Firefox OS coming in 2013

[DKT27]

Firefox has come out of left field to launch an open sourced mobile OS. The new OS enters a very tough marketplace and will need to find a way to carve out its own niche if it hopes to survive.

Mozilla, the creators of Firefox, are about to enter a crowded marketplace with a new mobile OS. The OS is based on Linux and Gecko and contains everything you would expect from a modern day platform.

Mozilla claims that the OS will be lighter and faster than what is on the market today and that it will be more open than Android. You can take a look at the screen shots below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Mozilla is entering a tough market with Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Blackberry and others who are currently fighting for their share of the pie. Seeing as Microsoft, Google and Apple all pour billions of dollars in to their mobile OS, Mozilla will have to find a creative way to attract developers and users to their platform.

Firefox OS is set to hit the market in 2013 in Latin America and could spread beyond that to Europe in the near future.

Seeing as this is a new OS in a very crowded marketplace, we hope the best for Mozilla but knowing that the juggernauts in the industry are also fighting fiercely for market share, Mozilla has its work cut out. You can find more images here.

View: Original Article

[sanjoa]

Cute and nice. Hope this is good as Android is.

[DKT27]

Looks good IMO. Some people are saying that few things are copied from iOS, but I feel it's just fanboys ranting (I haven't check it myself).

Odd though. I felt that it was a Android backend, but I guess that's contarary to what the OS is all about.

So yea, it's an OS based on Linux & Firefox's Gecko engine (that's right, the great Firefox engine) that aims to run html5 apps while using javascript too.

[tipo]

@DKT27: isn`t this the original article link?

http://www.neowin.net/news/firefox-mobile-os-breaks-cover-coming-in-2013

:P

[DKT27]

:lol:

Thanks for the correct link. :)

Fixed.

[ck_kent]

Looks good. :)

On one of the screenshots I see the game "Cut the Rope," did the developers port it to work with Firefox OS or Android apps will work on it?

[calguyhunk]

Blackberry tried compatibility with Android apps and failed spectacularly. For the FF OS to work, it really, really needs to be compatible with Android apps :(

Otherwise with M$ struggling so bad even with their money and marketing muscle (over 50 Billion Dollars in cash reserves), poor Mozilla will have not a chance in hell, unfortunately. In fact their very survival will be under threat 'cuz Google, their main sponsor, is not gonna take this lying down. First FF vs. Chrome and now this? :o

FF phones, without Android compatibility, will prolly need to sell at $99 and lower (without contract :o) to gain a semblence of acceptance (if at all) and that's just not practical IMO :dunno:

I've read that the Telefonica head honcho keeps saying ad nauseum that this is better than Android, but even if we take him at face value, the thing is, if 'better' OS's got market share, Windows wouldn't be where it is today.

Let's just hope that Mozilla can leverage their goodwill amongst the developer community who know that they'll get their deserved share of the pie with Mozilla if and when the FF OS gets off the ground - unlike iOS, WP and even Android to a certain extent. Even the Telecom companies are pissed at Apple, Google and MS for not getting their cut. So even they might just back these, which becomes important in the US market where bundled handsets rule the roost unlike the rest of the world :)

I'm not a coder, but I'm thiniking since most apps are written in HTML5 anyways and then ported to iOS/Android, wouldn't it be an easier platform to develop for? :dunno:

EDIT: Just the one thing though - those silly circular icons gotta go. :nono: Whatever happened to clean straight lines? :o

EDIT 2: God, I'm praying so hard for this to succeed :beg:

The last time I prayed this hard was when I wanted to get in the pants of that cute girl in my class. Didn't work that time :P I'm hoping that 2 time's the charm :dance:

[DKT27]

From what I can see, Mozilla has already got support from the manufacturers.

Good point, Mozilla's biggest revenue comes from Google. Hell, they don't even take part in stock market, which is a good thing because unlike Google, they don't need to answer their share takers. They can do what the f they want and no one will stop them. Revenue will come from Google as long as they bring users to their product. But when Google pulls their deal, they would be in great trouble. What's good is, M$ is hungry for Bing market share, which can be Mozilla's saviour.

I'm really loving it's looks to say the very least. From these pics, it beats my HTC ICS in all the things (looks wise).

I don't think apps are written in html5 in default.

:lol:

EDIT: Forgot, one can try this OS him/herself. Very hard for non-experienced in this field, but see this.

[calguyhunk]

I don't think apps are written in html5 in default.

"Firefox OS will get overwhelming support because most apps are already written in HTML5"

"We also believe that developers will overwhelmingly support our approach, because 75 percent of applications are already designed in HTML5, with an overlay to fit smartphones from Apple or Google."

-Tristan Nitot

Mozilla Europe president

techweekeurope.co.uk - check the very first line (introduction) and scroll down a little further as well.

\ As I've already said, I'm not a code jock. So I've no real idea, but this is what I read :o

[DKT27]

That's news to me. So yea, thanks for the info. :D

Indeed, that's good news. Will be easy to port.

Not a dev either. The only thing I've done is write "Hello World" in autoit and make this message. :P

[calguyhunk]

Not a dev either. The only thing I've done is write "Hello World" in autoit and make this message. :P

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Actually, I remember as a kid in the mid to late nineties when we started learning Computer Sc., the language of choice was GW-Basic :hehe:

I had programmed a Paddleball game with a lot of cute graphics (for that language and that era ;)) on PC's running on DOS with B&W monitors :P

I had done another non-graphics thing as well that I just can't remember what :P I still have those 5¹/₂" floppies that I have those programs on, but I can't seem to find 'em. :(

I've kept my ancient computer 'cuz those damn old floppies won't even run on 21st century hardware :nono:

one can try this OS him/herself.

Do you know if that would work on VMware player on Win7 x64? :dunno:

[DKT27]

Thanks. :)

Now that the point is raised, I was taught Q Basic in school. Drawing geometrical shapes and all with codes. I was very very good with it. That was the time I had no computer myself, then my bad days came, thanks to health problems I couldn't go to school 75% of times. I finally took notes (codes) from a fellow society mate and made it to exams. That jerk had written wrong codes. :pissed: Well, he did help me a lot, so I'll always be thankful, but cmon, I was given 3 different tries but it was all wrong. :( :( :(

Good to know. :)

I thought you can still use floppies in modern day computers? As for Dos programs, you've ever tried DosBox? :D

No idea. :nono:

[calguyhunk]

I thought you can still use floppies in modern day computers? As for Dos programs, you've ever tried DosBox? :D

Yeah, running DOS isn't the problem, but the hardware is :(

The floppies that do work with more than 256 MB RAM, multi-core processors etc. (modern hardware) are 3¹/₂ " ones. The 5¹/₂ " ones apparently don't. They are relics of the 70's and 80's. Our cheapo school (a private English Medium one at that :angry: ) thought it best to stick with ancient hardware and ancient (cheaper) floppies rather than the smaller, modern (if slightly more expensive) ones. :rant: