What do you think of the new address bar in Firefox 3?

I tried FF3.0 seriously just 2 days ago. I didn't really like the idea of the new awesome bar, but I saw that after using it for a bit it learns the most visited link and shows it on top.
I'm used to type "w" for wordreference, "u" for urbandictionary, "m" for maps.google, and... it works as well in FF 3.0.
Plus now you can search in history and favorites from it, so it's not bad at all.

i think it works great whoever said it doesnt is gay

The new feature is cool. Jake Adams is gay because he said "whoever said it doesnt is gay," and in doing so, said, "it doesnt", which, in turn makes him gay. BTW your people aren't gay, they are called "homosexuals"! LOL!
...OK that was lame. I need sleep.

Personally,I think as far as security goes, it is the biggest POS that they could have ever added. AT LEAST ADD AN EASY WAY TO SHUT IT OFF that even a "newbie" can do!!! - Give us ADMINS a break!!!!!!

Red Hat Dude - u said it, so now u r guyg, i mean, gyag, i mean gay.

No need to be 'negative'; users can ignore the functionality and surf in peace.

I've set up keywords to hotkey most regular sites I visit, so I get there in 1-3 keystrokes (not a long URL). Example: nyt = www.nytimes.com

I'm running FF3RC3 the past 48-hours, with multiple windows and up to 80+ tabs open. Memory management is SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than FF2.

Awesome Bar is excellent addition, fast, very useful.
History sidebar is good; but Awesome Bar is far more powerful.
All together, FF3 delivers far faster and more streamlined performance

In general, Firefox does NOT belong on Windoze!

But it does work just fine in Linux!

However, Konqueror is BETTER!!!

I'm gay, and the Awesome bar sucks more than any gay guy I know.
I tried FF3 and uninstall because of this b***s**t.

the poll is missing a key choice, "I am indifferent", which is what i am.
It's not bad. But i don't think that it is all that great eather.

For all those that hate it, look up the Add-on called "oldbar"!

even if you install that addon it still brings up ALL the website from before, just in less space
for instance if you use any website with a dynamic ending URL then your screwed over (such as youtube)
it shows all the results
they need the option to return the awesome bar to perfectly mimic the firefox 2 bar, why change it? it was great
until there is actually a way to do this i am personally going back to ff2

The awesome bar is only 'awesome' to people who never used Firefox before, and the mentally handicapped. For everyone else out there, the awesome bar is slow, gimmicky, and utterly pointless.
Give us a disable option Firefox team, or else IE is going to look mighty attractive compared to FF3.

I hate it to no end. What happened to the lite browser I love? You've made it into the next I.E. Congratulations on the attempt to move people away from your product.

/I am from the future where things are a little less flashy and useful I guess.

I do not like the new bar. After 5 minutes I was searching for a way to disable it and discovered there isn't one. I spent more time typing URLs and scrolling around completely unhelpful "suggested" sites than I care to spend.

Some of the quotes I've seen imply that Firefox's team wants to force users to use this bar, and intentionally will not add an option to disable it. They appear to feel that they know better than we do what is good for us. That's the sort of nerd-a-tude I felt from Microsoft for use when using their products.

This is a huge break in the wrong direction for Firefox. It used to be a light, simple browser. If they wanted to add this feature, Ok, but I don't buy their argument that we shouldn't be allowed to disable it. Just add a checkbox for the "old" location bar algorithm. I know perfectly well what is good for me.

I think the "AWESOME" bar is gay. Maybe it should be called the "fabulous bar".
All kidding aside, I hate it, I don't want to see a bunch of stuff drop down when I am typing a URL. I have my own bookmarks, and I click on the on I want in the bookmarks tab in the toolbar. At least the Firefox people could have made it an option. but thanks to smart people, it can be disabled. The awesomebar oes not fit my needs.

Ok... I downloaded FF3 and gave it a good go, but after 2 days I'm going back to Safari.

Sorry Mo, if I can't set the address bar to function the way it worked in FF2, and currently works in Safari and IE (that's right, I said it... IE), the improvements in other areas of the browser just don't mean that much to me.

The new look is nice and performance is definitely better, but if there's one element of the browser I have to use every time I open up a new window or tab, it's the address bar, and if it won't function the way I need it to (even if it's my fault because I'm an idiot that can't adapt), I just won't use it.

I can understand that it's an innovative approach (at least theoretically), but IMHO it goes against what are proven conventions and norms in the way humans interface with the browser.

The worst part of it is that there's no way to change the behavior to function in the more natural way that it did in FF2, and currently works in Safari and IE (that's right, I said it again... IE). You can tweak it in the about:config screen, but there's no way to make it work the way it did -- not even with the OldBar add-on.

I was really looking forward to FireFox 3... Now, the next version of Safari seems to be my only hope.

