Mozilla Attacks Microsoft Browser Strategy on ARM

[Guest]

Uh oh. Déjà vu. Microsoft locks out competing browsers from Windows RT.

Mozilla Attacks Microsoft Browser Strategy on ARM : Read more

 

[mayne92]

I never planned to upgrade to Windows 8 full time anyways. Wouldn't surprise me M$ do this anyways but hey, whatever. If I didn't have to I wouldn't be working in Windoze anyways.

 

[stephenkendrick]

Anyone who actually buys into Windows 8 is unlikely to have an awareness of alternative browsers, let alone a will or even the ability to download and install one, whether on ARM or Intel. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, Mozilla...

 

[Zingam_Duo]

Hahaha Microsoft fanboys!

 

[damianrobertjones]

So... what browsers can you use on the iPad?

 

[damianrobertjones]

"Mozilla's only opportunity to offer Firefox is as a Metro app in a sandbox and cannot access Win32 APIs."

Well... all i can say is, "It's about bloody time that something like this happened!" I'm sick to death of companies making software that doesn't follow the rules or leaves behind services after you un-install (I'm looking at YOU Chrome!).

Either way Firefox will still probably be available in a safe format and I've zero issue with this.


However... stuff like this makes for great articles that create spin

 

[Hatecrime69]

[citation][nom]stephenkendrick[/nom]Anyone who actually buys into Windows 8 is unlikely to have an awareness of alternative browsers, let alone a will or even the ability to download and install one, whether on ARM or Intel. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, Mozilla...[/citation]
it's not the point that the user is too dumb not to use ie, it's the fact there will be no choice at all, they have a very good reason to be worried

 

[damianrobertjones]

They will have choice.... Firefox will be available like ANY OTHER app via the metro interface. They must play by the rules and Windows RT is NOT WIndows 8... what does Mozilla expect?

 

[AMD X6850]

Tom's seems to have left out that Google is also "attacking" Microsoft's browser strategy.

"Extent of ban is unclear, but Google and Mozilla are outraged, say Microsoft is promoting a monopoly"
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=24661

 

[Miharu]

I don't agree on the point "user having choice".
It's merly based on the point that you have an OS "allow competition" or "it's closed system".

Apple introduced an "closed system" and didn't be beat to the death by lawsuit.
He also block application doing the same thing that his OS do.
Basicly any applications can be block because Apple decide to add a similar feature to his OS new version.
(It's why I hate so much Apple, that doesn't make sense to me.)

So did Microsoft can make a step behind and "closed a little bit more his OS" ? Surely.
DOJ can't do nothing in that, DOJ have to completely destroy the Apple model before doing something with this.

It's just bad that Mozilla get cut because Apple closed system and succes.

 

[Guest]

I just run Linux. In a world without boundaries, who needs windows and gates.... Or walled i-Gardens :-D

 

[Avro Arrow]

Quite frankly, I think this is a bad situation. I don't think that this specific instance is all that big of a deal but I think that it's the beginning of a very slippery slope. If MS is allowed to do this, they'll undoubtedly use it as a pretext to cripple non-MS software even more. Remember that Europe didn't even allow Microsoft to include Internet Explorer with Windows. Personally, I think that Internet Exploder is a piece of software trash that is completely outclassed by Firefox. I agree that I don't like Chrome because it just isn't as versatile as Firefox and I like the idea that Firefox is open-source. Firefox has been my browser of choice since I first tried it 5 years ago. I tried Chrome but didn't like it as much. Microsoft blocking Firefox from anything would really impact my use of the internet as well as all other people who prefer Firefox.

 

[cknobman]

Dont b!tch about Apple just Microsoft.

I stopped using Firefox anyways as its over-hyped by the vocal minority on tech sites. In fact Firefox for Android (while I tried to use it) was a disaster and worked like sh!t.

 

[Guest]

"On x86, Microsoft has given browser vendors the same privileges and APIs that IE uses. They have not done this on ARM."

Is it just me, or this an example of why Microsoft won't really be able to gain traction in the tablet market? When they first announced the versions, I looked at a comparison sheet between all of them and noticed one major thing, the ARM (tablet) version of Windows won't support the x86 (PC) version and vice versa. This makes sense. For example, nobody expects software written for an iPad to work on a Mac or a PC.

The difference here though, is that Microsoft is advertising it as a full blown OS will all the capabilities you'd expect from the PC version. But if they don't allow access to the same APIs, users might get really frustrated and won't understand why an app that works on their PC won't work on their tablet which is supposed to be the same.

Perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe Intel will release chips that gain traction in the tablet world, making this a non-issue. I'm guessing though, that once again, Microsoft is failing in their training/marketing department, regardless of how good or bad Windows 8 really is.

 

[eddieroolz]

Sounds like Mozilla is beginning to feel some pressure. Firefox is losing usage share. It's becoming bloated and heavy. I wouldn't want it slowing down Windows RT.

 

[Marco925]

[citation][nom]damianrobertjones[/nom]So... what browsers can you use on the iPad?[/citation]
Though Android allows it.

 

[bourgeoisdude]

[citation][nom]Marco925[/nom]Though Android allows it.[/citation]

Not on their Chromebooks.

 

[classzero]

[citation][nom]damianrobertjones[/nom]So... what browsers can you use on the iPad?[/citation]

I use opera, but nice try!

 

[classzero]

[citation][nom]Miharu[/nom]Apple introduced an "closed system" and didn't be beat to the death by lawsuit.[/citation]
Funny I use opera browser, your claim is not valid! I can also use firefox, chrome, opera, on OS X. Again your . . . um . . . false, wrong, not informed, wishful thinking.

 

[classzero]

[citation][nom]Marco925[/nom]Though Android allows it.[/citation]
So doed the iPad, great trolling though!

 

[classzero]

[citation][nom]classzero[/nom]So does the iPad, great trolling though![/citation]

sorry

 

[Guest]

Uh, pascyyy, have you ever heard of Medfield? They will have single and dual core medfield chips for the tablet market so you needn't worry about using ARM cripple ware. I'm not even sure people will want tablets as much as people think. They just aren't that usable.

 

[pooflinger1]

[citation][nom]classzero[/nom]Funny I use opera browser, your claim is not valid! I can also use firefox, chrome, opera, on OS X. Again your . . . um . . . false, wrong, not informed, wishful thinking.[/citation]

You can't compare using browsers on OSX (A full desktop OS) to those running on IOS, Android, or RT. I'm pretty sure that apps running on IOS have the same limitations. Android is the same way too. The only way for a program to gain full access to the API's and system files is to root the device.

 

[Guest]

I think most people don't understand what this means. Essentially Microsoft has enabled parental controls for everything but it's own software. It's like using a computer but your only allowed to access a small subset of what it can do, think solitaire, kiddie educational software, and the like. Sure you can use the computer but it won't be useful. Same thing MS is doing to 3rd party software vendors.

Microsoft has probably realized that they are no longer the dominant software maker in the world. They don't have control over the market anymore so they are making a last desperate attempt to recapture lost glory.

 

[zippyzion]

[citation][nom]cknobman[/nom]Dont b!tch about Apple just Microsoft.[/citation]
Why? It would be discrimination if we didn't hate both equally. Discrimination is wrong. (Just for the lulz)