> Remove status bar
Missed still! On large screens I prefer a permanent status bar with useful info persisting, than a URL flashing over the page. Chrome did it first, then Firefox copied like a mirror. The status bar was oddly banished to UI hell, not even a config switch lifeline. Replaced with google's flickering lower left overlay.
1. Early (v1 ~ v3)
v1~v3 are classic UI that we remember when we were in the early 2000s.
Features
- Clear as the icons do only one thing
- Unique color for each icon
Limits
- Not fused with OS UI
- UI height
- Contrary to the modern interface philosophy as there is no abstraction
- Inconsistent icon size and texture
2. Classic (v4, 2016.10)
Thus, v4.0 was released after a large-scale UI reconstruction project was launched!!
It is the longest-lived UI and loved by many people.
Commonly called a Classic theme.
Features
- Orange app button at the top left like the symbol
- Calmer tone
- Win7 Aero Glass support
- Stop / Reload / Go with one button
- Tab moved to the top
Limits
- Unfamiliar interface with large-scale changes
3. Australis (v29, 2014.04)
Australis, which had a lot of likes and dislikes compared to Proton UI.
It was a change that put a lot of effort into simplicity.
Features
- Curved Tab
- Drag & Drop customizing UI
- Change settings UI pop-up to contents(tab) format
- Animation
Limits
- Panel UI that looks like a tablet
- Remove status bar
4. Photon (v57, 2017)
Photon was a generally well-received update to the UI that was used until June of this year(2021), when Proton appeared.
Features
- Components: List based panel and page actions, library menu
- Animation: Add animation to actions of buttons, tabs, panels, etc.
- Visual redesign: tabs, icons, density, etc.
- Performance: improved initialization, synchronization reflow, etc.
Limits
- It looks a bit complicated
- Only light weight themes are allowed.
5. Proton (v89, 2021.06)
This is the moment I started working on themes.
Features
- Neatly organized menu
- Icon that are pretty enough to remind of the edge
- Some of animations that I like & skeleton screens
- Stylish color scheme
- Moderate rounding
- Meticulous implementation
Limits
- Excessively wide padding
- Remove icons from menu
- Feels like a button rather than a tab with a connected look
- Confusion of tab indicators
- Remove page action menu in address bar
- Delete bookmarks / library animations and illustrations
- The icon size of the new tab contents
- Changed the search bar of the new tab to be performed on the URL bar.