Also, I forgot to mention... The fact that "Check spelling as I type" doesn't work in text fields -- only textareas, seems like a bit of an oversight.

We can ask for the old toolbar here:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=407836

Just add a comment at the end of the page... maybe they'll listen to our request!

I am going back to IE because of FF3 "The Awsome Bar"

Here's the solution to restore FF2 location bar on FF3!
This addon will restore not only the appearance but also the functionality of the old good toolbar!!!

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7637

The Awesome Bar is just like Clippy from old versions of Microsoft Office: You know what you're trying to do, but while you're trying to do it, the Awesome Bar pops up and says, "Hey, it looks like you're trying to find a site!"

Mikej is right on the mark - it has the same level of annoyance as Clippy.

I've reverted back to FF2. I'll take a crash a couple times a month over this bizarre interpretation of the URL bar. If the devs wanted to include search abilities, it should have been integrated into the -gasp- search engine field.

Using the "oldbar" addon and various about:config hacks aren't sufficient. Whoever came up with this feature should be banned from the dev team.

A bloody disgrace and a complete showstopper for me. FF3 was in use on my machine for precisely 14 seconds flat after which I wiped it out of my PC faster than you can write T-H-E A-W-F-U-L B-A-R.

Whoever 'invented' this 'beauty' must be a very-well paid employee of M$ or the IE team - no doubt about that!

Until there is option (easily configurable and not via half-baked FF3 plugins who don't completely give me the old FF2 behaviour back - like the "oldbar" or the "Old Location Bar" to name a few) I am sticking with tried-and-tested FF2 v2.0.0.14.

I have deleted the firefox 3 and reinstalled firefox 2.
The reasons are but obvious the location bar as well as the history feature. Even while deleting the data the history still remains.

I had to reinstall ff because it was starting to crash again after it gulped all my memory, so I decided to give ff3 a try. I like the download manager, and it looks more stable, BUT I absolutely HATE the AWFUL BAR. I can NOT disable it. I'm going back to ff2 (but seriously considering M$IE) until there is an option to restore the previous functionality of the URL bar.

Is this some kinda of joke? Isn't it clear why we’re annoyed? We're not being luddite here but most of us left IE behind after years of having junk forced upon us. I'd like an address bar thanks, just an address bar, not one that will drop down a menu of everything I've visited containing a 'w' as soon as I start typing www. The SEARCH BAR is in the top right corner, the HISTORY BAR is on the left 'if you need it'. Really, if you screw up Firefox there's nowhere else for us to go.

Searching your history and bookmarks may be a good idea for low IQ's that can't tidy up after themselves but the address bar is not the place for it. Gimmicks for thickies should be add-ons and this is the most dumbed down gimmicky thing since 'Personalised Menus', although MS Office / IE must come close (again) with the new jumbo sized tool bars that you can't turn off.

WTF am I supposed to do when showing something to a client? I can't be the only person on planet earth that doesn't need my browsing history flashing up on the screen as I move from client to client.

Clearly the developers have become detached from the audience.

... what CXT said.

Hate AwfulBar and have disabled it.

Crow: (as George C. Scott in "Hardcore") Turn it off! Turn it off!

Hated Awesome Bar to no end, but it can be easily disabled through the about:config screen. Just look for "browser.urlbar.matchonlytyped" and double click on it to change the value to "true", and you'll get the search bar to work the way it did on FF2. And with the Oldbar add-on, you can make the search bar look as it did on FF2.

So you don't need to uninstall FF3 people, the "Awesome Bar" annoyance can be easily get rid of.

the original “smart” location bar in ff3 sux badly because it isn’t smart at all actually. in fact, it’s so dumb that it even includes bookmarks in the hints. that’s really really stupid. if i would want to jump to a bookmarked page, i would directly use the bookmark and not start typing sth in the location bar. hey, that’s what bookmarks are for, after all, right?

sometimes i’d wish i could slap these stoopid devs.

(note that i’m a dev myself, but an intelligent one.)

OMG the "Awesome bar" is more like a "Nightmare bar" I hate it on the very first try and cant wait to remove it. Thank to FF3 now Im going back to FF2. If they do not remove this "Awesome" feature, then I have to say hello again to M$IE (OMG I cant imagine this).

It's a pain in the ass.

I think it's pretty darned cool. Why not have all the sites and bookmarks you have visited at the touch of a button/keys?
I seriously don't get what's wrong with it, works like a charm for me, I love it!

Like most I find this totally annoying, there is a tab for bookmarks and a bar for bookmarks Why do I need them listed in the url bar?

I totally detest it. I mean, 58%? I'm one of them!

