@trentreviso:
@leatherbear:
Are browsers really just used to surf the net anymore? They're used now to access web apps, have deep social network integration and more. So, while the browser's functionalities have changed, how can the design remain stagnant?
Mozilla is first in line to embrace change. "Maybe we shouldn't even call it a browser anymore," Jonathan Nightingale, Mozilla's Vice-President of Firefox Engineering told TechCrunch. "'Browser' is really an antiquated word. People don't really browse all that much anymore."
Mozilla has been working on a project called Australis, named after a star system, the company's version of what the future of modern browsing could look like. You can expect to find parts of this product incorporated into Firefox release channels, starting with Nightly, as soon as it hits version 25. Australis will also make its way to the web through the usual release channels thereafter.
Firefox is just trying to mimic Chrome browser and OS.
The whole idea behind Chrome OS on netbooks is to have the entire OS embedded within the browser. Google anticipates a future where almost everything we do with a computer will be done online. Apparently, the Mozilla people agree, and don't want to be left behind.
I am surprised at how much the new Firefox visually resembles Chrome.
Why would you be surprised? Considering how Chrome is an almost verbatim ripoff of Firefox, it's a given.