Strata40

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on March 17, 2010

Mozilla claims its long-delayed Firefox 4 Web browser will invigorate a browser market still dominated by technology that's 10 years old or even older. Strata40 is a Firefox add-on by SpewBoy that promises to deliver a user interface that is the closest possible match to the Firefox 4 mock-ups in both appearance and functionality. It's different from the usual Firefox theme in that it requires additional software to achieve its goal of approximating Firefox 4's new browsing environment.

The object of Strata40 is to give Firefox users a taste of things to come, and it's an attractive glimpse. The new interface adds color and simplifies the page layout. To use Strata40 to its best advantage, you must also download and install additional add-ons, including StrataBuddy, App Tabs, and Fission. Omnibar and Download Statusbar are also recommended as add-ons that work well with Strata40. Some of these add-ons are beta versions, though such software tends to be a work in progress that undergoes constant updating and revision. Strata40 is just such a work in progress in itself, obviously, but if you want to try out the new look and feel that Firefox 4 will bring to the stagnant Web browser field, it's worth a shot.

Like all software from Mozilla and its open-source community, Strata40 is free and under constant development. It works in all versions of Windows, including Windows 7. SpewBoy doesn't maintain a regular product page, but further information and help is available at the developer's deviantart.com Web site.