Firefox 4 sucks: big thumbs down from this user

I've been using Firefox since before it was Firefox (started with Mozilla when it first came out.) This last upgrade to 4.0 is the first I can remember totally hating what they did instead of loving new features.

They screwed with the menu big time. Basically the menu headings are gone and instead you get one menu with a ton of internal menus... total mess for me, very confusing, too much information all arranged in weird columns and collapsing folders... maybe I am getting old but I am just way too sick of software to deal with yet another UI change.

Plus the status bar is just completely gone, no way to turn it on, "but you can install an addon to regain some of that functionality"... no thanks, life is too short, rolled back to 3.6. I would rather just jump to a new browser than learn the same damn browser all over again, just because some bored and self-involved software designers decide they're tired of what worked fine for the last 10 years...

Very disappointed. Big Firefox fan here really feeling let down.

Want a hug?

awwwww.

I think as a paying customer, Philter is entitled to his opinion on Firefox 4. I mean, he works hard to get a paycheck, and sinks his heard-earned money into that Firefox 4 upgrade. So therefore he has every right to...

...Oh wait a minute.

I sense a note of sarcasm there. I don't think that anyone should jump into a new upgrade without investigating it first, but there comes a time with every piece of software that you will have to upgrade or give it up. At some point, Firefox 3 will no longer be supported and web pages will have evolved (officially or not) so that some won't work with the older version. I keep a copy of Explorer 7 on my computer to view pages that complain about missing plug-ins, disabled cookies (some sites think Firefox has cookies disabled even when they're not), or odd fonts or sizes. I'd rather not have to do that, but I'm slow at accepting the need for an upgrade for a program that works right nearly all the time.

I'm sure the Firefox 4 designers have no interest in attracting users because as we all know, lust for money is the only true motive in life. You can tell that by the way people never give their music away for free on this forum asking for reviews.

I mean really, look at all these idiots who don't realize that it's just about money.

maybe you just need to adjust your meds.

You're just mad because I think you're paranoid with a persecution complex. Shouldn't you be starting a thread about the car that's been parked across your street for the last three days? I mean, why is it parked there?

i'm not mad at all. your very defensive though, why do you suppose that is? is there a car in front of your house?

Yes and the police stare at me everywhere I go.

Yes and the police stare at me everywhere I go.

maybe you should put pants on?

Seriously, though, it sounds like they shifted things around quite a bit from version 3? I mean, I can see why that would be irritating. I just checked mine, and I'm using Firefox 3.6.16.

If you're going to move to 4, do it on a day when you have a little patience and some time to figure out the new interface. I didn't. It's 2011 and I've been on the web for 20 years. I'm just not looking for novelty in my browser any more.

By way of comparison, I just installed the latest version of Chrome, which I had never used before, and imported all my bookmarks, and was up and running and comfortable with the interface more quickly than I could with the move from FF 3.6 to 4. I don't think that's a good thing, when an early adopter can't pick up and run with a new version as easily as they can switch browsers.

I still prefer FF 3.6 to Chrome, but at least I have a viable alternative if they can't clean up FF 4.

I don't blame Philter for feeling at sea... I hate changes to UI's that I think work. But as long as they give you a way to use the old UI, I'm happy. And, happily, the familiar menu bar is a couple clicks away...

Firefox / Options (in the right sidebar area of the pop menu) / check Menu Bar and you should feel back on familiar territory.

It's kind of surprising you found Google more accommodating -- since I think FF4's new menu scheme imitates Chrome almost shamelessly -- except that it keeps the single point access menu system over on the left where the heavens intended. FF performance, OTOH, is very good -- particularly in RAM consumption, which Chrome sucks up like cheap wine in a hobo junction. I use them both, I find it can be helpful to help organize things when you have a bunch of windows open.

BTW, the Chrome menu system was just upgraded and cleaned up, as well. It used to be dual point access, which was really stupid, since you could never remember what was where and Google's menu hierarchies were vexing, at best. They made it one big menu and expanded the size to fill the screen, which was helpful at allowing them a little better organization.

I don't like Chrome , but it looks like Firefox tried to minimize the number of controls to be a bit more "chrome like".

BTW In this Linux version of Firefox 4 I never lost my menu bar ???? I never had to turn it back on.

Dan

Yeah, that was my recollection in Windows, too. But I've been doing a whole lot of software and computer jumping lately, so it's all a bit of a blur.

At any rate, it's easily switched.

It's a very non-ergonomic menu bar, though.

If you right click the menu bar area and select customize, you can reposition things like the home and refresh buttons to make it better.

I don't use any buttons. The text menu is small and unambiguous* -- and there are refresh and favorite buttons right in the address bar, where they don't take up any vertical space. I will have to customize the search bar to open in a new window, as I had the old one set up to do. But, otherwise, I'm mildly delighted. And, as folks who know me know, I'm pretty hard to delight.

*But I only turned it on just a while earlier to confirm that it was a quick switch. I've been getting by w/o it pretty easily. I did have to poke around in the pop up menu for something, but it's probably worth it to save the extra 25 or so pixels -- and easy enough to swich it on or off.

I must be using the wrong terminology. I'm actually talking about what you call the address bar. When I installed FF, the home/refresh/back buttons were in locations that required a lot of mousing around. Not to the left of the address bar where they belong.

been using it for abt 15 mins now

I can understand the frustration - any time the UI changes I get pissed-off.

But since I know that's my reaction, I can't say if I like it or not. I'm just grouchy that way.

I'm not having a major problem moving over, I did go ahead and do some customization and, yes, the customization does make it a lot like the older one (with some tweaks) -- but that comes back to my UI migration resistance (

would have been nice if they had worked out a "classic view" option - a macro or secondary configuration file or some such - to get you into familiar territory, but I also dig that some guys use the version churn to promote the new UI design.

anyway, I was initially shocked (As I always am, but I'm from command prompt days)

esp when options are "hidden for my convenience", but not having major problems adjusting. In 3 months I won't even remember having a problem...but that's because I'm huffing gold spraypaint, which is a totally different thing

I think you are talking about the navigation toolbar as a whole

BIiiiiiiing http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/03/how-to-fix-annoyances-with-firefox-4s-new-look/

I too had to roll back to 3.6 - but not because of the look. It DOES NOT WORK with the latest Adobe Flash plugin. After a quick google search I found out that this is evidently a widespread problem. I kept getting warning pop-ups and nothing I could do would dismiss them. My PC would literally lock up for minutes before getting back on track. Sorry Mozilla, but you screwed the pooch with this one.

I've been using Firefox since before it was Firefox (started with Mozilla when it first came out.) This last upgrade to 4.0 is the first I can remember totally hating what they did instead of loving new features. They screwed with the menu big time. Basically the menu headings are gone and instead you get one menu with a ton of internal menus... total mess for me, very confusing, too much information all arranged in weird columns and collapsing folders... maybe I am getting old but I am just way too sick of software to deal with yet another UI change. Plus the status bar is just completely gone, no way to turn it on, "but you can install an addon to regain some of that functionality"... no thanks, life is too short, rolled back to 3.6. I would rather just jump to a new browser than learn the same damn browser all over again, just because some bored and self-involved software designers decide they're tired of what worked fine for the last 10 years... Very disappointed. Big Firefox fan here really feeling let down.

Hey - just right-click near the top, and select "menu bar" and your menu bar will be back the way you liked it.

I really like the tab groups and the ability to "pin" things to the "app tab".

That said, if Chrome had the tab grouping, and pinning features, I'd use it more. Actually I use both FF4 and Chrome. FF seems to have a lighter footprint, where as each tab in Chrome is it's own process in Windows.