Previous Google search page layout was just fine.
This new one is very cluttered and less easy to read.

I am told that if you remove the google cookies from Firefox that Google reverts to the previous layout.
Have not got that to work yet.

Already styles are appearing in Userstyles to modify the new layout...

Here is an example

Let us hope that a Style comes out that offers a complete old style search.

It would have been preferable if Google had offered the choice of having a new search layout (or not) to the user

It was just fine as it was
Logo as well.

Why mess with it ? :-)

Seems there is also an Extension now with a toggle for the Google options column

available here

Also have seen this which is an edit of the Google Search Plugin for firefox

With Firefox.

1. Close Firefox.
2. Go into directory C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins
3. Open the file google.xml with notepad. (Right click, "Open With")
Notepad isn't really the best way to edit this file, but it'll have to do.
In notepad everything will be displayed in one block.

4. Go down to the bit that reads:

<Param name="q" value="{SearchTerms}"/>


5. Highlight this bit (go to beginning, hold SHIFT, press Arrow Right until you
get to the closing ">". Don't highlight the undisplayable square box after)
6. Copy and paste it twice (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+V). You should now have 2 copies of
the same bit.
7. Alter the FIRST bit to read as follows:

<Param name="hl" value="all"/>


in other words replace the "q" with "hl" and replace the "{SearchTerms}" with "all".

Leave the second copy as it is.

6. Save the file and open Firefox again. Try a search.

In relation to the above:
OK this site doesn't require escaping < and > so where it says "<" above read < and where it says ">" read >


Found on this page

There is also Old Google for Greasemonkey (in developement)

So,its not fair to say the new UI is bad

There are many people who do not like this new Search, please Google the subject.

I think in general users like to have a choice rather than have changes imposed...

The value and joy of Firefox with Extensions and Styles and Scripts is to configure your own Profile to suit your own preferences.

One does not have to conform to a norm.

It was always this way with Firefox.

Many thanks

Someone already made it a month and a half ago:
http://userlogos.org/node/12179