Latest Firefox 3.1 Beta Adds Multi-Touch Support

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/10/latest-firefox-3-1-beta-adds-multi-touch-support/)

On Monday, Mozilla released (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html) the latest beta version of Firefox 3.1. This "Beta 2" version of the popular web browser adds a number of new features across all supported platforms including:

- Private Browsing Mode
- Faster JavaScript engine
- Improved rendering
- Support for new web technologies.

But one feature unique to the Mac build is support for Apple's multi-touch trackpad which has been shipping in notebooks since January of this year. While Apple's Safari supports multi-touch gestures for common web browsing tasks (back, forward, resize text), support had been absent from Firefox. Experimental Firefox support for the multi-touch trackpad was first introduced (http://ed.agadak.net/2008/10/touching-firefox) in a pre-Beta build back in October by Mozilla's Edward Lee. The changes have since made it into the official Beta 2 (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html) released on Monday and is expected to be released with the final 3.1 version of Firefox.

Supported gestures include ("Swipe" refers to 3-finger Swipe):

- Swipe Left: Go back in history [press Cmd to open it in a tab]
- Swipe Right: Go forwards in history
- Swipe Up: Go to the top of the page
- Swipe Down: Go to the end of the page
- Pinch Together: Zoom out
- Pinch Apart: Zoom in
- Twist Right: Next tab
- Twist Left: Previous tab

Mozilla warns that the beta version of Firefox is intended for testing use only. There's no known release date for the final release of 3.1



Article Link: Latest Firefox 3.1 Beta Adds Multi-Touch Support (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/10/latest-firefox-3-1-beta-adds-multi-touch-support/)

[tjcampbell]

I'll have to give that a go.

[arn]

it's nice. Once you get used to the multi-touch gestures, it's hard to go back.

arn

[MD5Hash]

How comfortable is the "twisting" motion? Out of all of those things, the main ones I'd do are jump around tabs and go back, and if twisting is going to be a common task now, how annoying is it going to be if you're doing it constantly for long periods of time?

(note: obviously, I do not have an apple laptop :p)

[alexbates]

This would be great for a Mac tablet.

[PCMacUser]

What really sucks is going from a computer with gestures to one without it. Then it's like 'how do I scroll if I can't swipe with two fingers?'

[danbirchall]

Funny typo there. :)

[Beanlok]

- Twist Right: Next tab
- Twist Left: Previous tab


this needs to be included with the next safari update No questions asked!

[risenphoenixkai]

Already using all these gestures in Safari via Multiclutch.

Although CMD+swipe left to go back in a new tab was a new one on me. Just tried it in Safari, and it works.

[alexbates]

Are there any other new web technologies than multi-touch that firefox doesn't already support? Since my Mac doesn't support multi-touch, should I even bother to download this update?

[TonyHoyle]

What really sucks is going from a computer with gestures to one without it. Then it's like 'how do I scroll if I can't swipe with two fingers?'

Scroll with two fingers has been available for years... it's not just part of the latest macs. It's basically the mouse scroll wheel (on non-macs this is done with a special area on the trackpad using one finger normally).

I'd played with the wife's new macbook and I think multitouch has gone too far with these.. 3 fingers? twisting? That's not remotely intuitive or easy to perform (twisting your hand to do stuff is very uncomfortable in fact if you need to twist more than a few degrees).

[fendol]

Nice feature. It's currently on beta though.

I'm reminded of Opera, the browser, for the PC it has a built-in set of commands that do much of that, like this: forward is right click + right movement with your mouse; back is right click + left movement with your mouse; refresh is right click + up and down in one movement with your mouse :cool::apple:http://seoagora.com/img/589/d08l1104oulu/smiley2.gif
http://seoagora.com/img/308/s08e1024rvou/champagne.gifhttp://seoagora.com/img/1261/v08t1201sxfb/cheers.gif

[AdionC]

Scroll with two fingers has been available for years... it's not just part of the latest macs. It's basically the mouse scroll wheel (on non-macs this is done with a special area on the trackpad using one finger normally).

I'd played with the wife's new macbook and I think multitouch has gone too far with these.. 3 fingers? twisting? That's not remotely intuitive or easy to perform (twisting your hand to do stuff is very uncomfortable in fact if you need to twist more than a few degrees).
Once you get used to it, 3 finger swiping actually works very well for me.
Twisting is indeed uncomfortable to do, but it also works if you move one finger up and one finger down, you don't actually have to do a rotation.

[chrisgeleven]

Firefox 3.1b2 is insanely fast and very stable for a beta. No problems at all with it outside of some extensions not working.

