Latest Firefox 3.1 Beta Adds Multi-Touch Support

[MacRumors]

On Monday, Mozilla released 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 in a pre-Beta build back in October by Mozilla's Edward Lee. The changes have since made it into the official Beta 2 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

[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 )

[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]

Originally Posted by 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?'

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

[AdionC]

Originally Posted by TonyHoyle

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]

Originally Posted by arn

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!



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]

Originally Posted by arn

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]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

- 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]

Originally Posted by 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 )

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]

Originally Posted by Tex-Twil

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by DanielJvdBerg

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]

Originally Posted by 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?'

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]

Originally Posted by rdas7

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!

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.