Fennec Alpha 3 for Windows Mobile release notes (original) (raw)

This is third alpha milestone of our mobile version of Firefox, codenamed Fennec, on the Windows Mobile 6 platform. This release is provided for for testing purposes only, intended to:

get wider feedback on our approach to the user experience;
engage Mozilla community teams, including localizers, and testers;
get feedback from Web developers;
encourage add-on developers to port existing add-ons and invent new ones for mobile.

The initial focus of Fennec development was on building a new user experience that reflects Firefox's design principles, adding touch screen support and other interactions appropriate for mobile phones and other handheld devices. Fennec preserves leading features like the Smart URL Bar ("awesome bar") and support for add-ons.

This Windows Mobile alpha release continues to focus on stability, performance, and integration with the Windows Mobile OS. This version also includes numerous fixes, better performance and further refinement of our theme.

To help out, visit the Mozilla mobile page to learn about our public weekly meetings, how to find our community on IRC, and more.

These release notes provide a "quick start" for the impatient, some highlights of what's included in this version, download and installation instructions, known issues, and frequently asked questions. Please read these notes and the bug filing instructions before reporting bugs to Bugzilla.

Quick start

This release is available for the Windows Mobile 6 software platform. If you're viewing this on an Windows Mobile device, install Fennec.

Don't have a Windows Mobile device? Don't worry, you can still experiment with Fennec, provide feedback, write add-ons, and get involved by installing a version of Fennec for your desktop PC:

While the destkop versions of Fennec are not supported products, they are a great way to familiarize yourself with the Fennec UI, provide feedback, build add-ons, or even localize it to your native language.

What's in this version?

New for Alpha 3:

Much improved panning/scrolling performance
Improved start-up time
Revised theme
Support for running in full screen
Numerous bug fixes
Improved painting performance
Improved UI polish
Support for touch sensitive directional pad on HTC devices
Improved kinetic panning with directional locking
Ability to scroll frames
Improved zooming support
Support for multiple screen sizes

This builds upon the feature set of the previous releases:

Easy navigation to Web content:

Bookmarks, including tags
Smart URL bar ("awesome bar")
Tabbed browsing with thumbnail images
Integrated Web search - built into the URL bar
Easy access to multiple search engines
Built in error console
Support for add-ons

Web content:

Maximize content by auto-hiding controls and URL bar
Zoom in and out

Security:

Instant Web site ID ("Larry")
Password manager
Popup blocker
Clear private data

Devices services integration:

Click on a phone number to initiate a call
JavaScript API to get device location

Also:

Searchable download manager
Preferences pane
Add-ons manager, including ability to directly find and install add-ons

Installing Fennec

System requirements:

Windows Mobile device running Windows Mobile Professional 6.0 of greater.

Installation:

If you're viewing this on an Windows Mobile Device, click here to install Fennec
Read here for step by step instructions

Install a version of Fennec for your desktop PC:

Tips and tricks

swipe left to expose back/forward/bookmark buttons and the URL bar; swipe right to dismiss them
swipe right to expose tabs; swipe left to dismiss them

Known issues

Plugins may not work in some of the desktop builds.
URL bar is slow to open
Rotating the display may cause painting or zooming errors
Cannot open a file from the download manager
Interaction issues with soft keyboard on the Samsung Omnia
Some pages layout too wide
Start up time slow until phone reboot

Give us feedback

Comment in our newsgroup
File bugs in Bugzilla. Read these instructionsfirst.