Firefox OS smartphones due 2013 as Mozilla reveals partners

[irv]

Does anyone have any screenshots what this new Firefox OS is going to look like and what features it will have.

Check out this video. Very cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdZxb...layer_embedded
Edit: In fact watch all the videos on this page: http://play.google.com/about/?utm_so...paign=gplaunch
Edit: here is a photo on this link. http://www.geeknewscentral.com/

[cfg83]

tjeremiah -

I was hoping it would come to pcs so I can install and try from there.

You can go here :

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Gaia/Hacking

You will find this :

As of July 13th, B2G Desktop Builds are working for Linux, Windows and OS X.

An installer for windows that works out of the box is available from
https://github.com/downloads/sihorto...ia-desktop.exe

It didn't work correctly on my Windows XP 32-bit. It needs msvcp100.dll, which I think is a Visual Studio 2010 dependency. On my W7 64-bit that has Visual Studio 2010 it doesn't run perfectly, but you get a good sense of it's look and feel. I also like the test apps.

Carlos

[Primefalcon]

I was scoffing when I first heard of this... but the more I think of it.... the more I think this will be a win for openness and the closer we get to just throwing Linux on these babies

[Dragonbite]

I don't think Mozilla has to penetrate the market nearly as much as Google, Apple and Microsoft have to, in part because they don't have (greedy) share holders breathing down their neck for profit!

Each video I see of it, it looks (and responds) better and better. I am hoping that this thinks different enough to carve a (sustainable) niche out for itself.

[BrokenKingpin]

I can't see it seriously competing with Android or iOS. I like having more to an OS than just being based on a web browser, whether it be Firefox or Chrome. Aside from that, I think it's probably too late for them to push their way into the game. I think Microsoft is going to be the only one that has any chance at that at all, and I think that chance is slim.

I agree for the most part. I would much prefer a mobile OS that uses more of the technologies from Desktop Linux, like Meego or Tizen. But as you said, these OSs will have a hard time getting any market traction, even if they are technically better than the competition.

[Carl.Spackler]

I would love to have the ability to nuke android and install ubuntu or mint on my EVO LTE. It's a bit disappointing to not have something aside from android on a great piece of hardware.

Maybe just creating a phone OS that does not rely on Microsoft, Google or Apple to legislate the direction of is what is needed and leeching private data - more of a community mobile OS that is secure and privacy oriented. An OS that can be ported to a variety of existing android based hardware.

[BrokenKingpin]

I would love to have the ability to nuke android and install ubuntu or mint on my EVO LTE. It's a bit disappointing to not have something aside from android on a great piece of hardware.

I can see using the Ubuntu core (although maybe a bit heavy for a phone), but a custom DE would need to be created for that small of a screen.

I personally liked Maemo, which was based off of Debian with a GTK interface.

There is also Open WebOS, which I think has the most potential to make any penetration into the market.

[cfg83]

BrokenKingpin -

I can see using the Ubuntu core (although maybe a bit heavy for a phone), but a custom DE would need to be created for that small of a screen.

I personally liked Maemo, which was based off of Debian with a GTK interface.

There is also Open WebOS, which I think has the most potential to make any penetration into the market.

Thanks for posting this. Yet *another* OS I need to study, .

Carlos

[vexorian]

I can't see it seriously competing with Android or iOS. I like having more to an OS than just being based on a web browser, whether it be Firefox or Chrome. Aside from that, I think it's probably too late for them to push their way into the game. I think Microsoft is going to be the only one that has any chance at that at all, and I think that chance is slim.

The mobile market is currently very healthy. Although Android and iOS are dominating it, there are still many players on it. Things like Symbian and WebOS have market slices that ARE lucrative (5% of a lot is quite a good amount) and are realistic targets for Firefox OS if they do a good job.

[ugm6hr]

If this succeeds in being a suitable replacement for the Nokia Symbian not-so-smart-phones (e.g. 5500 Xpressmusic) - then they are on to a winner.

Cheap android phones abound, but none are usable below the £100 mark (prepaid UK price). If this is actually lighter than Android, it may fill that gap nicely.

Good luck to them.