System Center Configuration Manager 2007

Ed Bott's March 22nd ZDNET post "Why Internet Explorer will survive and Firefox won't" answers the question yes. "So long, Firefox. It was nice to know you," he writes about the browser's future. Then, I don't agree with that. Nevertheless Bott makes another prediction that rings right. If so, the new browser wars will make the 1990s skirmish between Microsoft and Netscape look like kids fighting with sticks.

New platform war

Bott puts Firefox's future in context of a new platform war, as the computing market transitions from the PC era to the cloud connected device era. I riled some Betanews readers regading this transition with February 9th post: "The PC era is over."

He's thoroughly right. Presently, only Apple has a scalable operating system. HP will make an end-to-end play later this year when it starts shipping WebOS on laptops, as then as smartphones. Google's Android is a contender, nevertheless it's fragmented all to hell. There's Android 2.x for smartphones and 3.x for tablets. In the meantime, Google is preparing to release Chrome OS -- so that's three different operating systems. At the time there is Microsoft, which in effect needs to pull at the same time an end-to-end device and PC operating system strategy with Windows' then and there release. It's not there now.

The challenge

Bott rightly observes about the challenge: "Microsoft isn't going to accomplish that goal by tweaking the classic Windows interface. Anyone who's used a Windows 7 tablet PC knows that a bigger Start button and taskbar aren't enough."

Apple, Google and Microsoft all take a platform approach to cloud connected mobile devices, and HP is headed that way. Innovation in Motion and Nokia as well have mobile platforms, however their browser strategies are underwhelming compared to Apple and Google, and increasingly Microsoft. Opera as well is ramping up a broad platform for browser-based apps.

Microsoft fought the browser wars with Netscape partly fearing the browser would become plumbing, like Windows, and replace the operating system. That's specifically what Google is driving today and Apple to a lesser degree. The new browser wars has come and competition is fiercer than ever; it's not just about Google building a browser OS. Because of the amazing number of browser announcements this month, I asked Betanews readers: "Which browser do you use?" -- and posted some of your responses. It's March Madness for browsers:

Alternative shell for Windows 8

"I'm convinced that we'll see an alternative shell for Windows 8, written in HTML5 and intended for use on tablets," Bott writes. "It will use Internet Explorer's rendering engine, which has already proven to be wicked fast, without needing any of its old-school user interface."

But that sounds oh-so 1998 to me and quite believable -- that with a new browser war underway; new platform war, in effect -- that Microsoft would once again use browser-OS integration as means of thwarting competition. With Google evidently building a Chrome platform, and the post-PC era dawning, a Windows browser user interface would be reasonable competitive response.

"Where does that leave Firefox?" Bott asks. "It doesn't have an app ecosystem or a loyal core of developers. Extensions? Those were worth bragging about in 2005, nevertheless in 2012 the story is apps. Businesses and consumers will want to use the same browser that powers their installed apps. In the PC space, that means Google or Microsoft. It doesn't leave room for a third player."

Contradiction in Bott's reasoning

There's a contradiction in Bott's reasoning. He proclaims Firefox's doom because Mozilla doesn't have a strong platform for apps. But, the context of his post is the new browser war. So is it the browser or apps? It could be both where apps use the browser rendering engine. What about Apple, which iOS gains millions of new users by the month? If there's only room for two mobile platform competitors, why wouldn't it be Apple and Google?

But none of those questions address Firefox's future. Internet Explorer's long slow decline shows that a browser with loyal users and large install base has lasting power. As well, in reviewing NetApplications monthly data on browser usage share, Chrome and Safari have mainly gained share from IE, not Firefox. February 2011 browser share compared to two years before:

The early battle for users

In the early battle for users, Firefox 4 handedly beats Internet Explorer 9. The two browsers released about a week apart. As of March 26, IE 9 usage share was 1.78 percent, according to NetApplications. By comparison, Firefox 4 had 3.64 percent usage share -- or twice as much in less than half the time.Please see my follow-up post to this one for more perspective.

Firefox has several key strengths that are sure to keep it a player, regardless of increased platform competition among Apple, Google and Microsoft:

1. Firefox is the only purely open-source option. Internet Explorer isn't open anything. True, Chrome and Safari are based on WebKit, which is open source, however with lots of commercial developer baggage. There is a huge Firefox following philosophically committed because of Mozilla's open-source approach.

