I’ll admit it, I’m a Firefox user. There’s just something about that good old fox that I can’t get enough of. Sure, Mozilla has been criticized in the past for not catching up with the likes of Chrome, but Mozilla has always been great at innovation too. Throughout the past few months, Firefox has gone through some major upgrades. However, the minimalist home screen hasn’t changed much since the inception of the fiery-tailed fox. Some view this as a downfall, but others enjoy seeing a blank white screen smattered with that orange fox.

After all, Firefox isn’t Yahoo or some other bloated browser, it’s Firefox. Firefox fans don’t need a page full of new websites and news or a home screen that screams for attention – or do they? Mozilla has told press that it plans to update Firefox’s current home screen and add apps, a chat function, and other details. While some are certain that this is the change Firefox needs, others (including myself) aren’t so sure that this new image is necessary (or even wanted).

Staying Zen

There’s something great about opening up Firefox. When launching the fox, users aren’t hit with all kinds of colors and media. More importantly, users aren’t bombarded with, yet another, chat option (as if Skype and Facebook weren’t enough?). Firefox is smarter, wiser, and more Zen than other browsers, and that’s just the way that we like it (well, most of us do anyway). So, why does Mozilla want to go and change the way that the Firefox home page looks?
No doubt, Mozilla is under pressure to conform to a home page standard.

Instead of leaving Firefox users in complete Zen with a white page that simply features a colorful fox, Firefox users will soon be seeing all kinds of things splattering that white home page. This reviewer is doubtful that these changes will be for the better, though it will give Mozilla a better opportunity to display apps and catch all kind of other attention. On the flip side, Mozilla might want to take a lesson from Apple and realize that a clean white slate is the best way to feature any product (or browser).

A Welcomed Addition

The one aspect of Mozilla’s new Firefox that looks promising (and shows a glimmer of the old Mozilla innovation) is something called a URL autocompletion function. This function will allow users to select the ending of a URL from a dropdown box that includes logical completion options. Not only will this save time, but it’s simply something that’s innovative and interesting. In this reviewer’s opinion, Mozilla ought to stick with revamps like the autocompletion bar, and stay away from unnecessary bloating like a chat option.

The new Firefox home page and autocompletion bar will be unveiled within the next few weeks. If you use Firefox, you’ll notice these changes right away when your home screen is suddenly filled with lots of colors and links. Even though some are welcoming this change, this reviewer is hoping that Mozilla keeps design in mind and doesn’t succumb to other browser pressure. In short, this reviewer prefers the Firefox home page as is.