Mozilla released Firefox 13 Wednesday, which it says is a speedier, safer version of the open source web browser.
The newly launched Firefox also boasts a new home page and tab page layout similar to those of competing browsers such as Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chrome.
Before the upgrade, when Firefox users clicked to open a new tab, they saw simply a blank page, unlike browsers such as Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer, which provide users with links to recently opened or favorite sites. Now, the Firefox homepage will feature icons that enable quick access to bookmarks, history, settings, add-ons and downloads. Additionally, when users click for a new tab, they'll see thumbnails to their most recently and frequently visited sites.
The new tab experience is also part of an overall redesign that will make the browser faster. Firefox 13 now loads tabs on demand first for the tab that a user is currently viewing, and then the background tabs when they're opened, allowing the browser to start faster.
In addition to speed and security, the most significant changes to Firefox 13 was its design. The new home and tab pages more closely resemble those of competing browsers, particularly Chrome, a browser that's gaining significant momentum, especially in the tech world, said Rettig.
"I think Chrome has the lead and has over the past year and half replaced Firefox as the de facto developer browser -- nearly every developer I know has switched from Firefox to Chrome by now," he said.
Mozilla isn't necessarily mimicking Chrome in its design, said Kaply, but the leading browsers are becoming more and more similar, he said.
"I think that the three main browsers now are all moving towards the same place -- minimal UI, very fast JavaScript, quick updating and full support of Web standards," he said. "So in a sense, it's not that Firefox is playing catch-up, it's that it's aiming for the same goal. I do think there is a perception that Firefox is playing catch-up to Google, but I'm not sure it's a deliberate thing. I think the end goal is to make the browser less important so that users can focus on the content and not the browser."