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Developer: Firefox 1.1 to be Delayed

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

January 29, 2005, 10:24 AM

Firefox lead engineer turned Google developer Ben Goodger announced on his Web log late this week that version 1.1 of Firefox will be delayed.

The next major release of the browser had originally been scheduled for a March debut. However, Goodger said the release date had to be pushed back because of "the realities of the work remaining to be done," including a lot of bug fixes and testing to ensure a stable application.

While no solid date for a 1.1 release has been announced, Goodger did offer details on how to expect the next version of Firefox. An non-public alpha of 1.1 will be released followed by a public preview version, then several release candidates, and the final version of the browser.

Among the major changes and fixes expected in Firefox 1.1 are a fix to the bug that causes the browser not to retain the scroll position when going back and forward through Web pages. The update will also ensure certain Web sites and text display properly within the Mozilla-based browser.

Firefox 1.1 is an intermediate step on the way to version 2 of the open source browser, which is expected late this year.

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By Bugs4HJ

posted Jan 31, 2005 - 4:53 AM

Ben Goodger probably needs to work on the 'official' Googlebar for Mozilla Firefox as well. This might take some time, but having the XML GoogleBox, written by me for the MultiZilla project, and the Googlebar project, a project that was setup on mozdev.org after the GoogleBox was released, might come in handy for him :-)

Score: 0

By amitpagarwal

posted Jan 31, 2005 - 4:08 AM

I guess it would be more of bug fixes and less of new features.

Looking forward to the 1.1 release.

----------------------------
The Indian Blogger
http://labnol.blogspot.com

Score: 0

By VikingBlade

posted Jan 30, 2005 - 10:37 AM

It's not surprising. I don't think it's humanly possible to set dates and meet them for most projects. Unless it's way in advance, or it's something where no "bugs" need extra time to be fixed. Different than let's say building a house, since you know exactly what each part is, and what it's going to do every single time you build one. With usually no "surprises."

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

edited Jan 30, 2005 - 9:44 AM

It would not surprise me at all to see a headline in the near future announcing a major investment in Firefox from Google. That could mean just a financial investment, or it could mean more.

Of course, pairing Google and Firefox is not such a bad idea...

Likewise, I also prefer to see a stable release than a buggy one, but the comment that Firefox group repeatedly misses deadlines is valid too... I don't know a company on Earth that doesn't regularly miss product release deadlines.

Score: 0

By kprovance

posted Jan 30, 2005 - 7:07 PM

Maybe...but only as long as Google does not start controling and dictating to The Mozilla Foundation (TMF) how when and where to do their work. Firefox is great because of TMF and how they work. Typically when corporations step in (as was the case with AOL and WinAmp) things have a way of getting twisted and out of control...and not always for the better.

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Jan 30, 2005 - 7:44 PM

Quite true... but I think the benefit here would be that Google is no ordinary business. They at least seem to have higher standards.

Score: 0

By kprovance

posted Jan 30, 2005 - 11:32 PM

I agree...Google does seem to be the exception to the rule...for now anyway. I am a skeptic by nature. I remember a day when AOL used to care about it's customers...when Steve Case used to write letters to the community and then one day AOL turned into a conglomerate and it all went to hell. The software got worse, the service got crappier and all the cool people who used to make AOL fun were replaced by perverts and spammers. Power corrupts, and I truly hope that never happens to Google. But like I said, as long as they keep their "hands off" approach where Firefox and TMF are concerned, it could very well be a win-win scenario.

Here's hoping...

Score: 0

By pyridox

posted Jan 30, 2005 - 6:48 PM

You have a good point. That's a likely possiblilty.

Score: 0

By berlo84

posted Jan 29, 2005 - 12:37 PM

i rather wait a bit longer for a more stable browser rather than the buggy one!

work hard firefox team!~~~

Score: 0

By philco

posted Jan 29, 2005 - 11:53 AM

Now that google's monopolising part of Firefox's development teams time there isn't time to get updates finished?
Damn him for getting paid for his services instead of working for free on Firefox. DAMN HIM!!!

Score: 0

By bangbang023

posted Jan 29, 2005 - 12:05 PM

What? I hope you're being sarcastic and it just isn't permeating well, because they have always been terrible at meeting deadlines.

Score: 0

By UniversityofKentucky

posted Jan 29, 2005 - 8:52 PM

Of course he's being facetious. This is a free product, excellently done, and we should appreciate the time and effort that goes into it.

I recall when Pegasus Mail was very popular. Some folks would write nasty letters to the developer, to the point he had considered giving it up. And his product was free as well.

Don't sweat the little things. I'm using Firefox on Linux and Windows now. Whenever 1.1 comes out I will smile, upgrade, and continue on.