[rdas7]

it's nice. Once you get used to the multi-touch gestures, it's hard to go back.

I wholeheartedly agree. Going to a laptop that doesn't have two finger scrolling makes you stop and go... "ehh?". And with three finger swiping, I've managed to rid my Safari chrome of the now-useless back/forward buttons!

http://ze.ro-one.com/rdas7/linkedimages/safari_toolbar.png

And it makes those laptops with nipple joysticks in the middle of the keyboard look comical (not that they weren't already).

[DanielJvdBerg]

It's good to hear that more developers are taking advantage of the multi touch capabilities!

[Luke1robb]

it's nice. Once you get used to the multi-touch gestures, it's hard to go back.

arn

Arn you are so right on this... I've been using the beta since it was an alpha and its been amazing watching it mature. I use three finger swipes (left, right, up and down) all the time and two finger scrolling like it was my job. I have been known to try and two finger scroll on multiple computers that don't have multi-touch, mostly PCs. haha, silly PCs!

[Tex-Twil]

- Swipe Up: Go to the top of the page
- Swipe Down: Go to the end of the page

Is it possible to configure this to have
- Swipe Up: new tab
- Swipe Down: close tab ?

Those are my mutliclutch gestures but I'd like to use the native FF gestures.

[Luke1robb]

How comfortable is the "twisting" motion? Out of all of those things, the main ones I'd do are jump around tabs and go back, and if twisting is going to be a common task now, how annoying is it going to be if you're doing it constantly for long periods of time?

(note: obviously, I do not have an apple laptop :p)

It's definitely weird at first, and second, and third, but after a while you get somewhat used to it, it's not anywhere as natural as any other multi-touch gesture,

[Luke1robb]

Is it possible to configure this to have
- Swipe Up: new tab
- Swipe Down: close tab ?

Those are my mutliclutch gestures but I'd like to use the native FF gestures.

No, not within the beta, the gestures are as is and there is no customization.

[Beanlok]

Already using all these gestures in Safari via Multiclutch.

Although CMD+swipe left to go back in a new tab was a new one on me. Just tried it in Safari, and it works.

I cant get the rotate/twist gesture to change tabs in safari can you, I mean according to this post you can but....are you sure?

[Luke1robb]

It's good to hear that more developers are taking advantage of the multi touch capabilities!

This is a big step for Mozilla as they can really take some market share from Safari as they can offer something people they can't have unless they get multiclutch.

[KindredMAC]

What really sucks is going from a computer with gestures to one without it. Then it's like 'how do I scroll if I can't swipe with two fingers?'
Kinda like how I went to the Apple Store to check out the new iPod nanos a couple months ago. I turned it to landscape to see the cover flow view and then proceeded to swipe my finger across the screen to move the album covers. Nothing happened until I realized that I had been spoiled by my first gen iPhone.

Damn you Apple! You get us used to technology in some items but it's a PIA for us when you use something as antiquated as 12 months old, like your laptop, that doesn't have a certain tech feature!!!!!! ;)

[aleni]

it's better to use multitouch for this time being.

can't beat:

swipe up : new tab
swipe down: go to the next tab
zoom out: close tab
zoom in: go to home

[Jodles]

I wholeheartedly agree. Going to a laptop that doesn't have two finger scrolling makes you stop and go... "ehh?". And with three finger swiping, I've managed to rid my Safari chrome of the now-useless back/forward buttons!

http://ze.ro-one.com/rdas7/linkedimages/safari_toolbar.png

I would like to do this as well; the only thing keeping me from removing the back/forward button is that when I'm in a pdf document (inside safari), of some reason backward swipe doesn't work, but the back button still does of course.

[Chaszmyr]

Personally, I can't stand to web browse without buttons on my mouse programmed for my browser (especially the forward and back buttons, but I use others too). I guess this sort of serves as the laptop equivalent of that.

[jonnos]

looks like ill be moving from safari as my default to firefox once this is out :D

[137489]

And it makes those laptops with nipple joysticks in the middle of the keyboard look comical (not that they weren't already).

Oh I hated those things. Interesting term you use. :rolleyes: anyway, we always called them eraser heads. not only where they difficult to control, they broke easy, wore down quickly (I had a laptop where it became even with the keys - everytime I go to touch it, I ended up typing something). I also hated you pretty much had to wipe your hand off after using it. It was like an eraser, got that abrasion stuff all over your fingers once it started to wear down.

