Back in the IE days they (Google) did push it pretty hard. There are definitely still some cases where Google could (and should) do better about keeping their services browser-agnostic, but it's way less prominent than it was before. edited for clarity
They are pushing pretty hard RIGHT NOW.
Oh After rereading this I think you thought I meant Microsoft. I was talking about Google and chrome. Microsoft's pushes for Bing and Edge in Windows are definitely over the top.
> Like, seriously? No one's that stupid. I just want to ask you something. I'm a software developer, able to build out of parts and configure a headless Linux box, unlock the bootloader on, flash and root an Android phone and use both successfully, and "Please OS vendor I want something simple, ... , please lock down my machine" is literally THE reason why I got an expensive iPhone as my last phone instead of a cheap…
>...(or better yet, Firefox Nightly) ... I think this is some of the disconnect between users on this site who don't understand why people would possibly actively choose iOS even with the lockin. Most people do not want to use a product that is constantly updating and adding features in that are going to be taken out shortly, for something as basic nowadays as web browsing. If you're on the cool new technology people…
It’s not that here. I use iOS because I don’t want anyone embedding several bloated half baked ancient hole ridden security nightmare browser engines in their apps which do everything possible to bypass system wide network restrictions so they can carry out whatever bad behaviour their business model thinks is acceptable. I want one system wide browser that respects the security configuration at OS level. I want this…
It is hard for me to disagree, because I understand that use case. The issue, however, appears to be that there is no 'version' that allows for it for users that accept the risks involved.
It is not completely unlikely the conversation with cops. In their perfect world, everyone would sit quietly at home with hands on the table. Life is more messy than that though for obvious reasons. In other words, I understand the need to have some level of control, but some balance is necessary.
Browsers are doing well. I'm more worried about the fact the browser is turning into the entire operating system these days. Even the apps use the browser engine for a lot of functionality these days. It's like a parasite, the OS is being eaten inside out. I'd be fine with this, it's a typical disruption process. Except the browser stack is full of legacy features, is bloated, and I'd hate for this to be the de-facto…
> Like, seriously? No one's that stupid. I just want to ask you something. I'm a software developer, able to build out of parts and configure a headless Linux box, unlock the bootloader on, flash and root an Android phone and use both successfully, and "Please OS vendor I want something simple, ... , please lock down my machine" is literally THE reason why I got an expensive iPhone as my last phone instead of a cheap…
If you have two otherwise-equal choices, but one has great default settings, but allows you to change things if you really really want, and the other has the same great defaults, but is locked down and doesn't allow you any choice, then if you pick the locked-down choice, I think you're frankly quite stupid. What I think is really stupid is how many people seem to think that having the ability to change things means…
> think that having the ability to change things means that they absolutely MUST go through all the settings menus and change things.
That sure does sound like a straw man argument to me. Are you sure you've really heard "pls don't make me change all the things, I don't like changing things" instead of the much more plausible "pls don't make me use a system where someone had to implement (and has to support) functionality that I personally don't need, and as a (possibly) developer myself I understand that this adds complexity to the system and places burden on BOTH the user and the developer"?
Oh After rereading this I think you thought I meant Microsoft. I was talking about Google and chrome. Microsoft's pushes for Bing and Edge in Windows are definitely over the top.
Both sides are over the top, and Google's winning.
I'll give Mozilla market share again when they give me decent software again. Until then, they can RIP in pieces as they continue to bitch while not doing anything useful. Also worth noting that Chrome flies right in the face of this essay anyway. The only OS Chrome can't nom is iOS by sheer virtue of Apple mandates that Microsoft once got burned for.
This comment reads like it was written by someone who has never used Firefox in the last 5 years.
I have, and I wouldn't even imagine using it unless it was already there as a leftover of times long gone. I don't even need to argue my point either, because everyone else already has: People will use the browser best suited for purpose. Once upon a time that browser was IE6, then it was Firefox, now it's Chrome. Firefox lost because Mozilla fails to deliver a browser the users want, it's really as simple as that.
>People will use the browser best suited for purpose
What is something that people need that Chromium based browsers can do, but Firefox can't?
i think mobile users are unaware how good firefox+ublock origin is. i constantly get bombarded by disgusting adds while browsing news portals, cooking recipes, etc. imagine reading about some great cooking ideas and midway through you see an advertisement for "revolutionary medication for foot fungus" with before and after pictures to show. and yes this happens even in "private" tabs. if anything mozilla should give…
> Still, this is a good point, would love to see Mozilla support non-GMS Android devices Well, actually, they "support" non-GMS Android devices in the sense that no Google services are required to run Firefox on Android. But you have to get the APK from unofficial sites like APKpure or APKmirror (trusting you're downloading a non-tampered file) or finding the appropriate build among all the releases in Github.
Oh maybe I should have checked before replying. I don't think this is too hard for someone who wants a direct APK https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/releases Perhaps the complaint is that they are not releasing to competing stores like Amazon? I would find it hard to believe that legit Firefox builds are not already on Fdroid
It's not the same as clicking on a direct APK download link as WhatsApp does on their website. You download and install, that's it. Here, first get into Github, browse between beta releases, OK, is this one? Now, should I get arm64 or armeabi? Definitely not a simple process, and of course not suitable at all for non technical users.