I been using firefox sine version 1 when Firefox 2 came along it was good and I could carry on with no trouble. So when I heard there was a Firefox 3 I was excited. Was I so wrong after only 2 minutes I rushed to put Firefox 2 back on. I did it but just put 3 back on because the only way to be happy with it is to sort it out. My problem was every thing showing up in the URL address bar even the words that was searched for and bookmarks to. This isn't good for a PC that have multiple users. It's not been all bad the speed is why I use firefox and it's still there and the spellcheck is better to. If it's not broken don't change it.

Tried it, hated it, went back to FF2. If this doesn't become a strictly optional feature I'll need to find another browser which would be a shame as I've been happy with FF for years.

Here's a way to take the 'awesome' out of your FF3 location bar:

1. Type > about:config < in the location bar.
2. Click > I'll be careful, I promise! <.
3. Scroll to > browser.urlbar.maxRichResults <.
4. Right click on > 12 < which is in the > Value < column.
5. Click > Modify <.
6. Delete > 12 < and type > 0 < (zero).
7. Click > OK <.

Hopefully, that will do the trick.

I HATE!!!!!! the awesome bar. There is history and bookmarks and I am sure I would find that easier. I don't like it showing the previous sites while I type.....(in a big bulky window to top it off) and that actually would be a privacy issue, if everything past shows up while you type and there's no way to stop it as you do so. What were they thinking?? I love Firefox, HATE IE . Why would you not put in a option to turn off that feature, when you are trying to get people to use your browser....... and not turn off the ones that are already using it!

Adding something to a product, whose following contains a significant number of people who chose it for privacy and security issues, was dumb. Didn't anybody think to ask users what they thought of Awfulbar BEFORE releasing FF3? I was outraged to stumble on it and realize that it had been made EASIER for my privacy to be compromised and that I had not been clearly warned of it. What were the wonderful people who produced FF thinking? Can I smoke some?

Seriously, I had HIPPA covered privacy issues that could have been compromised by non-professional users seeing that drop down list in seconds because I didn't even know it was there. As "Red" would say: "Dumbass" but Red was always pretty rude.

Come on folks. Lets remember you push the security and privacy advantages of FF. Why reverse that trend? Yes we need that particular thing to be an Opt-In on install.

I hated the ''awful bar''. I hated it. I hated it. I hated it. I hated it. I doublehated it! I could kill my mother because of it! GAWD HOW I HATED IT!!!
Now I have installed the ''Old Location Bar'' and I'm back to normal...

I HATE this fucking bar! It drives me crazy! I HATE Firefox! I HATE stupid developers who have taken this decision!

Started with Netscape, reluctantly switched to IE when Netscape went under. Found Firefox 2, thought I'd found heaven. Still do. Tried FF3, and instantly found that obnoxious address bar to be the gateway to hell. I know how to use bookmarks and history. I develop websites, and use my address bar to
fly around among multiple sites, via both URLs and local filenames. IE still works that way, and I rarely use it, preferring FF2. If you don't make it easy to switch to the EXACT behavior of the FF2 address bar, I'll reluctantly go back to IE, which I used exclusively for a long time before FF2 graced my desktop.

This horrid "feature" alone makes FF3 unusable for me. Matters not that others love it. Others love automatic transmissions, too, and need only idiot lights. I prefer a five-speed with an honest-to-God clutch and a bunch of real gauges to tell me what's going on ... BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE! And I prefer a real address bar, not a little magic helper, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO USE URLs and BOOKMARKS! This pathetic stew may be just the ticket for others, and I'm not going to disparage them or impugn their preferences.

It seems there are a awful lot of folks who love this awful feature, but many seem clearly offended because there are some of us who won't accept it as "progress." They remind me of some of the more strident vegetarians. Not satisfied to eat beans while I have a burger ... they somehow think they're superior and want to preach about it. And religious zealots, and political extremists ... all these folks seem offended by those who'd just simply make a different choice.

That's what it boils down to. Choice. I don't care what others want, and I don't care if I'm in a small minority. This technoid Taliban has got it wrong big-time on this issue! If FF can no longer give me the OPTION of having what works for me, someone else will. Someone in Redmond still does. The negatives of that product and that company look a little less odious in light of Mozilla's capricious decision to dictate that I can't "have it my way" ... even Burger King can offer THAT! But I have to pay at Burger King, and FF3 is free, so I guess I shouldn't complain, right? FF3 is free, and worth every cent of it.

I'll just keep Googling for information on future releases of FF, and when the developers come to their senses, I'll upgrade. Not before. I will definitely NOT be screwing around with the plethora of "fixes" that I find suggested in multiple articles. All seem to alter some facet of the new behavior, but there seems to be no way to absolutely restore FF2 address bar behavior. I don't have the time or patience for this. A pox on those responsible for this abomination.

It has been fixed! (Firefox 3.5)

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/products/download.html

They also fixed some other hard coded features that should _never_ have been hard coded. I think (hope) that they finally get it, that any change that effects what appears on the screen should be a configurable option.