I do like Multi-touch. My whitebook is lacking some of the features of the newer macbooks, but what I do have I like. Better than a mouse, and I use my wacom for more precise things.

[RichardI]

Interesting. Am I the only one that thinks multi-touch should get the proverbial finger? It seems to me that all that's happening is you are substituting one 'gesture' for another? So you need to learn a whole new alphabet. How is that better than the one I already know? I must say it doesn't appeal to me at all. Sure, it's 'hip' but I think it will die out much like the digital tablet has - to obscurity.
Give me a well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive drop-downs, and a mouse.
I give it one finger - guess which one.:rolleyes:

Rich :cool:

[thetinman]

If that worked like its described i would move over to FireFox in a flash, i find it to be more compatible with certain web sites than Safari.

[B1gMac]

I already use multiclutch to do many of those things. BUT, I much prefer using a swipe left and swipe right to switch between tabs. A twisting motion seems more like a forward/backwards thing right?

Anyways, it's also a bad idea to have something saved as swipe up/down, when you already have a swipe left/right. It's really easy to accidentally do the wrong one (most of us don't swipe in perfect directions, and tend to be more diagonal).

[Luke1robb]

looks like ill be moving from safari as my default to firefox once this is out :D

It is out and works quite well.

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/minefield/

[Luke1robb]

If that worked like its described i would move over to FireFox in a flash, i find it to be more compatible with certain web sites than Safari.

It works like its described, trust me.

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/minefield/

[Mardak]

You can customize the behavior through about:config for Beta 2. Type in about:config into the location bar and you'll see a list of preferences. You can search for "gesture" and find the commands they're defaulted to.
Is it possible to configure this to have
- Swipe Up: new tab
- Swipe Down: close tab ?
browser.gesture.swipe.up cmd_newNavigatorTab
browser.gesture.swipe.down cmd_close

Just to be safe, you can make a gesture to undo close tab as well.. such as holding shift when doing the close gesture:
browser.gesture.swipe.down.shift History:UndoCloseTab
(about:config, right-click -> new -> string)

swipe up : new tab
swipe down: go to the next tab
zoom out: close tab
zoom in: go to home
browser.gesture.swipe.up cmd_newNavigatorTab
browser.gesture.swipe.down Browser:NextTab
browser.gesture.pinch.out cmd_close
browser.gesture.pinch.in Browser:Home

Maybe toss in a compliment of swipe down with ctrl to go back..
browser.gesture.swipe.down.ctrl Browser:PrevTab

Or similar to creating a new tab.. swipe up and alt? meta (cmd)? ctrl? shift? to undo close tab
browser.gesture.swipe.up.alt History:UndoCloseTab

[mattwolfmatt]

I also may be one to switch back to firefox. The multi touch gestures are the only reason I use safari. It is nice to have two functional browsers, however. One for me and one for my wife.

[jonnos]

If that worked like its described i would move over to FireFox in a flash, i find it to be more compatible with certain web sites than Safari.

i was late to apply to my uni subjects because of this =\

[dougelo7]

Interesting. Am I the only one that thinks multi-touch should get the proverbial finger? It seems to me that all that's happening is you are substituting one 'gesture' for another? So you need to learn a whole new alphabet. How is that better than the one I already know? I must say it doesn't appeal to me at all. Sure, it's 'hip' but I think it will die out much like the digital tablet has - to obscurity.
Give me a well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive drop-downs, and a mouse.
I give it one finger - guess which one.:rolleyes:

Rich :cool:

Am I the only one who is highly offended by your remarks? (Nobody else has replied.)

Multitouch is WAY better than some stupid keyboard commands (except for copy-and-paste IMO). I've used both and multitouch (NOT multiclutch!!!) is easier to remember because it makes more physical sense, plus it's faster because your hand is already on the trackpad controlling the mouse pointer.

A lot of money and hard work went into this technology. I am completely outraged at your dismissal of its brilliance. (I have an iPhone and a MacBook Air, plus THREE desktop computers, two PCs and an iMac, so I can tell you that multitouch is a huge time saver and an enjoyable experience to boot.)

Oh and I'm not an Apple employee or a Mac fanboy, I just recognize excellence when I see it.

[Drumjim85]

released on monday? ... I've been using this build for about a month now :confused:

EDIT: oh, just noticed the pre build ... nm.

[twoodcc]

this is great news. i don't really use firefox all that much, but might try it out again when this is released

[OrangeCuse44]

Safari will be taking a back seat to FF once this is an official release.

