Now, in the days where every company is copying each other, “stealing ideas” and following in the footsteps of their peers, I know it’s unfair to call Firefox a follower, but in reality, that’s what they are doing as they use a capital idea that their cousins Chrome and Safari 4 already have in use.

When opening a new-tab, normally there is a large screen full of… nothing? While browser’s like Chrome and Safari, have utilised this space by providing a page full of most used sites for quick, easy access, Firefox has done nothing. Until now.

Firefox has been toying with this idea for a couple of months now, and after much feedback, Aza Raskin, has posted an article describing features and teaching users that have the current build of Firefox 3.1, how to add this feature by means of an extension.

It has an interesting layout as well. Much like the Window’s Vista Gadget bar, there is a quick-access column along the right hand side, with sites that the user frequently uses. In the top left hand side, there is an option to re-open a tab, and a search box as well. What’s interesting about the search box, is that it carries over say a URL that you had already copied with the intent to search for it in the new tab, providing a “one-click action”.

On a personal level, I think there is much wasted space in the middle, and prefer the look of say, Safari 4’s in which they use the whole screen for a large, display. I can also accept where Firefox is coming from however, in saying that they are keeping it to the side as an option for the user, not something they have to do. If they have the intent on going to a certain page, do it, but then the bar is always there if you need it.