3. Mozilla isn't Apple, Google or Microsoft. For many people worried about Big Brother, that's reason enough to choose open-source Firefox.

4. Mozilla offers a fairly unified PC and mobile browser strategy. Even Google can't make such a claim. Android's browser is based on WebKit, nevertheless it's not Chrome. Firefox and Opera are the only browsers offering fairly consistent user experience on PCs and cloud connected mobile devices like smartphones.

Oh come on! Ed Bott's Microsoft Report. It is a Microsoft blog, clearly it will criticize Firefox, especially that Firefox 4 launch puts IE in a very very bad light. Firefox shows how market adoption should looks like, you don't have to force users to stop using Firefox 3.6, they are willingly upgrading to the new version - something you cannot say about Internet Explorer 6 users...So Microsoft >> SuCk It Up

ppl forget no matter how crap IE is most users of IE are people with no knowledge of other browsers and succumb to the usual microsoft rubbish, just like office. The word wil lspread albeit slowly nevertheless it will happen IE will be the first to fall, followed by office at the time windows itself

This item seems to be talking about 3 different subjects. Browsers, OS and Apps. And Firefox addons.There is a clear distinction between OS, Browser, Apps and FF addons.OS = the basic software for the hardware.Browser = a window that displays web pages.Apps = mini applications.FF Addons = add ons to add functionality to the browser or mini applications.If Google come out with a box with a browser inside and call that an OS, at that time what stops another company coming out with a box and putting Firefox inside?Both could sit on top of Linux, Android already does.

I think Joe Wilcox is getting in effect boring with this type of articles - "this is doomed", "in other words doomed", "will you buy this apple product", "this vs. that" etc. I was reading Betanews just to see how far the so called "journalists" can go, however it's just not funny anymore. Things have got BORING and OLD.Betanews does not have any useful informational value for me - only blah blah blah, so I officially unsubscribe.

Phones may have more "users" than laptops nevertheless people will never browse for hours on a phone. Tablets will be significant yet most people do enough emailing and IM that laptops will remain dominant. So, browsers on laptops will for all that be the largest hours of browsing usage.Considering that, IE will never escape its reputation as virus-prone - even if IE9 at heart kills ActiveX and Win 7's protected mode makes it fairly safe, its bad past will never be forgotten. The battle is between Chrome and Firefox - if Firefox can successfully transition to a rapid-release plan as they intend to, they can compete so then. They have deep down stolen the Chrome UI and have some plugin isolation to reduce crashes - though Chrome's real sandbox for Flash is better and more secure. And they have many more useful extensions than Chrome.Nevertheless Firefox has attempted a faster release schedule and failed in the past - Firefox 4 has been delayed for near as long as Duke Nukem Forever :) Not quite, yet - they need a major change in mindset and day to day operations to transition to fast releases. If by the end of 2011 there is no Firefox release with Flash sandboxing, I would be real worried about Firefox's future.

Last week, ZDNET blogger Ed Bott proclaimed: "So long, Firefox. It was nice to know you." He sees Firefox being crushed by Chrome and Internet Explorer. Joe Wilcox disagrees. Do you?

HTC and Microsoft are in their third year of creating smartphones in the "HD" product line, and the two companies look to have when all is said and done hit their stride with the new HD7S, which is a revamped version of the four month old HD7 completely ready for a world where T-Mobile USA no longer exists.

New social networking app on Wednesday night

Startup mobile application developer Color Labs launched a new social networking app on Wednesday night, during simultaneously announcing that it had secured a staggering $41 million in funding for its project.

Google's decision to withhold releasing Android 3.0 as open source seemingly defies the company's longstanding position on open systems and information. Is Google doing evil to make money?

The release of Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011

Microsoft today announced the release of Windows Embedded Device Manager 2011, an extension for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 that allows IT to manage Windows Embedded Standard and POSReady devices.

Tawkon, makers of a mobile application that measures cellular radiation, have been blocked from releasing their app for iPhone. In response, the company on Wednesday is releasing it for the Cydia iPhone jailbreak.