[optophobia]

Awesome.
I had been hoping for more applications to have multitouch support. Now it makes my MBP more valuable to me. ;)

[shiseiryu1]

Interesting. Am I the only one that thinks multi-touch should get the proverbial finger? It seems to me that all that's happening is you are substituting one 'gesture' for another? So you need to learn a whole new alphabet. How is that better than the one I already know? I must say it doesn't appeal to me at all. Sure, it's 'hip' but I think it will die out much like the digital tablet has - to obscurity.
Give me a well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive drop-downs, and a mouse.
I give it one finger - guess which one.:rolleyes:

Rich :cool:

I'm not sure that I agree with you...I really like the gestures and think they're really useful especially for quick one-handed browsing. If I want to switch tabs in firefox I can either move my mouse to the top of the screen...aim and click (three step process) or I can use a keyboard shortcut (which requires use of my other hand) or I can make a small gesture with my right hand.... I think the gesture is a winner here.

Just one more thing...the "well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive" idea sounds a lot like the Windows start menu. However, my feeling is that once you get used to the Mac Dock it is much quicker and easier to access your favorite programs than the Windows Start menu.

[k2spitfire88]

I'm not sure that I agree with you...I really like the gestures and think they're really useful especially for quick one-handed browsing. If I want to switch tabs in firefox I can either move my mouse to the top of the screen...aim and click (three step process) or I can use a keyboard shortcut (which requires use of my other hand) or I can make a small gesture with my right hand.... I think the gesture is a winner here.

Just one more thing...the "well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive" idea sounds a lot like the Windows start menu. However, my feeling is that once you get used to the Mac Dock it is much quicker and easier to access your favorite programs than the Windows Start menu.

I agree. I was very unsure as to whether or not i would like multi-touch when i bought my alu-macbook. I love it, and the reason I do not use the current firefox build is lack of support for these gestures. The swiping, and other commands are a giant time saver, and much easier to use. Sometimes people resist change, and I feel this is one of those times. However, it is much easier to use, and doesnt take long to get used to it. When I have to use a computer other than my macbook, it drives me up the wall that I cannot use 3 and 4 finger gestures (even for non internet tasks). I think multi-touch is here to stay, and will only get better.

[Cleverboy]

Thank God! I was getting a little annoyed that Firefox didn't have them. It was like the missing Voice Synthesis by function-command before I realized the work-around.

~ CB

[Stridder44]

Scroll with two fingers has been available for years... it's not just part of the latest macs. It's basically the mouse scroll wheel (on non-macs this is done with a special area on the trackpad using one finger normally).

I'd played with the wife's new macbook and I think multitouch has gone too far with these.. 3 fingers? twisting? That's not remotely intuitive or easy to perform (twisting your hand to do stuff is very uncomfortable in fact if you need to twist more than a few degrees).

Are you kidding? I use Safari in OS X over Firefox simply because of the multi-touch gestures. It's like using keyboard shortcuts, only easier (and more fun).

Wow this is awesome. Go firefox. :)

[rockdog]

I can not wait until this technology comes to the desktop macs via some kind of touch pad, shouldn't be too long

[Over Achiever]

Silly question, but does the Firefox build multi-touch support work on the Windows side as well? I have a Dell XT, and I know HP has recently adopted the N-Trig screen as well.

[roland.g]

I've added multitouch gestures to safari for opening new tabs, switching tabs, closing tabs, etc via a great 3rd party system pref, MultiClutch.

[Cleverboy]

Silly question, but does the Firefox build multi-touch support work on the Windows side as well? I have a Dell XT, and I know HP has recently adopted the N-Trig screen as well. If Internet Explorer has it and its a Windows standard feature, I'm not sure why they wouldn't. That the reason it was so important on the Mac. The multitouch support is really changing the way I use the system, and it really wows people because its so convenient (expose is just ALL THAT).

~ CB

[Maxington]

WTB a touch pad addon for my iMac at home.

[ZiggyPastorius]

If only people realised that Opera has had Mouse gestures built in that are far superior to any of these added trackpad-gesture-supports for a long time.

[wheezy]

I can not wait until this technology comes to the desktop macs via some kind of touch pad, shouldn't be too long

Yes, please! I'd love to have a nice bluetooth multi-touch pad to use on Safari and throughout OS X. A nice heavy piece of glass that rests on your desk....

[morespce54]

What really sucks is going from a computer with gestures to one without it. Then it's like 'how do I scroll if I can't swipe with two fingers?'

