Mozilla halts Firefox development for Windows Mobile, won't offer it on Windows Phone 7 without NDK
By Vlad Savov 
posted March 23rd 2010 6:29AM
posted March 23rd 2010 6:29AM
Color us resolutely unsurprised at the news that devs are starting to abandon the Windows Mobile platform in favor of, well, longer-lived opportunities. Firefox's maker, Mozilla, has come out with a statement that it's ceasing development of its WinMo builds and -- perhaps more importantly -- it's also curtailing work on a Windows Phone 7 offering until Microsoft opens its new platform up to native apps. So basically, no Native Development Kit from Microsoft equals no Firefox for Windows Phone from Mozilla. The browser maker does express hope, however, that Microsoft will make it possible to deliver the popular IE alternative in the future, pointing out that the underlying Windows CE 6 architecture suits Firefox well and the company is "well positioned to have an awesome browser on Windows Phone 7." For now, the focus in Mozilla's mobile HQ remains on bringing out a great product on the less restrictive Android and MeeGo platforms.
I'm using Firefox, because I'm a web dev and need Firebug etc, but when I'm out and about, I could care less what browser I use. Firefox without addons is just another browser to me.
@jubjub And that is why the mobile versions do/will support addons.
how's mobile firefox compared with mobile opera?
@mocax On WinMo compared to Opera Mobile 10, Fennec 1.1 alpha is terrible and it can't be used as your everyday browser. It has/had a long way to go to become a finished product.
@mocax
Firefox for Windows Mobile is Fennec an unfinished brower thats just as bad as the current Pocket Internet Explorer, RUBBISH
Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, Skyfire are your best options
Opera mobile is the best anyway.
Mozilla /stopcrying plz.
@BlackedOut Opera Mobile is the best but it also needs access to native code to work.
The limitations of the Android NDK is the reason why only Opera Mini is available as an app for Android and the Mobile version can only be installed by OEMs
mozilla should have had there mobile browser out a long time ago. Now the browsers being shipped on smartphones are far better than they used to be and opera and skyfire have been working in this space for what seems like ages. Firefox mobile, or whatever they choose to call it, is playing catch up and won't seem much penetration unless they come with something mind-blowing.
@krosref skyfire doesn't run on the phone, it runs on a remote server and displays to the phone, you're browser history/cookies/passwords live in a cloud, etc.
@tmzt i am aware of that. but the average user won't know or care.
Yawn. Like they were really into the WinMo development anyway. There were probably one or two people assigned it. I remember getting my hands on a early copy of it well over a year ago, that crashed my phone, and I was never able to run it.
If they wanted a WinMo browser, they could have had it a loooooong time ago.
@nicklar : Yeah, this looks like a way to mothball a failed project and deflect some of the blame off onto Microsoft even though they don't deserve any. Of course Engadget fell for it, as you would expect...
I was really excited at win mo 7 at first, but it's getting grimmer after each revelation. I'm now almost 100% certain I'm going to go for Android.
@technokimchi
Agreed! My HTC HD is running dutty's WinMo 6.5 rom and I love it. Ever since WinMo 7 was announced to be released by the end of this year, I was greatly anticipating it! But as soon as details started emerging, turned me off more and more.
Quite sad really.. MSFT going steps backwards with WinMo7.
Programmers create masterpieces when they are not constricted at the head. My next phone is an Andriod.
@technokimchi : Gee, can you wait a bit on final judgement before it's finally released? WP7S is kind of a work in progress you know..
I don't think anyone will be shedding any tears...Fennec was probably the worst browser ever made...Didn't they actually abandon this awhile ago? The code seems like it...
But -- the bigger issue here, the "No NDK, No Support" thing -- I have a feeling a LOT of developers are going to start jumping ship if there is not an NDK released for WP7S.
It's too bad a Gecko port doesn't work right and the attempts so far have failed, I would love to see the power of Firefox on Windows Mobile and have no intention of transitioning to Windows 7. This is the same fail as Android and any other platform without native code support, as far as a rendering engine like Gecko goes. It seems the issue in both cases is toolkit Gecko's lack of support for GL surface targets at least on embedded devices.
Mozilla = Babies
I expect Microsoft to pull an Apple and do whatever they can to keep IE as the only browser you can run on WP7. Mozilla just ain't gonna happen legitimately folks.