Revamped Firefox adds a touch of glass

• 
• 

 1 of 2

Gallery

By Barry Collins

Posted on 22 Jul 2009 at 08:34

Mozilla has released initial designs for a future iteration of Firefox running on Windows 7.

The design mock-ups make heavy use of the Windows Vista/7 Aero Glass look and feel, with the browser adopting the same translucent appearance as the operating system itself.

Mozilla says the buttons and other objects have a raised 3D design to give the browser a "tactile feel".

Other changes include clamping the tools menu to the side of the browser window "to emphasise the fact that it is used for customising and changing the UI." The bookmarks toolbar button now sits alongside the tools menu.

The designs are set to be incorporated into Firefox 3.7, which is due to arrive next spring. Mozilla plans to get another update to Firefox (version 3.6) out of the door this autumn.

Mozilla stresses that the designs are only mock-ups for brainstorming and feedback, and are not the final product.

The Windows XP version of the browser has also been given a refresh, although the changes are barely noticeable by comparison to the Vista/Windows 7 version.