14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla has just released a new version of Firefox browser that comes with plenty of improvements on Windows 10, bringing it in line with some of the changes that Microsoft made to its latest operating system.
Basically, Firefox 40 includes a number of UI changes that are already available in Windows 10 apps, such as new close buttons on tabs, which are part of Microsoft's new design philosophy for the overhauled OS version.
With these window control buttons, Microsoft is trying to make its universal apps easier to use with both a mouse and keyboard and touch, and while there's no mention if Firefox 40 comes with any other improvements for touch-capable devices, running it on a tablet shouldn't be too difficult.
In addition, the new version of the browser also includes a bigger font in the address bar, as Mozilla said that Firefox was already using a smaller font than most other browsers on the market. So right now, Firefox uses the same font in the address bar as its rivals. Edge, however, seems to opt for a smaller font though.
The Firefox theme has also been optimized for Windows 10, and Mozilla details some of the changes it made to the UI:
“We’ve matched the tabstrip and toolbar to the native Windows 10 theme. This includes refinements to our standard icon set, as well as much improved HiDPI (>1dppx) support. All of our first-tier icons now have 2× variants that are shipped with the browser, and the remaining icons buried in the depths of the browser should be fixed soon as well.”
Universal app for Windows 10?
While there are indeed plans to develop a universal version of Firefox that would run not only on PCs but also on tablets and smartphones powered by Windows 10, Mozilla has provided absolutely no news on this project, letting adopters of the new operating system dream about a Firefox flavor that would run on all their Windows 10 devices.
Needless to say, Firefox for Windows 10 would really be a great project and would provide stronger competition for Microsoft Edge, Redmond's new browser that's already available on the PC and will soon arrive on smartphones too.
In the meantime, the desktop version of Mozilla's browser works just fine in Windows 10, so go ahead and download Firefox for Windows, Firefox for Linux, or Firefox for Mac to see what it brings new to the table.
