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No Firefox For iOS, Says Mozilla's Product Head

Posted by timothy on from the once-bitten dept.

hypnosec writes "Jay Sullivan, Mozilla's VP of Product, has revealed that the non-for-profit organization is not going to build an iOS version of its Firefox web browser as long as Apple doesn't mend its unfriendly ways towards third party browsers. Speaking at SXSW in a mobile browser wars panel Sullivan said that Mozilla is neither building nor planning to build a Firefox version for Apple's iOS. Mozilla pulled Firefox Home from the App Store back in September 2012 following Apple's not so accommodating attitude."

9 of 318 comments (clear)

  1. Dear EU by lesincompetent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's not just microsoft that engages in anti-competitive behaviour.

    1. Re:Dear EU by tehniobium · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If the EU force Apple to have a browser ballot on iOS, I do believe Steve Jobs will be turning ever so violently in his grave :D

      On a more serious note: couldn't the fact that Apple forces all apps to be purchased through their own app store just as well be seen as anti-competitive?

      --
      No kitty, this is my pot pie!
    2. Re:Dear EU by Globe199 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      My understanding is that all browsers on iOS are required to use WebKit. Mozilla uses Gecko. Being open source isn't the issue.

    3. Re:Dear EU by Kjella · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As far as I understood it, the very unfortunate VLC situation came about when a purist developer of VLC demanded that Apple would release VLC without DRM on IOS. But all apps on IOS use DRM, it is quite naive to assume that they would make an exception.

      So what? He wrote the code, he released it for use under certain terms and conditions and those conditions were being violated. He wanted Apple to stop and Apple stopped, was he unhappy with that outcome? Did he expect something else? Of course it was annoying for everybody else but if people could just ignore the license when it was incompatible or inconvenient the GPL would have died out long ago.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re:Dear EU by interval1066 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      . As far as I understood it, the very unfortunate VLC situation came about when a purist developer of VLC demanded that Apple would release VLC without DRM...

      That one prefers to respect users & developers alike makes him a "purist"? I'm feeling better about my 20 year descision to avoid Apple products more and more.

      --
      Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
  2. OK then... by sootman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... will they allow other browsers on their new mobile OS?

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  3. Re:Open Source please by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple IS competition. There are two very strong platforms for smartphones right now, and they both improve almost daily because of intense competition.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  4. Mozilla has been in decline due to poor dev by jnull · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I switched to Firefox so many years ago for innovative features, but both Chrome and Safari have beat them out in performance and integrated capabilities. How many BS Firefox updates were there last year with nothing significant delivered. Once big fan and now I don't care what system they are on. Perhaps they should pull back and focus where they may be able to be good again. (my .02)

  5. Re:Cydia please. by Belial6 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For poor friends ( which gets to be less as we get older ) I buy durable presents, but for any family or friends that have enough money to buy their own stuff, I always try my best to buy consumables. That way if it is something they like, they will enjoy it, but if it is something they don't like, they have an easy excuse for it being gone a week later.