Firefox 13 stable available with updated home, new tab pages

Matthew DeCarlo

Posts: 5,271   +104
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Officially due tomorrow, you can snag the latest version of Firefox early if you're willing to perform a manual installation (download: Windows, Mac, Linux). Since switching to a six-week release cycle, many of Mozilla's updates have been relatively minor, but Firefox 13 brings some significant tweaks from April's stable release. Visually speaking, the most notable changes are the browser's redesigned home and new tab pages.

The former (type about:home in the address bar if you aren't brought there by default) offers a familiar Firefox logo and Google search bar, but introduces handy shortcuts at the bottom of the screen for easier access to your downloads, bookmarks, history, add-ons, sync, settings and previously closed tabs. This page can be pinned as an app for quick access and it's expected to be used as a portal for Mozilla's app marketplace.

Meanwhile, the revamped new tab page contains thumbnail previews of frequently visited sites, not unlike Chrome and Opera. Although it will naturally populate with sites, you can permanently pin your favorite locations. If you dislike this change, you can revert to the previous style with the show/hide button in the top right-hand corner of the page. Another interface-related tweak is the enabling of smooth scrolling by default.

Mozilla has also introduced a "reset Firefox" feature as a simple workaround for corrupt profiles (see the about:support page), which lets you create a new profile and import key user data such as your history, bookmarks and passwords. Other changes include support for SPDY, a Google-backed protocol designed as a successor to HTTP and reduces page load times, as well as improvements to Firefox's memory performance.

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Wow, more useless "feaures" that need to be disabled right off the bat. How incredibly daft must folks at Mozilla be to keep adding useless bugs and unneeded things and inflating version number instead of focusing on actually making a functional browser ?

Who cares about extra adds, smooth scrolling (had to disable it on every single instance of IE I ever dealt with where it coems neabled by default) and different visuals when there is a TON of bugs that makes the browser even worse than the 3.6.x tree ?
 
mozilla concentrate more on the version number 9,10,11(may be they like that).. rather than useful features needed...:(
 
Someone needs to fork Firefox and run it as an actual open source project, and leave mozilla.com to their ****-length competitions in pointless style, chrome, logos and gradients with Microsoft, Apple, and Google.

Starting with the 3.x codebase should be a great start.
 
I dont see what all the FF hate is about. I'm with you personally that all the features are useless and should be disabled upon first launch, but the fact is that the world in general is moving towards "ease of use" and "staying connected" so why wouldnt they do that? all they are doing is following the curve.

Working in the tech world myself, follow the trend and survive, get ahead of the trend (SPDY support) and thrive. Try to go against the trend and either get stuck bottom feeding or die.
 
"Try to go against the trend and either get stuck bottom feeding or die."

agreed.

First people complain about windows having to stick with an almost 20yr old start button.
Now people want to complain about holding back web browser progress.

The only constant in technology people is change. Whether you like it or not won't stop progress.

Otherwise just stay with your windows 95 and netscape 1.0
 
"I dont see what all the FF hate is about"

Neither do I - all working fine here running 14.0a2
 
I HATE the App Tabs. They are inappropriate for a public computer.People are too lazy to click on the History or Bookmarks menu????

I just rolled my test computer back to 12. Only when there is an app or upgrade to turn this terrible feature OFF, will I upgrade. Just having an "display" button at the upper right hand corner is not good enough.

If I wanted Opera, I would be using Opera!!
 
"Try to go against the trend and either get stuck bottom feeding or die."
Also agreed, but .....
Define "trend" versus "change for changes sake"

Or did you buy a Mac Lisa or Cube?? Perhaps Microsoft Bob??
Those were the "trend" at the time....
 
Wow, I am surprised at everyone's whining and complaining. Thought the update was fantastic ;) If you don't like Firefox, stop using it people. Simple concept, really.
 
isnt there a toggle to switch off the new tab style on the right top corner? cmon people just press the damn button. and I noticed there seems to be new smooth scrolling as well. disabled right away.
 
firefox for me is working as well as it always has... no idea what all the bitching is about...
 
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