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Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#31

Post by pepr »

tsurantino wrote: post #23
fmstephe wrote: post #2

I very strongly want this to work. I am very excited about the prospect of a phone/tablet OS that I hack up apps for in Javascript. But even more than that I pray for a true competitor to iOSX/Android. They just need to get this thing moving. I am planning to buy a tablet this Christmas and I want FFOS to be a very good choice by then. Come on Mozilla.

This might be a black sheep type of question in a thread like this but here goes. Microsoft pursued a strategy that enabled people to make web apps in HTML5/Javascript as first class apps in Windows 8. Why is it not being adopted/praised as much as Firefox OS is? Is it because it's Microsoft? Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be? A lot of people denounce Windo…

> Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be?

Yes, basically. At least for me. It comes down to trust. I trust Mozilla that they want to do good for the community. I trust Microsoft first and foremost wants to make money for their shareholders and only after that for the community. This is fine, they're a for-profit company. It's just that doing good for your shareholders doesn't always lead to doing good to the community.

Not to mention Microsoft doesn't exactly have the greatest of reputations when it comes to vendor lock-in issues.

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#32

Post by fmstephe »

tsurantino wrote: post #23
fmstephe wrote: post #2

I very strongly want this to work. I am very excited about the prospect of a phone/tablet OS that I hack up apps for in Javascript. But even more than that I pray for a true competitor to iOSX/Android. They just need to get this thing moving. I am planning to buy a tablet this Christmas and I want FFOS to be a very good choice by then. Come on Mozilla.

This might be a black sheep type of question in a thread like this but here goes. Microsoft pursued a strategy that enabled people to make web apps in HTML5/Javascript as first class apps in Windows 8. Why is it not being adopted/praised as much as Firefox OS is? Is it because it's Microsoft? Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be? A lot of people denounce Windo…

I think it is a very fair question. The first reason I want Mozilla to win here is that they don't want my data. They are pushing for stronger privacy in firefox, and although I love Chrome I don't think Google can ever support real browser privacy.

I am a fan of JS on windows 8 and winphone 8. However, I own a win7 phone and got burned by their non-backwards compatible upgrade to 8. So I have no love for MS, although I am a big fan of the tiled UI.

I think that FFOS will provide a better place where I can put together an app in Linux with vim. I don't want to install eclipse to write for Android, buy a macbook to write an iOSx app or install visual studio.

I hope that FFOS can be an easy to fiddle playground for me. We'll see.

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#34

Post by Mikeb85 »

tsurantino wrote: post #23
fmstephe wrote: post #2

I very strongly want this to work. I am very excited about the prospect of a phone/tablet OS that I hack up apps for in Javascript. But even more than that I pray for a true competitor to iOSX/Android. They just need to get this thing moving. I am planning to buy a tablet this Christmas and I want FFOS to be a very good choice by then. Come on Mozilla.

This might be a black sheep type of question in a thread like this but here goes. Microsoft pursued a strategy that enabled people to make web apps in HTML5/Javascript as first class apps in Windows 8. Why is it not being adopted/praised as much as Firefox OS is? Is it because it's Microsoft? Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be? A lot of people denounce Windo…

Mozilla's openness wins it alot of praise. Not to mention, their technology truly has changed the web (Javascript anyone?), while MS has held back web development (they still don't support WebGL). With Firefox OS any web app is a FFOS app, with MS you need to go through their closed store, or their half-baked browser...

Firefox OS doesn't need an app ecosystem, they just need developers to make good web apps. Hence their tools like Javascript, Emscripten, and Asm.js... I've been testing the Aurora browser on Android, and it's already impressive how well interactive web apps work on their browser, I could definitely see Firefox OS taking off...

