April 1st, 2009
Firefox.Next: Namoroka due in early 2010
Even as the Firefox team struggles to get beta 4 out the door, the team is already talking about the next version beyond Firefox 3.5.
The next gen, code named “Namoroka,” is expected to be named Firefox 3.6 and will be released in 2010. It will offer advancements in performance, personalization and customization, task-based navigation and web application support, according to a posting on the Firefox web site.
“Namoroka” will focus on the following areas:
Performance
Observable improvements in user-perceptible performance metrics such as startup, time to open a new tab, and responsiveness when interacting with the user interface. Common user tasks should feel faster and more responsive.
Personalization & Customization
Simplify the development, discovery, installation and management of browser customization and functional extension. Where possible, provide a custom fit user experience based on a user’s interaction history. Act in the user’s interests, leveraging existing knowledge about their identity and browsing habits.
Task Based Navigation
Allow users to organize their tabs, history, downloaded files, and other resources according to the task they were attempting to accomplish. Provide support for executing common web-based tasks, mash-up style, without having to visit a website.
Web Application Support
Blur the distinction between web and desktop applications, providing web developers with the tools required to create rich application experiences for a user who is connected or disconnected from the Internet. Act as the intermediary between web applications and the user’s OS desktop.
System Integration
Integrate with the look and feel of the host operating system, including data-level interactions with existing system services such as dictionaries.
Development Schedule Namoroka will be based on Gecko 1.9.2, with an initially scheduled release of early 2010. As always, we will only release the finished product when it’s ready
Meanwhile, the team is planning to release Firefox 3.5 beta 4 during the week of April 13 and a final beta — beta 5 — will be necessary to address fewer than 10 remaining bugs in the code before a release candidate is issued, according to team leaders on the team’s weekly meeting Tuesday. Beta 4 could slip by as much as a week depending on the number of blockers resolved over the next week or so.
Paula Rooney is a Boston-based writer who has followed the tech industry for almost two decades. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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