I have always believed that something like Firefox already existed ten years ago and now that I'm a full-time Firefox user, I'm totally convinced that this browser was developed taking Web Surface, an Internet Explorer Shell, as a model to follow. Read about its features in 1999, although the site says it the first version was made available one year before, this is ten years ago when not even Google "invented" the pop-up blocker that this shell had already: http://web.archive.org/web/19990508205036/www.toolpool.com/surface/default.htm these are further details, http://web.archive.org/web/19991002221327/www.toolpool.com/surface/details.htm The shell was not only tabbed and able to be skinned, but also had a in-depth link viewer (now seems to be called "inspector" or something like that) plus other features already incorporated without needing addons. Some screenshots to let you determine if this is really Firefox's father as I suspect... and I say the way it looks because you can download it still from some places and, as far as I know, it still runs with Windows 2000 and XP And this is the full archive history of Web Surface, http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://TOOLPOOL.COM including the author's bitterness recommending go away and get Firefox instead of his browser, look http://web.archive.org/web/20070814154319/http://www.toolpool.com/ LAST MINUTE: I found a screenshot of the early version that I tried (Web Surface 3.0.1, realesed on 2000) this is one year after the above screenshots
Well, this thread is not for discussing if this software has a pretty face but its functionality and the "coincidence" that Firefox is using some features previously seen with this tools ten years ago, because I have read opinions that Mozilla stole this principle to develop Firefox. If we are going to talk of nice looking stuff, we can talk about Vista that looks great and has one of the worst performances if compared with previous Windows versions.
these are all things that have become standard with web browsers to make the experience simpler/more enjoyable. I wouldn't say that Mozilla stole it
Ah, thanks a ton for the input vodkkaa. I'm not very knowledgeable about browser technologies but wanting to learn more, that is why I consider to ask about the similar features and the comments I have read on