Google’s Really Trying to Kill The URL Bar

[SamAsh07]

There was talk a few months back of a compact mode in Chrome that would turn the URL bar into a contextual element. Now it's seeping into early builds of Chrome 13. Here's how it works:

Instead of showing a URL bar permanently, the user will have to double-click a tab to see a shortened version of the URL that is displayed with a hover effect, if you move the mouse pointer away from the field, the URL bar disappears. The feature has to be enabled via a flag in a recent Canary or nightly build version of Chrome 13. To activate teh hidden URL bar, users will also have to right-click a tab and select "Hide the toolbar"Besides killing the URL bar, the new feature also moves the tools menu, hides any extension and introduces new back/forward buttons.[/p]

Source

 

[_Chaz_]

Chrome is now one small step from perpetual fullscreen mode.

 

[SamAsh07]

Uh to be honest, I like this idea. Since I'm a regular user of Chrome, why not something different?

 

[Coto]

Against it. Definitively going for url bar, as I´ve been used to

 

[Sir VG]

Sorry Google, but I like the idea of going directly to a site via a URL bar, instead of using your services.

Will be sticking to Firefox.

 

[RupeeClock]

Completely against it, the URL bar should always be on view so the user can develop a sense of "location", this is ESPECIALLY important for the prevention of phishing websites that may spoof URLs.

Imagine if you were accidentally directed to a fake banking site, but couldn't see the URL immediately, it'd be a disaster!

 

[nryn99]

i'm not totally against this against this idea. i'll try it out first, but i do think the url bar should stay.

 

[Terminator02]

as long as it's stays an option i think it'd be pretty cool to try out

 

[coolness]

is use google chrome only when i want to see movies on the internet
and if firefox is fucked up

 

[DSGamer64]

I'd think a mouse over URL bar would make more sense wouldn't it?

 

[Wintrale]

It's not a bad idea, but Firefox 4 has reduced theirs to less than 90 pixels tall and that's more than slimline enough for me.

 

[Eckin]

unnecessary, just press f11 ffs.

also, the phishing argument. (not just about banks, but everything you log into)

 

[shakirmoledina]

i feel i am not using a browser if i dont see the basic status bar and address bar (also bookmarks toolbar). For this reason, one computer has firefox 4 and the other has 3.6

 

[SamAsh07]

unnecessary, just press f11 ffs.

also, the phishing argument. (not just about banks, but everything you log into)

No man, F11 is scary.

 

[Foxi4]

...because those 15 pixels of screen space REALLY MATTER when you're browsing.

...Google-Morons. If I didn't want a bar displayed, I'd turn it off. I have the option right there, in the View context menu. Oh wait. I don't, because there is no context menu. Permanent Fullscreen, lol.

Instead of making the browser intuitive and easy/quick to use, they're doing their best to slow down the user's actions.

Forget Chrome. Get Firefox.

 

[SamAsh07]

I'm used to Chrome and it's lightness, in short, I don't mind this change.

 

[Terminator02]

...because those 15 pixels of screen space REALLY MATTER when you're browsing.

...Google-Morons. If I didn't want a bar displayed, I'd turn it off. I have the option right there, in the View context menu. Oh wait. I don't, because there is no context menu. Permanent Fullscreen, lol.

Instead of making the browser intuitive and easy/quick to use, they're doing their best to slow down the user's actions.

Forget Chrome. Get Firefox.

the pixels you gain really do make a difference, it's why i always have my dock on the left

and it's an optional thing to opt-in to, and once it becomes default you'll probably be able to opt-out of it

and how exactly does this slow down the user? the only time i ever really use the address bar is when i open a new tab

 

[Foxi4]

...because those 15 pixels of screen space REALLY MATTER when you're browsing.

...Google-Morons. If I didn't want a bar displayed, I'd turn it off. I have the option right there, in the View context menu. Oh wait. I don't, because there is no context menu. Permanent Fullscreen, lol.

Instead of making the browser intuitive and easy/quick to use, they're doing their best to slow down the user's actions.

Forget Chrome. Get Firefox.

the pixels you gain really do make a difference, it's why i always have my dock on the left

and it's an optional thing to opt-in to, and once it becomes default you'll probably be able to opt-out of it

and how exactly does this slow down the user? the only time i ever really use the address bar is when i open a new tab

I didn't mean just the adress bar, I meant "bars" in general. I personally feel uncomfortable when I don't have a standard context menu with options like File through Tools. Whenever I want to "change" something in the way my browser looks or behaves, whenever I want to find something within the web page, whenever I want to look up the source, I'm always a click away. I don't need a mile-long set of keyboard shortcuts to memorize, I don't have a large right-click menu - I have everything I need and use on the plate and I can customize this view however I want.

 

[wchill]

Completely against it, the URL bar should always be on view so the user can develop a sense of "location", this is ESPECIALLY important for the prevention of phishing websites that may spoof URLs.

Imagine if you were accidentally directed to a fake banking site, but couldn't see the URL immediately, it'd be a disaster!

I think it would be fine IF the URL was displayed for a short period of time after the page loaded before disappearing.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Ew. What a horrible idea....