I was not initially a big fan of vertical tabs. But this article is very persuasive. I'd very much like to see the contextual grouping and this looks like a good way to do it.
Redesigning the browser window
61–70 of 104 posts
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#62I like fullscreen Chrome because, unlike Safari, the tabs are above the url bar and thus benefit from the hard edge of the top of the screen. (see Fitt's law)
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#63I don't know the future prognosis of OmniWeb---it's been a while since they've released anything but bug fixes---but they've had side-tabs since they introduced tabs close to a decade ago. The advantages of this are many: they take up no vertical space, they can spread out vertically and show you thumbnails (of the actual page, not a favicon), and they can be in a scrollable pane. After years and years of using this, it's downright painful to use the top-tabs found in any other browser, which are cramped and information-light, and as you get many tabs going, not only are most of them not visible on-screen but the ones that are have just one or two letters and a favicon, making them indistinguishable as well.
All of which is to say, yes yes yes to side-tabs.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#64I find myself using the browser in full-screen mode more and more often. If you want to give me better access to tabs (or other browser ui), how about being able to open (and transfer focus to) a hierarchically organized list when I alt+(tab, `)?
Oh, I guess the alt+tab shortcut is Opera only... Give it a try to see what I mean - it would work.
edit: when I say full-screen, I mean cmd-F, exclusive mode, not just 'maximized'.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#65I totally dig the osx lion full screen paradigm thing when I'm using my laptop screen, in fact I switch to safari just for that, but when I have it hooked up to my main screen, it just feels 'wrong' with safari.
The first mockup made me long for this functionality.
Anyone know of a way to make the reading list load pages in the background, so selecting a page shows it instantly?
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#66Opera has already implemented the ability to dock your tabs on the left or right of the page, as well as the ability to stack tabs into groups. Sure, it may not be all Apple-fied like your design, but it works really well.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#67I don't get it. Is a single huge browser window seriously considered "good" now? I thought that the whole point of the "useless" green button in Mac OS X was that you should never maximize anything. Two browser windows side-by-side are much more useful than one of twice the size. Are we really moving away from multitasking on the desktop?
I think most people moved away from it before they knew they had it, when their copy of Microsoft Works for Windows 3.1 opened up in a maximized window.
Apple is heavily promoting use of gestures, multiple desktops, and other OS features to promote fast switching and passing of data between running full screen apps. It's different than the pile-of-windows approach of the last few decades but the intent is still to have a ton of user-opened programs running and interacting. I think casual users genuinely prefer full screen apps, even after 20 years of pro users trying to lecture them and slap their wrists over the potential they're ignoring. Lion seems to be trying to give them their full screen, while also teaching a "safe" feeling way to multitasking and present a bunch of apps.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#68Opera allows you to set the tab bar on your left (with little page screenshots) for years already. Works pretty well on large, wide screens.
It's quite buggy though, e.g. with many tabs opened the "open new tab" button disappears or that you can't switch easily between thumbnails/no-thumbnails view, etc. Hope the good guys and girls at Opera will take notice of the OP and will work on some improvements in this area. PS. also worth noting that Opera allows for easily grouping of tabs in the manner similar to the one described in OP (no naming though, fortu…
Are you using a modern version of Opera? I have 30 something tabs open and the New Tab button is still visible.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#69Opera allows you to set the tab bar on your left (with little page screenshots) for years already. Works pretty well on large, wide screens.
And Opera has tab groups as well. OP needs to stop using Safari and get a decent browser.
Re: Redesigning the browser window
#70I don't get it. Is a single huge browser window seriously considered "good" now? I thought that the whole point of the "useless" green button in Mac OS X was that you should never maximize anything. Two browser windows side-by-side are much more useful than one of twice the size. Are we really moving away from multitasking on the desktop?
Given the prevalence of wide screens, I really wish Apple would have embraced dual split-screen application windows in addition to full-screen applications. As it is, we're still stuck with hacks and workarounds.