LOL
So true. I play with my MBP Al and when I get back to my old iBook I keep wandering: where the heck are those scroll bars again... ;)

(That's actually one of the reason I got back to Safari)

[morespce54]

...Sure, it's 'hip' but I think it will die out much like the digital tablet has - to obscurity.
Give me a well thought out tree of commands with context sensitive drop-downs, and a mouse.
I give it one finger - guess which one.:rolleyes:

Rich :cool:

Sure, whatever... Let's talk about that "dying technology" in 5 years...

[MaxiKana]

Oh I hated those things. Interesting term you use. :rolleyes: anyway, we always called them eraser heads. not only where they difficult to control, they broke easy, wore down quickly (I had a laptop where it became even with the keys - everytime I go to touch it, I ended up typing something). I also hated you pretty much had to wipe your hand off after using it. It was like an eraser, got that abrasion stuff all over your fingers once it started to wear down.

I do like Multi-touch. My whitebook is lacking some of the features of the newer macbooks, but what I do have I like. Better than a mouse, and I use my wacom for more precise things.

They are actually called nipples.

http://catb.org/jargon/html/N/nipple-mouse.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_stick

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nipple%20mouse

[goodwilldrums]

Scroll with two fingers has been available for years... it's not just part of the latest macs. It's basically the mouse scroll wheel (on non-macs this is done with a special area on the trackpad using one finger normally).

I'd played with the wife's new macbook and I think multitouch has gone too far with these.. 3 fingers? twisting? That's not remotely intuitive or easy to perform (twisting your hand to do stuff is very uncomfortable in fact if you need to twist more than a few degrees).



I could not disagree more. Especially with this new FF beta, I've been playing with it all day long, and you don't have to twist 90°. 45° at most. It's very easy and now I can only think how I lived without this feature.

Thanks FireFox! I was an original recruit and continue to chose you over Safari

[mikeinternet]

I would like to do this as well; the only thing keeping me from removing the back/forward button is that when I'm in a pdf document (inside safari), of some reason backward swipe doesn't work, but the back button still does of course.

You can always 'APPLE then 'BRACKET back and forth

[angelwatt]

Are there any other new web technologies than multi-touch that firefox doesn't already support? Since my Mac doesn't support multi-touch, should I even bother to download this update?

Did you read the whole post? The gesture stuff was simply the Mac-specific part. You can read the release notes (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.1b2/releasenotes/) to see all that's going on, and remember this is just a Beta release currently. There's things like the Private Browsing, new ways to work with your History, further support for HTML5 / CSS / JavaScript, etc. And in general you should go install updates as they almost always include security updates.

[MaddMacs]

Yes, please! I'd love to have a nice bluetooth multi-touch pad to use on Safari and throughout OS X. A nice heavy piece of glass that rests on your desk....

I would sooo buy one of those.... come on Apple, I grow tired of the Mighty Mouse.... BRING ON THE MAXI PAD!!!

[rockdog]

.... BRING ON THE MAXI PAD!!!

o_0

Well...that's not exactly what I was hoping they would call it

[CaptainCannabis]

I hate firefox.. scrolling is soo much smoother on safari, so I rather stay with safari...

[137489]

They are actually called nipples.

http://catb.org/jargon/html/N/nipple-mouse.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_stick

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nipple%20mouse

ok you got me there :p I guess seeing what my other passion is, and living in the bible belt, we just did not use that term. I just could not see telling a computer user (especially a woman) to slightly move the nipple.

I like what one of your websites had for tag for it "Pointless accessory", because you could not do any precise pointing or drawing with it. What I do not understand is why some laptops had that and a trad pad, and why Lenovo (formally IBM) still makes laptops with it.

[sangosimo]

the speed increase is going to shut up all the crhome fanboys on the windows side.

[bug67]

Just another reason to use Firefox, as if you needed another reason. :D

[137489]

I would sooo buy one of those.... come on Apple, I grow tired of the Mighty Mouse.... BRING ON THE MAXI PAD!!!

Apple needs to join forces with wacom and come up with a tablet and track pad that dws both multi-touch and also what the wacom already does...

NOW THERE IS A DEVICE TO TALK ABOUT!!!!

[SimonTheSoundMa]

I hate firefox.. scrolling is soo much smoother on safari, so I rather stay with safari...

Pixel scrolling is now in Firefox 3.1, so fixed. Scrolls smoother than Safari. :)

[goodwilldrums]

Pixel scrolling is now in Firefox 3.1, so fixed. Scrolls smoother than Safari. :)

Very True...Just tested it. It is exactly the same!

Do you have another complaint about FF?
Or is the "smooth scrolling" difference the ONLY reason you love safari so much more?