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#35

Post by Mikeb85 »

AlexanderDhoore wrote: post #3

Very impressive! I remember seeing a list of Firefox OS supporting companies some time ago. A BIG list... Ubuntu Phone has this nice webpage for "Operator and OEM partners" [1], but do they actually have any? I doubted Firefox OS a lot more than Ubuntu Phone, but it seems I was wrong. [1] http://www.ubuntu.com/phone/operators-and-oems

Unfortunately Canonical seems to do everything half-baked... I have more faith in Jolla/Sailfish... Mozilla has a history of actually changing the tech landscape, their language (Javascript) changed the web forever, Canonical has done nothing but split the Linux camp, and fail at making money. They also made one of the least stable distros available (I've had better luck with SUSE, Fedora, and Arch). Ubuntu phone will likely share the same fate as Ubuntu TV, Ubuntu on Android, and all their other half-baked ideas...

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#36

Post by npsimons »

tsurantino wrote: post #23
fmstephe wrote: post #2

I very strongly want this to work. I am very excited about the prospect of a phone/tablet OS that I hack up apps for in Javascript. But even more than that I pray for a true competitor to iOSX/Android. They just need to get this thing moving. I am planning to buy a tablet this Christmas and I want FFOS to be a very good choice by then. Come on Mozilla.

This might be a black sheep type of question in a thread like this but here goes. Microsoft pursued a strategy that enabled people to make web apps in HTML5/Javascript as first class apps in Windows 8. Why is it not being adopted/praised as much as Firefox OS is? Is it because it's Microsoft? Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be? A lot of people denounce Windo…

First and foremost, it's Microsoft, so yes, I'm afraid that's reason enough to shun Windows 8. Fool me twice and all that. That aside, the fact is that we need source code, with an FLOSS license, for the full stack. Yes, it matters, otherwise we'd be happy enough with Android.

Judging from past sabotages by Microsoft, I really, really doubt their "HTML5/JS" apps will be portable/cross-platform (eg, just wait until they start "deprecating" standard functions in favor of their "safe" Windows specific library calls).

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#38

Post by soapdog »

tsurantino wrote: post #23
fmstephe wrote: post #2

I very strongly want this to work. I am very excited about the prospect of a phone/tablet OS that I hack up apps for in Javascript. But even more than that I pray for a true competitor to iOSX/Android. They just need to get this thing moving. I am planning to buy a tablet this Christmas and I want FFOS to be a very good choice by then. Come on Mozilla.

This might be a black sheep type of question in a thread like this but here goes. Microsoft pursued a strategy that enabled people to make web apps in HTML5/Javascript as first class apps in Windows 8. Why is it not being adopted/praised as much as Firefox OS is? Is it because it's Microsoft? Is it because the Win8 HTML5/JS apps are more closed-system-esque than Firefox OS apps will be? A lot of people denounce Windo…

The API collection known as WebAPI (https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebAPI) is what allows open web apps to access the hardware and some phone features such as contacts. Mozilla is working alongside with W3C and other standards bodies to make these APIs standards for all vendors. This is a different agenda than the one MS is pushing with its HTML based offerings. Mozilla is striving to make the mobile web an open ecosystem for all vendors to benefit and most important for all users. Remember "Values over Profit"

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#39

Post by WhiteDawn »

pjmlp wrote: post #33

Will I be able to play Infinity Blade class games on it?

I would doubt it for some time. Mozilla are aiming at the ultra budget market. We have expensive iPhones and Androids, mid-tier androids, but ~$100 androids are few and almost guaranteed a bad experience. Firefox os is targeted for low end cheap devices to steal the "feature phones" market.

Re: Foxconn Joins the Firefox OS Eco-System

#40

Post by Mikeb85 »

pinaceae wrote: post #4

Shouldn't there be outrage about Foxconn and its production practices? Seems not long ago it was a hellhole representing everything wrong about the modern tech industry - now it's perfectly fine? If so, good job by Tim Cook to pressure them into greatness in worker treatment. Right?

Maybe this will help Foxconn become a more responsible corporate citizen? Who knows... From what I've read, alot of their issues were directly related to Apple bullying them. Maybe branching out and selling their own products will enable them to make a better profit margin, and provide better for their workers? Right now Foxconn's margins are razor-thin...
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