Tab tearing live in latest Firefox test build

Good news for Firefox users who have lusted over Chrome and Safari's option that lets you "tear" away tabs from an open window. The latest build of 3.1 offers it as a standard feature--and it works marvelously.

As in Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari browsers you simply pull away a tab from the interface and it turns into its own window. Likewise you can drag it back into an already opened window, just like you'd do to re-order your existing tabs.

While not a ground-breaking feature, tab tearing is a large step forward in changing the way we interact with our browsers. It's a cross between the idea of having multiple tabs and multiple windows, but does not relegate the user to being pigeonholed in either one permanently.

If you're feeling brave you can download the latest development build of 3.1 here. As mentioned before, this also comes with some nice JavaScript speed improvements and a new look for Windows Vista users.

Below is a quick demo of how the new tear-away feature works, both with dragging tabs and choosing to open them via contextual menu.

(via MozillaLinks)

[chrisfrary]

I will probably never use this as it has become standard for me to open everything in tabs.

[Michichael]

Ooooh....

[JoyceNgo-218335993631273378369]

This is extremely weird because first everyone hated not having tabs and using multiple windows and now people want to tear tabs out to make a new window?

[dragonbite]

I can't wait. There are plenty of times I"m surfing and opening things in tabs that I would like to take one or more that I am interested in, and close out the rest in one shot.

With this I'll be able to bounce around the place and pull off the ones that I like and then close the whole Firefox window to get right of all of those tabs and keep what I want!

Or move tab from one window to another so I can have a browser session grouped by subject!

Can't wait!

[reynost]

I can move tabs in FF 3.0.4 from FF window to FF window. From FF to IE, and from FF to desktop as a shortcut. So what's different in the new version? I couldn't tell from the video.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

This lets you move a tab outside of the window into its own window and visa versa :)

[iertry]

You sure your dragging the tab and not the URL?

[carlg113]

I love how this new round of browser wars is forcing all these programs to step up their game. Keep on pushing the envelope firefox, safari, chrome and ie! The consumers thank you.

[Le_Croix]

i can't see any use for this feature. but i tried it with my Opera and it worked...why is it,that Opera is omitted from all browser tests, while it is simply the best one on the 'market'?

why does it matter, their is no need to have extra windows open when you can have it all in one window