Because that argument has now been thrown out.

[Kingsnapped]

I've used some utility to have multitouch on my browsers for a while, and I've found that zoom in/out gestures are too easy to activate while scrolling. Everything else is extremely quick, and has improved my browsing experience.

Swipe down= Close tab
Swipe up= Open last closed tab (command+shift+t, to fix any accidental downswipes)
Twist right= Next tab to the right
Twist left= Next tab to the left
Swipe right= back
Swipe left= forward

[larrybeo]

Ummmm... if anyone here paid any attention to technology other than what Apple is doing they would know that HP has been making mulit-touch tablet PCs for some time now that support these commands on a Vista-based PC with *any* browser. Get a grip Apple lovers. Apple catching up to the rest of the industry doesn't qualify as front page news, doesn it?

[lowbatteries]

I would love to see some swiping for my iPhone's safari. It's such a pain to close windows or switch between them quickly. MultiClutch for iPhone?

I agree. I was very unsure as to whether or not i would like multi-touch when i bought my alu-macbook. I love it, and the reason I do not use the current firefox build is lack of support for these gestures. The swiping, and other commands are a giant time saver, and much easier to use. Sometimes people resist change, and I feel this is one of those times. However, it is much easier to use, and doesnt take long to get used to it. When I have to use a computer other than my macbook, it drives me up the wall that I cannot use 3 and 4 finger gestures (even for non internet tasks). I think multi-touch is here to stay, and will only get better.

Firefox has had the back/forward swipes with two fingers since Fx2 (quite a while ago). Hold command and swipe with two fingers. Not as elegant since it still requires the keyboard, but I always have my left hand on the keyboard and my right on the trackpad.

Also, I suspect you could use multiclutch to fill in the gaps anyway.

Ummmm... if anyone here paid any attention to technology other than what Apple is doing they would know that HP has been making mulit-touch tablet PCs for some time now that support these commands on a Vista-based PC with *any* browser. Get a grip Apple lovers. Apple catching up to the rest of the industry doesn't qualify as front page news, doesn it?

Yes, but when HP/Windows gets a technology, why should we care? We don't use it. This site is about announcing new things for Apple fans, not just general technology. Your argument would work on Digg or Slashdot, as this may not really be news there, but it is certainly valid and welcome news here.

[SleepyHead157]

the features are awesome but there's too many bugs. I had to roll back this afternoon because of the problems.

[zildjianfan]

I've got the white MacBook (Spring 07), I'm guessing the multi-touch won't work with my model?

[risenphoenixkai]

I cant get the rotate/twist gesture to change tabs in safari can you, I mean according to this post you can but....are you sure?

I'm sure. Using multiclutch, you can configure the rotate gestures to switch between tabs in Safari. You just have to set it up so CMD + } is associated with rotating right, and CMD + { is rotate left.

[alphaod]

Minefield FTW!

[goodwilldrums]

the features are awesome but there's too many bugs. I had to roll back this afternoon because of the problems.

What type of bugs are you experiencing? I haven't noticed any, and I've been using it all day.

[Kuska]

Best remember which hand is on the trackpad before you twist left then !!!;)

[LolaNoz]

Using MultiClutch I can go back and forward by swiping left or right, switch tabs using rotate left or rotate right, open a new tab by zooming in and close the current tab by zooming out. The program lets you choose everything and also somehow unlocks 3 finger swiping up and down. I set swipe down to use the "All windows" feature of Expose and swipe up clicks my stumble button for me. There's also zoom in-zoom out and zoom out-zoom in that I haven't assigned to anything. It works globally and for specific applications and is lots of fun.

[mac-man 2008]

Using MultiClutch I can go back and forward by swiping left or right, switch tabs using rotate left or rotate right, open a new tab by zooming in and close the current tab by zooming out. The program lets you choose everything and also somehow unlocks 3 finger swiping up and down. I set swipe down to use the "All windows" feature of Expose and swipe up clicks my stumble button for me. There's also zoom in-zoom out and zoom out-zoom in that I haven't assigned to anything. It works globally and for specific applications and is lots of fun.

I agree...I've been using the same configuration (including three-finger open/close tabs) as 3.1 for months now with Multiclutch. Get it...you can use it for other programs.

[bowzer]

Hmmm... i dunno if Im doing something wrong? I downloaded the latest firefox beta, but none of the multi gestures are working. I have a black macbook, if that matters?

