Daily Bits

Mozilla Firefox

Fennec Alpha Mobile: Firefox for Android

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Considering just how dependent we are on the Internet, it is not a surprise that browser developers are in a perpetual race to deliver the “best” browser to consumers. With mobile phones being used by more and more people to get on the Internet, mobile Internet browsers, naturally, are in demand. While going online via your phone is quite convenient, sometimes, the features of mobile browsers are simply incomparable to the experience offered by browsers for computers.

Here’s a bit of good news for those of you who are yearning for a better browsing experience on their Android phones – Mozilla has just released the alpha version of mobile browser. Dubbed Fennec Alpha, the mobile browser can be used on Nokia N9000 mobile phones as well. The exciting thing about Fennec is that it is based on the same technology that is used for the Firefox we all know and love.

By the way, this mobile browser is not the first version. In April, Fennec prealpha was released. Early reviewers had a lot to say about that version – many of them negative. The Fennec Alpha, however, is set to offer enhanced performance and is supposed to be more responsive to user needs. More specifically, the newer version includes Firefox Sync capabilities, making browsing more convenient for users. Android users will also be happy to know that the Fennec Alpha supports browser add-ons – one of the main reasons that Firefox is such a joy to use.

You may download the mobile browser from Mozilla’s web site, but if I were you, do not expect too much. The software is intended for testing purposes and not for regular use.

Bit of trivia: Fennec comes from the Arabic word for fox. 😉

Firefox: IBM’s Browser of Choice – Should You Follow?

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Earlier this month, IBM made an announcement that Firefox is now the default browser of the company. The announcement came straight from the horse’s mouth – Bob Sutor, the vice president of open source and Linux at IBM’s Software Group. In his blog, he said:

We’re officially adding a new piece of software to the list of default common applications we expect employees to use, and that’s the Mozilla Firefox browser.

Firefox has been around for years, of course. Today we already have thousands of employees using it on Linux, Mac, and Windows laptops and desktops, but we’re going to be adding thousands more users to the rolls.

This development definitely gives Firefox points in the browser wars. Here’s the thing – if such a group as IBM has publicly announced its browser preference, should we follow suit?

I don’t know what browser you’re using, but I have been switching between Firefox and Chrome in the past year. Before that, Firefox was my main choice. I have been having to pull up Chrome because of speed issues (I know Firefox is supposed to be fast but for some reason I have problems with this), but Internet Explorer has been out of the picture for the longest time.

Why should you even consider following IBM’s example? Sutor gives his reasons for his browser of choice:

• Firefox is stunningly standards compliant, and interoperability via open standards is key to IBM’s strategy.
• Firefox is open source and its development schedule is managed by a development community not beholden to one commercial entity.
• Firefox is secure and an international community of experts continues to develop and maintain it.
• Firefox is extensible and can be customized for particular applications and organizations, like IBM.
• Firefox is innovative and has forced the hand of browsers that came before and after it to add and improve speed and function.

Is that enough for you?