space on your desktop

[Baz]

I like tabs too. Just takes a bit of getting used to after years off windows.I used a browser called Maxthon some time ago and thats how I first got into tabs, it was based round IE but was better 

I think I'd still prefer to choose what I want in an open tab/window and not to be dictated to though.Surely there will be an option to still have it blank

[davy51]

Thinking about it, one of the best features ever found in Firefox was in Firefox 1.5 (the best ever version of Firefox) and gave the option to "Force Links to Open in an Existing Window".  Does anybody know if there is something in about:config or an add on that gives this option in Firefox 3 series?

You can try this add on
It allows you to control 5the tab actions as well as to stop tabs from loading

tab mix plus

[chorleydave]

Thanks, davy.  I'll have a look at that later.   

[Clive]

I love tabs too.  With my browser they will all re-open next time I log on. 

[Simon]

Oh, it does have some uses then.