Samantha Rose Hunt30 March 2009, 5:00 PM
Mozilla has launched a Firefox-like browser for use on mobile phones.
Fennec, the mobile Web browser by Mozilla, is much like the company’s open-source browser for desktops and laptops. It launched in beta version on March 17 in an attempt for the company to collect feedback and draw interest in the browser.
Fennec 1.0 was designed for the OS2008 Maemo software platform which runs on the Nokia N810 Internet tablet, so Mozilla claims that the browser is best experienced on an N810, however it also has versions available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Currently the beta release is described by Mozilla as being for testing purposes only so that developers can invent new add-ons and port existing ones for use via the mobile phone. "One of the main themes of Fennec was to try to minimize the amount of typing you have to do as you make your way around the Web," Madhava Enros, the lead user interface designer for Fennec, says in an introductory video on the blog of Mozilla developer Stuart Parmenter.
Mozilla was able to increase zooming speed, improve start-up performance and enable plug-ins which allows users to view videos and bookmark favorites quickly and easily. Using the Fennec browser it is also easier to search the Web, keep track of history, remember passwords and optimizing screen space for mobile content.
You can download it here.