This post is not intended to be a bash on Apollo – I am actually very excited about Apollo and am anxious to work with it. That said, a public release of v1 isn’t expected until mid 2007 and won’t have many of the bells and whistles we are all drooling over. So, what can we do in the meantime? Where can we turn for the functionality we need now? How about Firefox*.

While you may think of Firefox as nothing more than a fancy web browser, it is in fact, much more. Firefox is an extensible, open-source application built on the Mozilla application framework. Developers can build extensions for Firefox that extend the RIA model back to the client, providing access to the file system, off-line functionality and other features similar to those to be offered by Apollo. A good example of such an extension is the Performancing for Firefox app I reviewed in an earlier post.

For more customization and greater control, developers can build their own stand-alone apps on top of the Mozilla framework. If the ‘browser’ metaphor of Firefox isn’t appropriate for a particular project, developers can ditch that as well and start with the bare-bones XULRunner (a Mozilla runtime package without the application code). The benefit of building with these frameworks is that so much of the ‘heavy lifting’ (core code) is already done. This allows developers to focus on the unique aspects of their applications rather than ‘re-inventing the wheel’ (man, that is a tired analogy). Examples of custom Mozilla applications include: Firefox (of course), Thunderbird, Sunbird, Minimo and the very impressive Songbird. <<<< Definitely check this out!

Beyond the features mentioned above, there are actually many parallels (and plenty of cross-over) between Mozilla/Firefox and Apollo (and Flex). Sure, the metaphors are a bit mixed, but both platforms have much to offer RIA developers. The real benefit of Mozilla/Firefox is that it is available and ubiquitous today. Granted, Mozilla Corporation isn’t likely to invest $100M in companies that use their framework. But, the channels and mechanisms for distribution are in place and have a solid foothold in a crowded and competitive market.

For more (better) information, a good place to start is the article ‘The Joy of XUL’.

Other points to consider:

• Firefox is installed on over 250 Million computers worldwide. While that may only represent about 15% percent of all users, the percentage is certainly much higher relative to the users you will likely be targeting with RIA’s. 

• Firefox currently supports all major OS versions and even some devices.

• While there are some basic editing and debugging tools available as extensions for Mozilla, there isn’t a dedicated IDE (like Flex Builder). So, developers must rely on traditional scripting tools.

• End users must have Firefox (or a corresponding Mozilla app) installed to access extensions. Stand-alone apps also require installation.

* Technically the point extends to the Mozilla Framework and all Mozilla based applications.

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