StrataBuddy

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on March 17, 2010

Firefox developer SpewBoy's Strata40 theme offers a look at the style and features that Mozilla's long-awaited, often-delayed Firefox 4 Web browser will bring to a stale browser scene. SpewBoy's StrataBuddy is a companion add-on that enables some of the graphics, animation, and display effects that are designed to give Firefox 4 a new and unique look and feel. It's specifically designed to be used with Strata40, but it can also be used by itself with other themes in current versions of Firefox. However, most of its options, such as aero glass effects and the Firefox 3.7-style toolbar, are specific to the Strata40 theme and won't work with most other themes.

Mozilla's Firefox 4 promises to shake up the stagnant browser scene with new technology and features, and version 3.7 will be a step in that direction, building on the current Mozilla open-source technology but with greater integration with the rest of the computer and operating system. The new look also incorporates more color and a more efficient layout. Getting a sneak peek is as easy as installing a new Firefox theme, in this case, Strata40 and its companion software, StrataBuddy, which makes Strata40 customizable. StrataBuddy adds three custom toolbar buttons, Tools, Page, and Bookmarks.

The developer's support site offers plenty of information and help with what is admittedly a work in progress, much like Firefox 4 and all of the Mozilla community's open-source software, for that matter. It's free and works in Windows 7. Some translations may not work perfectly.