back to article Mozilla finds a way to tunnel Firefox into iOS

The Mozilla Foundation reckons it has found a way to sneak its Firefox browser into Apple's walled garden. In a brief post the outfit acknowledges “we can’t bring the full Firefox experience and rendering engine to iOS due to the restrictions”. “The restrictions” probably means Apple's insistence that only browsers using the …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This "hole" has always been known

    Mozilla has just decided to waste resources making an iOS version no one wants. Unless there's some particular value proposition over Safari, I don't see why anyone should switch. They certainly haven't on Android.

    1. Richard Lloyd

      Re: This "hole" has always been known

      The problem Firefox has had on mobile is that from day one (unlike the desktop, where it was fighting awful versions of the IE incumbent for years), the shipped browser on Android (initially just the Browser, then later on switched to Chrome) was "good enough". The same will apply to iOS - the vast majority will stick with Safari.

      I do think Apple's policy about forcing the use of WebKit on iOS is horrendous - it stifles innovation and leaves all iOS browsers open to the same bugs (including security issues). Firefox can offer extensions though (a major plus on Android over Chrome and why it still remains the best Android browser), but I doubt that's enough to sway iOS users...it didn't get Android users to switch after all. Being the pre-installed browser on a platform immediately gives you massive market share and you only lose it if the browser is poor and that hasn't happened for a decade or so.

    2. joed

      Re: This "hole" has always been known

      "Unless there's some particular value proposition over Safari, I don't see why anyone should switch. They certainly haven't on Android." - Well, keeping some of your data/browsing habits private (at least from Google) may be considered a value. It was even more the case before they switched firefox sync mechanism to the new, less secure method. Besides this their browser works fine (for the little use I get of my Android tablet).

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Avoiding Google's tracking

        OK, that's a reason to use it on Android, though other browsers like Opera would work equally for that too. That doesn't apply to iOS though.

        The point about WebKit being a monoculture on iOS is a concern, but Apple can roll out security updates very quickly if there's ever a truly serious issue arising from that. Unless hackers take over a major web site a serious attack is impractical as it requires social engineering to get people to visit your evil site.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: This "hole" has always been known

      "Mozilla has just decided to waste resources making an iOS version no one wants."

      Brilliant. I was thinking the same as I read the article. As a user of Firefox on both Win and Android it is heartening to hear that Mozilla is throwing resources on an attempt to gain a foothold in a market with no income dividends, rather than work on fixing the problems in their existing products.

      Good show, Mozilla, good show!

    4. bomyne

      Re: This "hole" has always been known

      I've been using opera on iOS for quite a while. When Firefox comes out, i might use it instead.

  2. RAMChYLD

    Uh...

    "it's hard to see how an iOS version of Android is going to turn things around. ®"

    So, how are you going to get Android onto iOS?

    1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

      Re: Uh...

      6 Down: Robot in a walled garden.

      iAndroidOS

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    An iOS version of Android? Shouldn't that be "it's hard to see how an iOS version of *Firefox* is going to turn things around"?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The "Experience"

    ... or how you can spot a "non-profit" with enough resources to waste that it can hire PR drones.

    While I personally use Firefox on Android, I'd rather not. Firefox's only grace these days, and the reason I haven't switched away from it so far, is that it has a decent permanent private browsing mode. Although it does not appear they have a proper test plan for it given all the highly visible bugs with it, but hey.

    Anyway, for me, the "Firefox Experience" means spending three hours trying to set things right after an upgrade. Like, wtf's this new icon here (hello "Hello"), where the fuck has this option gone, etc., etc.

    OTOH, one must admit that, if one knows his way around the thing, it is possible to revert much of the breakage caused in every new version by going into about:config and tweaking things.

  5. nilfs2

    Options is not what iTards are after

    The whole concept of Apple devices is contrary to the open concept of FOSS software like Firefox, if one wants freedom and interoperability, an Apple device is the last thing you should look at, the whole concept of Apple is being closed, and pay for everything you want.

    1. bomyne

      Re: Options is not what iTards are after

      No one really gives a stuff about "freedom" (there is no such thing by the way). I choose Firefox because i prefer it over its competitors. I would still use Firefox if it cost me money and was closed source.

    2. obadiahrobert

      Re: Options is not what iTards are after

      "...the whole concept of Apple is being closed, and pay for everything you want..."

      Except for the fact that the last two iterations of OS X have been free, as OS X El Capitan 10.11 will be.

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