[goodwilldrums]

Hmmm... i dunno if Im doing something wrong? I downloaded the latest firefox beta, but none of the multi gestures are working. I have a black macbook, if that matters?

only works with trackpads that allow for multi-finger gestures.
Black Macbooks only allow for one and two finger gestures. Like scrolling and right clicking with two fingers.

[MacFly123]

- Twist Right: Next tab
- Twist Left: Previous tab


this needs to be included with the next safari update No questions asked!

Ya those sound like pretty well implemented gestures that I would like to see in Safari. Don't worry, Apple will be adding LOTS more multi-touch to the OS and apps soon. They are just getting started :D

[VoR]

I like what one of your websites had for tag for it "Pointless accessory", because you could not do any precise pointing or drawing with it. What I do not understand is why some laptops had that and a trad pad, and why Lenovo (formally IBM) still makes laptops with it.

The trackpoint (and keyboards) are probably the biggest selling point of their machines for me - they're pretty important features.

[hob]

I like this new Firefox... except I never EVER want to zoom a webpage, certainly not with Firefox - I'd rather use Ctrl+Scroll to zoom the whole system (call me crazy) and I just set it off by accident and realised there's no way to switch it off.... hmm

Also, private browsing screen ends with "ENJOY!" :D

[crazyxzer0]

already was using multiclutch to implement what firefox just added. I agree with the zoom. I dont ever have a need to zoom..yet. But its a good idea. Perhaps a customizable multitouch support will come in the final 3.1 version.

[scott523]

I hope this improves the speed in starting Firefox. It's sooo slow compared Safari, it's the only reason why I moved to Safari last month.

Also, private browsing screen ends with "ENJOY!" :D
LOL I wish Safari added that!

[Watabou]

Yes! They finally got the scrolling right

[bobertoq]

I would like to do this as well; the only thing keeping me from removing the back/forward button is that when I'm in a pdf document (inside safari), of some reason backward swipe doesn't work, but the back button still does of course.The delete button works wonders ;)

[mikeinternet]

I like the idea of a multitouch desktop accessorie. I have the trackpad iPhone app. Do multitouch gestures work through that to this new firefox beta?

[goodwilldrums]

I like this new Firefox... except I never EVER want to zoom a webpage, certainly not with Firefox - I'd rather use Ctrl+Scroll to zoom the whole system (call me crazy) and I just set it off by accident and realised there's no way to switch it off.... hmm

Also, private browsing screen ends with "ENJOY!" :D

The only time I need to use the zoom within FF instead of just using "Control+Scroll" is when I'm on someone's Myspace page or blog and their text is REALLY small. You can't always see it better if you just "Control+Scroll". But if you zoom within FF you can make their font bigger no matter how small they've made it.

[Kevster89]

Are these "swipe" capabilities (3 finger swipe, that is) supported on only the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros (Late 2008 versions), or will my Early 2008 MacBook Pro support these 3 finger swipe capabilities if I download this FireFox beta?

[Luke1robb]

Are these "swipe" capabilities (3 finger swipe, that is) supported on only the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros (Late 2008 versions), or will my Early 2008 MacBook Pro support these 3 finger swipe capabilities if I download this FireFox beta?

I'm pretty sure it only works on the new unibody macbooks, but you could try it. You might be able to do it through third-party installs though

[RelievedSimplet]

How comfortable is the "twisting" motion? Out of all of those things, the main ones I'd do are jump around tabs and go back, and if twisting is going to be a common task now, how annoying is it going to be if you're doing it constantly for long periods of time?

(note: obviously, I do not have an apple laptop :p)

Well, I personally have never had a problem with the "twisting" motion. Mainly because, you Don't have to twist your hand. I noticed that using the Firefox gestures (after 5 mins of getting used to their "sensitivity" levels, that they are quite nice. To give you an example, if I am using the app Preview, I tend to actually have to do more of a twisting motion. Imagine my fingers at the center of a clock and 12 o'clock. In Preview, the 12 o'clock finger must move a bit past 3 o'clock to rotate a picture. In Firefox, I don't rotate at all, I found that I can simply move my fingers so they are both even, but in the center of the trackpad facing the bottom right corner. I then simply move my second finger (right click type finger) down about 1/2" and it registers as a "twist" and switches tabs, then I just move them facing the bottom mid of the track pad again, and all is well. All in all, my hands aren't getting tired doing this type of motion, I've gone through about 8,000 images before, rotating 4,000 or so with the twisting motion, no tired hands/fingers. I suppose it all comes down to how you decide to "twist". I've seen people at my college who for some reason, find the need to put their hands in an awkard angle/shape and twist their whole hand/wrist. I simply just do the "face bottom right corner, move right finger down." All in all, the multitouch gestures are amazing. The naysayers are just naysayers, I use every gesture, even the four finger gestures hundreds of times a day without an issue. You just have to keep in mind that the trackpad is about 2 times the space of a normal "PC" or old macbook/pro trackpad allowing these awesome multitouch gestures.

