Mozilla and Google blast IE-only Windows on ARM

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/0..._ages/>

<quote>
Microsoft throws browsers back to 'Dark Ages'


Mozilla and Google are crying foul over Microsoft restrictions
blocking rivals from Windows 8 on ARM, due later this year.

Firefox-shop Mozilla has branded Microsoft's restrictions a return to
the digital dark ages "where users and developers didn't have browser
choices".

Harvey Anderson, Mozilla general counsel, accused Microsoft of
restricting user choice, reducing competition and chilling innovation
by only allowing Internet Explorer to run on Windows RT – unveiled
last month by Microsoft as the new name for Windows on ARM (WOA). He
said:

Only Internet Explorer will be able to perform many of the advanced
computing functions vital to modern browsers in terms of speed,
stability, and security to which users have grown accustomed. Given
that IE can run in Windows on ARM, there is no technical reason to
conclude other browsers can't do the same.

Mozilla Firefox director Asa Dotzler has weighed in with the technical
argument:

On ARM chips, Microsoft gives IE access special APIs absolutely
necessary for building a modern browser that it won't give to other
browsers so there's no way another browser can possibly compete with
IE in terms of features or performance.

Anderson and Dotzler said this violated a 2006 statement of principles
(PDF) by Microsoft on choice, opportunity and interoperability, and
are calling on Microsoft to live up to these principles.
</quote>

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