With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft Corporation is getting back to its monopolistic origins? This is one of the vital questions asked by Google and Mozilla lately. It did take a few months time but now it has been eventually dawned on both of these companies that they will not be able to distribute desktop versions of their Web browsers in Windows RT, which happens to be the approaching version of Windows 8 Operating system that will be running on the low-power ARM chips.
Google and Mozilla Concerns!
Both Google as well as Mozilla have announced their plans in this regard as they will be creating ‘Metro based desktop browsers’ for the Windows 8 version on both x86 and the x64 platforms. Just as the version of IE 10, they will be operating in a dual mode supported by the Windows desktop version and in an a lot more preventive Metro environment. Opposing to that, the IE 10 version by Microsoft and most probably the later version too is going to be the only Internet browser running on the Windows RT desktop.
The lock In!
Asa Dotzler, project manager Mozilla who has a leading role at the Firefox development effort for the Windows 8 OS has called tainted. On the other hand, Harvey Anderson – Mozilla General Counsel has also termed this act as a ‘platform lock-in’.
Google has added its concerns to this scenario by fully expressing its camaraderie with the concerns that have been raised by Mozilla in regards to the Windows 8 OS environment limiting user preference as well as innovation.
Dotzler states that Microsoft Corporation is only considering locking out the contending browsers as it comes to the Windows Operating system running on ARM chips. Internet Explorer is the only one allowed but not Opera, Chrome or Firefox or other leading Internet browsers.
The Confusing Point
The point which makes the entire scenario perplexing is that the Windows desktop version of the Internet Explorer 10 will be delivered with the Windows RT version, but it is not at all going to be a robust and effective Internet browser just as its correspondents are when it comes to the x86 and x64 platforms. Even though the Internet Explorer 10 desktop version available with Windows RT will be having complete access to the win32 APIs, it will be unable to run the plugins such as Silverlight or Flash, nor it will be able to popper into any other application that are running on the Windows RT version except via the acceptable “contracts” mechanism.
Until Today!
To date, the possibility that Microsoft Corporation will amend the Windows RT architecture to allow Chrome, Firefox or any other Web browsers onto the desktop version is zero. The release version of the Windows 8 Operating system will be made available to the public in the next 30 days, which actually means that the code has already been confidently locked down.
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