[Kevster89]

Does anyone know for certain whether these 3 finger swipe motions are supported solely on the unibody (late 2008) macbooks and macbook pros?

I have an early 2008 MacBook Pro and will probably only download this beta if 3 finger gestures in it are supported on this, if not others as well, earlier MacBook Pro.

For some reason I'm thinking that this is only for the unibodies, since Apple marketed the new trackpad and the 3 finger swipe capabilities non-stop since October 9, but I am not for certain.

Anyone know for certain or anyone running this beta on a Macbook Pro, or MacBook for that matter, that is pre-Late 2008

[Watabou]

Does anyone know for certain whether these 3 finger swipe motions are supported solely on the unibody (late 2008) macbooks and macbook pros?

I have an early 2008 MacBook Pro and will probably only download this beta if 3 finger gestures in it are supported on this, if not others as well, earlier MacBook Pro.

For some reason I'm thinking that this is only for the unibodies, since Apple marketed the new trackpad and the 3 finger swipe capabilities non-stop since October 9, but I am not for certain.

Anyone know for certain or anyone running this beta on a Macbook Pro, or MacBook for that matter, that is pre-Late 2008

I have an early 2008 Macbook Pro(Penryn) and I can confirm that the multitouch in the new beta works for me. I can swipe left and right, twist to switch tabs and such.

[jlevi]

Now... if only I could copy HTML (besides links and tables) from FireFox to Mail, I'd be happy.... Who's with me?

Also, I had both Safari and FF configured to do all this with Multi-clutch before ;)
JL

[Axemantitan]

Mozilla reverse-engineers OS X to add multitouch gestures to Firefox 3.1 for Mac (http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-40571-140.html)

[eellerto]

SO, I just downloaded 3.1 and the pinch zoom works great, but the 3 finger swipe just gets me out of firefox and into the next program open. ANyone else have this problem? Do I not have something set right?

[PacMookBro]

MultiTouch support on firefox is nice! Touchpad scrolling is now precise just like it is in Safari.

Before switching completely to Firefox from Safari, I would like "Dictionary Popup" and "Text box resizing" features be added to the new firefox. There is an add-on for the text box resizing, but is there a way to have Firefox access "Dictionary.app" for popup?

[mcguidance]

For some reason, when I set my preferences to clear everything when I quit FF, it doesn't do it. I set it in the preferences, it asks when I quit, but when I open FF back up, my history is still there. The only way is to go clear everything in preferences. Anyone have a solution or similar problems?

[eellerto]

SO, I just downloaded 3.1 and the pinch zoom works great, but the 3 finger swipe just gets me out of firefox and into the next program open. ANyone else have this problem? Do I not have something set right?

Multicutch was screwing up the new 3.1. It is gone and now it works fine, but Firefox is still slower than Safari, so I went back, sadly.

[Patcoola]

multi touch nice but im still waiting for that private browsing feature

[goodwilldrums]

There is Private Browsing! Go to Tools>Private Browsing.

I like it better than Safari's because it sends you to a new window when you enter private browsing (it even tells you to enjoy!), then when you are done, it brings up all of the tabs that you had opened up previously before entering!

[Lavezzi]

You can customize the behavior through about:config for Beta 2. Type in about:config into the location bar and you'll see a list of preferences. You can search for "gesture" and find the commands they're defaulted to.

browser.gesture.swipe.up cmd_newNavigatorTab
browser.gesture.swipe.down cmd_close

Just to be safe, you can make a gesture to undo close tab as well.. such as holding shift when doing the close gesture:
browser.gesture.swipe.down.shift History:UndoCloseTab
(about:config, right-click -> new -> string)


browser.gesture.swipe.up cmd_newNavigatorTab
browser.gesture.swipe.down Browser:NextTab
browser.gesture.pinch.out cmd_close
browser.gesture.pinch.in Browser:Home

Maybe toss in a compliment of swipe down with ctrl to go back..
browser.gesture.swipe.down.ctrl Browser:PrevTab

Or similar to creating a new tab.. swipe up and alt? meta (cmd)? ctrl? shift? to undo close tab
browser.gesture.swipe.up.alt History:UndoCloseTab
thank you very much, your post was incredibly useful.