Big blow to those hoping to get chrome...

[Superhyper]

Sure it is. Any browser can access the full "Metro" API in Windows RT.

The complaint is that Mozilla and Google cannot be lazy and release a "desktop" browser for RT -- but that's not possible through the Windows Store, and non-store installations violate the security rules.

Mozilla and Google are free to develop a Windows RT browser -- they just have to develop a Windows RT browser, not a quick, cheap port of a Windows 7 one.

Not true, Microsoft is blocking the necessary system access levels for JIT (Just in Time) javascript compilers, as well as a few other important features for a modern browser. It will be interesting to see what the EU antitrust folks say about that when their investigation is complete.

 

[brmiller1976]

That's not entirely true. Even if they built a Windows RT browser, it would be unable to compete with the native browser in terms of capabilities and performance due to limitations in the WinRT API and the security model.

I've seen no credible citation of this other than Google and Mozilla's complaints that Microsoft won't let them ship a lazy recompile of their existing browsers.

 

[erzhik]

Aren't Mozilla making a W8 browser that would work in "metro" UI and not desktop? As far as alternative browser for WP, I couldn't care less. Love IE.

 

[PG2G]

For what its worth, Opera said they begin porting their browser to WP8 as soon as the SDK became available. Maybe someone should follow up

 

[EliteMikes]

With native code access now, a 3rd party browser is more than possible.

 

[lcw731]

Lol it was even confusing to me! Most phones are pretty much obsolete within a few months, but will continue to be viable for the term of a contract if properly updated. The phone I WAS using at sprint, a Blackberry 9660, was obsolete within a few months. When sprint and blackberry stopped supporting it, coupled with BlackBerry bungling Blackberry 7 and later 10 the wait was not worth the end product that was put out. Now I have a Nokia 920, and am very happy. Would I like a 1020? Sure. But I can live with this phone for a while (assuming AT&T get with the program soon and releases Amber/GDR2).




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