





Please stop building windows 64 builds and tests.


Firefox laptop

Mozilla may soon find itself in lonely territory.





Source: Bugzilla

Comments     Threshold


We'll be back.
By drycrust3 on 11/22/2012 2:50:38 PM , Rating: 2
Mozilla Abandons 64-Bit Firefox Development for Windows for Now

I think the important point in this is the "for now" bit. To me this means that Mozilla plan to release a Windows 64 bit version down the track, which is logical.
I do wonder if the main reason for this is simply economics, i.e. they don't have enough money to develop and maintain a 64 bit version for Windows as well as maintaining a 32 bit browser for the Windows range of operating systems. I would imagine trying to maintain a secure browser for Windows must be quite a challenge, so limiting themselves to just a 32 bit version would simplify matters.
As I understand it, Firefox are continuing 64 bit support for Linux and Mac computers (I've checked and currently my Firefox browser is a 64 bit version).
With Windows XP having an end of life of April 2014, it is only a matter of time before Firefox will stop supporting that operating system, at which time one would expect Firefox to have a 64 bit version for Windows available.

RE: We'll be back.
By bug77 on 11/23/2012 8:07:46 AM , Rating: 2

No, it isn't. It's just corporate speech for "we won't do it". It's like when they say "we're continuously evaluating opportunities" or "determining the best user experience for our users". The latter gets thrown around a lot when it comes to updates for Android.

RE: We'll be back.
By drycrust3 on 11/23/2012 2:50:39 PM , Rating: 2
It's just corporate speech for "we won't do it".

Here is the official Firefox 64bit website:
Notice something odd? It has a section for 64bit Windows operating systems! Sure, its a development site, but Firefox wouldn't bother with doing alphas or betas (or whatever you'd like to call them) unless they did have longterm plans that included a 64 bit browser for Windows 64 bit OSes.
As I said, I think this is more of a hiatus or a time out than an abandonment of the production of a 64 bit browser, and, as I said before, the most logical reasons would be resource related.
To me, because Microsoft has decreed that XP will have an end of life in 2014, then my guess is Firefox are going to put their Windows resources into keeping a secure 32 bit Windows XP compatible version until just after Microsoft close the door on XP, and then they too will close the door on XP.

RE: We'll be back.
By bug77 on 11/23/2012 6:44:22 PM , Rating: 2
That domain isn't even registered by Mozilla Foundation.

RE: We'll be back.
By drycrust3 on 11/23/2012 8:32:35 PM , Rating: 2
My apologies if this site isn't an official Mozilla website.

