Mozilla ponders dropping Firefox support for Win2k, early XP!!!

[samuelvirucide]

Hi avast forum members,

 Mozilla ponders dropping Firefox support for Win2k, early XP
 April 14, 2009 Mozilla Corp. is considering dropping support for Windows 2000 and the earliest versions of XP when it ships the follow-up to Firefox 3.5 in 2010, online discussions show.
   More on this article  Here

[scythe944]

Wouldn't be surprised.  Google Chrome doesn't support 2k either.  It's almost 10 years old.

[Alan Baxter]

They can always switch to IE. Oh, wait a minute...

[DavidR]

I think they have to exercise due care or they are likely to shoot themselves in the foot and lose some of that hard won browser share

[Alan Baxter]

Who would they lose their W2K and XPSP1 customers to?  Opera?  They could use them.   Or maybe Linux.  I still think of switching my 13 yo W98 system to that, but 64MB RAM constrains my choices, even if I include "door stop".

[scythe944]

I still think of switching my 13 yo W98 system to that, but 64MB RAM constrains my choices,

LOL, are you serious?  Come on bro, computers a CHEAP these days.  Might be time to start doing some upgrading!

However, the old system could be used as a Linux router/firewall...

[.: Mac :.]

I don't think it would be wise for Mozilla to drop any version of XP. But Windows 2000 should be dropped. I mean its nearing the end of its support cycle from Microsoft.

Who would they lose their W2K and XPSP1 customers to?  Opera?  They could use them.   Or maybe Linux.  I still think of switching my 13 yo W98 system to that, but 64MB RAM constrains my choices, even if I include "door stop".

There is always Damn Small Linux. That should run with 64MB of RAM.

[Alan Baxter]

There is always Damn Small Linux. That should run with 64MB of RAM.

Thanks.  I'll check it out.  Will I be able to run Firefox 3.0, 3.5, or 3.6 on it? 

[RZPogi]

Who would they lose their W2K and XPSP1 customers to?  Opera?  They could use them.

There are extremely few people that are using windows 2000, and XP with no SP or with sp1. IE and Opera will get those guys.

BTW, I always use opera for this forum.

[scythe944]

Will I be able to run Firefox 3.0, 3.5, or 3.6 on it?  Grin

You'll be able to run some sort of Firefox on it.  Not sure what version.  Don't think it matters though.

What does DSL have?

XMMS (MP3, CD Music, and MPEG), FTP client, Dillo web browser, Netrik web browser, FireFox, spreadsheet, Sylpheed email, spellcheck (US English), a word-processor (Ted), three editors (Beaver, Vim, and Nano [Pico clone]), graphics editing and viewing (Xpaint, and xzgv), Xpdf (PDF Viewer), emelFM (file manager), Naim (AIM, ICQ, IRC), VNCviwer, Rdesktop, SSH/SCP server and client, DHCP client, PPP, PPPoE (ADSL), a web server, calculator, generic and GhostScript printer support, NFS, Fluxbox and JWM window managers, games, system monitoring apps, a host of command line tools, USB support, and pcmcia support, some wireless support.

http://damnsmalllinux.org/

Or, like I said, run a firewall router with it. http://www.smoothwall.org/

[FreewheelinFrank]

I thought I was tardy updating my old computer from 256MB to 512MB, but 64MB? Stick it in the bin!!

[CharleyO]

***

Old memory is still available and cheap these days. Check for it at many of the on-line suppliers.

Upgrade that 64mb with a stick of 256, 512, or even 1meg memory!


***

[DavidR]

Some old motherboards may also be limited in the quantity of RAM so you would need to check that out too.

[Alan Baxter]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!  I checked it out nine years ago, David.  64MB max for that old motherboard.  IIRC, I had it built in 1996 with 32MB RAM and a 166MHz Cyrix processor on W95.  I think the RAM might have been $700.  In 2000 I maxed it out to 64MB RAM, put in a 450MHz AMD-K2 processor, installed W98SE -- having been warned off ME -- and added a second 6GB hard drive.  The MB couldn't accept the huge 30GB drives available at the time.

It still works just fine.  Comes in handy for accessing the Internet while I'm playing games on my newer PC.  I stay away from any dodgy sites though since W98 hasn't gotten any security updates for a long time.

[scythe944]

lol.  That's great!  Reminds me of my first PC.  Anyway, it really is time to get a new one!  Heck, Dell is selling laptops for $400 that are 20x the machine than that thing.  Think of how cheap a desktop would be...

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with the computer, as long as it's still kickin'.  I don't like the O/S, but if you're happy, then so be it.

I still think you could find better use for it, being a nice firewall or a DSL machine, but that's entirely up to you.

Jeez, remember when that LITTLE amount of RAM was so much money?  Makes ya think about what we'll see in the next 10 years...