As so far we know that Windows 8 is coming in a ‘Metro’ design look but what if even the browsers that we commonly used too comes in the same avatar – isn’t sounds great if it is really true – but what also if we mention that yes it is true. Today news broke that Firefox will not only come to Windows 8 but it will come in style in ‘Metro’ design look – meaning the browser will give Internet Explorer and others a run on its turf.
From MozillaWiki page, what we learned is that:
The feature goal here is a new Gecko based browser built for and integrated with the Metro environment. Firefox on Metro, like all other Metro apps will be full screen, focused on touch interactions, and connected to the rest of the Metro environment through Windows 8 contracts.
Firefox on Metro will bring all of the Gecko capabilities to this new environment and the assumption is that we’ll be able to run as a Medium integrity app so we can access all of the win32 Firefox Gecko libraries avoiding a port to the new WinRT API for the bulk of our code. (Though we will need to have a pan and zoom capability for content.)
Adding to this:
Firefox will have to support three “snap” states — full screen, ~1/6th screen and ~5/6th screen depending on how the user “docks” two full screen apps. Our UI will need to adjust to show the most relevant content for each size.
In order to provide users with access to other content, other apps, and to Firefox from other content and apps, we’ll need integration with the share contract, the search contract, the settings contract, the app to app picking contract, the print contract, the play to contract, and possibly a couple more. We’ll be a source for some, a target for some, and both for some.
What’s in the store for consumer we will get to know very soon now – after all a lot of things cooking all around with Microsoft’s next big thing – Windows 8.
