| Minimo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Mozilla Foundation |
| Initial release | February 18, 2004 (2004-02-18) |
| Final release | 0.2 (Windows CE) / March 31, 2007; 18 years ago (2007-03-31) |
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | VariousLinux distributions andWindows CE |
| Type | Mobile browser |
| License | MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license |
| Website | www-archive |
Minimo (from "Mini Mozilla") was a project to create a version of theMozillaweb browser for small devices likepersonal digital assistants andmobile phones.[1]
The project aimed to make it easier for developers to embed parts of Mozilla into systems with limited system resources (for example, machines with low amounts ofRAM).
The Minimo Project was created to test the feasibility of porting a full-function desktop browser engine to advanced mobile devices.
To minimize the use of system resources Minimo initially did not include some of Mozilla's functionality, such as support forSVG, although continuing experiments sought to include all the features of the Mozilla codebase. In addition, the browser usedsmall screen rendering technology to reformat Web pages for pocket-sized displays and allowed a platform for UI experiments on mobile devices. Theuser interface was designed to take up minimal screen space, with a single 8px high toolbar and a hidden-by-default address bar. Other user interface functionality, such as bookmarks, history, and search, was migrated into a special homepage called the Homebase. Because Minimo is based on theGecko infrastructure, developers can decide to build specific versions and evaluate other features such as the canvas, SVG support, and more.
Chris Hofmann created the Minimo project shortly after leaving Netscape Communications in 2003, under funding from Nokia's Maemo team. He single-handedly saved the project from being canceled many times. Currently Chris works for theMozilla Corporation. Chris was also responsible for some of the Minimo key features such as the Homebase bar, a format for displaying bookmarks more amenable to mobile devices.
Early Minimo development centered onARM devices (such asHewlett-Packard'siPAQ) with around 64MB of RAM, runningFamiliar Linux and theGPE Palmtop Environment (where it was the default browser). Minimo 0.1 was released for this platform in 2004.
The lead Minimo developer,Doug Turner, headed this and additional Mozilla mobile projects such as the Mozilla labs project named Joey. TheMozilla Foundation hired Turner in December 2004 to work full-time on Mobile projects.[2] Minimo was funded byNokia and others. Nokia's involvement became public in mid-2004.[3] Chris and Doug teamed up with web developerMarcio Galli as he focused in user interface aspects and mostly creating built in applications for Minimo using HTML instead ofXUL — these were refereed in the source code[4] as extensions but served as concept for web-based mobile apps featuring Flickr, Google Maps, and more.
AWindows CE version of Minimo was created forPocket PC 2003software development kit. The first public build of Minimo for Windows CE was made available in February 2005.
In June 2006, the 0.16 release of minimo included tabs, a "homebase bar" for fast navigation to frequently used web sites, and featured support for many advanced web development capabilities that made the mobile browser easier to use.
On December 17, 2006, Turner, in hisblog, acknowledged the slow pace of development, and revealed that Mozilla developers were exploring alternatives for Gecko-based web browsing on mobile handsets. Turner issued an invitation for others to "step up" as his own development priorities shift.[5]
Version 0.2 came out in March 2007 and represented a product targeted for mobile developers. Minimo 0.2 included and upgraded interface, and support for Windows Mobile 5.
On November 27, 2007, project head Doug Turner announced that the project was no longer supported.[6]
By 2008 Doug Turner had begun on yet another mobile web browser, this time known asFirefox Mobile orFennec.
Probably because it was in the early stages of development, theWindows Mobile version of Minimo performed significantly slower than expected.
The quality of rendered pages is congruent with the well-respectedlayout engine it implemented (Gecko), but the program had very high memory and hardware requirements compared to what was typically available on most handheld platforms (e.g. 64 megabytes ofRAM, 206–624 MHz ARM-compatible CPU).
Version 0.2 was recommended for developers targeting mobile devices or interested inAJAX- and Web Services-driven Web application for the mobile space. Minimo was compatible with many Web 2.0 applications, such asGmail.
 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
