Mozilla preps prototype browser for iPad; calls it 'Junior'

Mozilla is readying itself to make an entry into a segment that which it had consciously stayed away from all this while - that of iPad browsers. Those confusing this with Firefox would find it interesting that Mozilla is building a completely new browser and it’s calling it - Junior. A prototype of an iPad browser, Junior will mark Mozilla’s entry into a space, which till now had been the domain of Apple’s own Safari browser, and some others, like Atomic, Dolphin, Mercury, Opera Mini, and Skyfire. At a presentation from the company’s Product Design Strategy team this past Thursday, it had been revealed that the company has been working on building the Junior browser for several months now. Alex Limi, when discussing Junior stated, “So here comes the fun stuff”. He added, “We wanted to make something entirely new. We wanted to look into how we could reinvent the browser for a new form factor.” Herein, he even went on to call Safari for iPad “a miserable experience,” while also maintaining that it is the best option that is there in terms of tablet-based browsing.

Meet Mozilla Junior

That Junior, Mozilla’s prototype of an iPad browser is completely devoid of tabs will catch your attention first. A full screen webpage, Junior has buttons placed on either sides of the screen and it is here that users can find options like - reloading, print or going back to the previous screen can be located. Further, there is a button in the full screen interface containing all of the user’s bookmarks, recently viewed pages, a URL field and it also allows multiple user accounts. On swiping to the left of the main navigation page, you land onto a user login menu. The Verge’s Chris Welch  writes, “although it was clearly in early stages during the presentation, Mozilla says this is also where you’ll find options for things like private browsing. In terms of security, users will be able to require a password to log back into an account, thus ensuring your web history remains blocked off from nosy family members.”

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A completely new browser for the iPad in the making

As aforementioned, however, Junior is a prototype at the moment, and as the report puts it, one should not expect it to come in the immediate future. “..the browser is still missing some fundamentals (e.g. a progress indicator) and its developers continue to debate what features to implement,” adds the report further. Nevertheless, Junior is one to watch out for.