Desktop is a Firefox add-on that takes the concept a step further by offering to create a fully customized new tab page. Firefox users can add three elements to the page, they are:

• Thumbnails that point to websites or files
• Folders that can contain thumbnails and search
• A Google Search form

Thumbnails are the main elements that are added to the new tab page, either directly or in subfolders to save space. It is possible to enter a website url aided by bookmark suggestions or a file from the local computer system. Thumbnails are automatically generated and displayed on the screen.

It is then possible to move the thumbnails freely around on the screen. They will stick to the grid easily and can be resized to fit the overall design.

Folders basically add another layer to the new tab page. A double-click on a folder leads to its own grid with options to add, align and resize thumbnails there.

A double-click on a thumbnail loads the website or file in the active tab, a middle-click in a new tab.

Users can add a background image from their local PC to the new tab page if they want. Desktop is a promising add-on. It lacks a few features like the ability to browse the bookmarks directly or add a bookmark folder to the new tab page directly. It would also be nice if additional search providers would be added to the add-on.

Lastly the addition of dynamic contents like RSS feeds or news would be welcome.

Firefox users who want to try out Desktop can install the add-on directly from the official Mozilla Firefox add-on repository.

Update: The add-on has been removed from Mozilla.

A blank tab however is not useful at all. A better solution would be to open another website or service in the blank tab, something that is quick to load, is usually the right choice and does not delay the process for to long if the user wants to do something different with the tab.

A tab is usually created when the user wants to open a new url or search for something. He could do CTRL T and enter the url that he wants to visit. What if he uses a search engine most of the time that way? What if the search engine could be loaded automatically when a new tab is created?

That is the basic principle of the New Tab URL extension for Firefox. The user can select a default url that opens when a new blank tab is created. This can the his homepage, the current page, the blank (default) page or a custom url.

The custom url is probably the only option that makes sense in the options. The user could pick Google, Yahoo, a specialized search engine, his favorite message board or online shop to open whenever he creates a new tab in Firefox.