Just a heads up!!

beta1 test builds are out here

http://people.mozilla.com/~jmaher/fennec/beta1.html
(Linux, MacOSX, Windows)
ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mobile/b1rc2
(Maemo 4.x)

This is meant for developers, software testers, and the brave & curious. Please read the full post about testing here http://quality.mozilla.org/forums/fe...hat-you-can-do

not a lot of change, right?

i still couldn't use it as my every-day-browser because it just doesn't offer the basic functions i need (like open in new tab, copy URL, ...). if this is a beta, i don't expect such features to be added later. this is it.

I don't miss it because I can open a new tab but you can about this on IRC?

From what I remember the goal of a2 was stability, and after that (now) the goal would be performance.

A lot info is available here

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fennec

I think especially these are of interest for you

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/FeatureList

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/User_Experience

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?query_format=advanced&short_desc_type= allwordssubstr&short_desc=&long_desc_type=allwords substr&long_desc=&bug_file_loc_type=allwordssubstr &bug_file_loc=&status_whiteboard_type=allwordssubs tr&status_whiteboard=&keywords_type=allwords&keywo rds=perf&bug_status=UNCONFIRMED&bug_status=NEW&bug _status=ASSIGNED&bug_status=REOPENED&emailtype1=su bstring&email1=&emailtype2=substring&email2=&bugid type=include&bug_id=&votes=&chfieldfrom=&chfieldto =Now&chfieldvalue=&cmdtype=doit&order=Reuse+same+s ort+as+last+time&known_name=1.9a1%2B&query_based_o n=1.9a1%2B&negate0=1&field0-0-0=component&type0-0-0=equals&value0-0-0=Autocomplete+&field0-0-1=component&type0-0-1=equals&value0-0-1=Download+Manager&field0-0-2=component&type0-0-2=equals&value0-0-2=Help+Viewer&field0-0-3=component&type0-0-3=equals&value0-0-3=NSIS+Installer&field0-0-4=component&type0-0-4=equals&value0-0-4=Preferences&field0-0-5=component&type0-0-5=equals&value0-0-5=Printing&field0-0-6=component&type0-0-6=equals&value0-0-6=Toolbars+and+Toolbar+Customization&field0-0-7=component&type0-0-7=equals&value0-0-7=Satchel&field0-1-0=product&type0-1-0=equals&value0-1-0=Toolkit&field1-0-0=flagtypes.name&type1-0-0=equals&value1-0-0=blocking1.9%2B

Thanks a lot! I installed (had to remove a LOAD of stuff to make room for xulrunner, but hey) and I'm actually able to USE it now! Holy crap! Its fast enough to actually use

And the side bars are pretty damned smooth, too

(Whole thread is b0rked in my browser can hardly read anything anymore...)

Also see this extensions called Weave. It allows one to synchronize bookmarks with Fennec and your Mozilla Firefox. You must sign up for this as beta tester to try, and you need to install this extension in Fennec then.

http://www.electronicpulp.net/2009/0...-sync-feature/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fennec/addon/10868

I haven't tried it yet. I subscribed for an account, but haven't been able to use it during the last week. Now it doesn't work anymore. I will retry again this week; I have more free time then.

(Netscape's LDAP is back )

I think this sentence is missing an imporant word, I don't get the part about IRC.

Anyway, you say you can open a new tab. How do you do that?

You can talk with the developers on IRC about these features.

To open one new tab, swap from right to left. This shows all your tabs. Then click on the + button. It is below your tabs.

Oops I mean from left to right opens the tabs. Right to left does settings. In the latest Fennec I linked to above, you see this when you start Fennec. I mean you see this explained. Sorry can't edit my posts.....

Oh. OK, now it makes sense. I was wondering how IRC would help me with tabs.
OK, that was a misunderstanding. I found out about this gesture eventually. But it's of no use: You would have to type the URL in manually, and even if you would be willing to do so, there's no way in Fennec you could actually see the URL of a link.

Like when I'm on ITT's front page: In MicroB, I tap&hold on a thread title, choose "open in new window", do so with all threads I want to read, then close the first window and read thread by thread, each in its own window. I can't do this with Fennec: I can open a new, empty tab, yes, but what for? There's no way I make the thread open in this new tab. No tap&hold, no "open in new tab" and no "copy link location" so that I could paste it, not even a way to view and re-type the link URL.

And that's just one use case where Fennec fails. I would have hoped they'd fix these alpha-issues in the beta release.

That is why I mentioned Weave.

I don't think you're the intended public.

The workflow of a mobile browser is just doifferent than a desktop browser. For this one has to adapt and relearn a different albeit more efficient workflow.

You can see this clearly in Safari mobile too.

[edit](In Mozilla Firefox and Safari this page renders fine btw.)

To clarify the workflow: you're not supposed to have right-click options. There is no right click on mobile browser. It is used to scroll or to click on a link instead. This is a sacrifice, but it is a necessary one (IMO). I know some people, like you Benny, do not agree with this, and then Fennec is not something for you (right now). But maybe someone will add this via an extension. However, I don't think that is a good idea. Instead, one should change the workflow. Keep as little open as possible. Instead, use bookmarks, e-mail the page (or synchronize with e.g. Weave), or browse back and forth. Need to visit a new page? Then you can open a new tab. But having tons of tabs (or windows) open on a mobile device is not recommended. I know this from experience on my mobile devices. It slows the device and general experience. Its better to keep as little open as possible and instead use bookmarks.

Mind you, there are already some extensions!. Only 5 or so, but its a start. [/edit]