Firefox Pad
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Firefox Pad - A simple tablet dedicated to using the web
This is an early stage design concept for Connected Devices at Mozilla. It is not currently a planned product.
Problem
If all you want is a secondary device for casual web browsing and entertainment, existing tablets are over-complex:
- High friction app-centric experience more suited to productivity and communication
- Content is buried inside apps
- Have to install an app to try it, then clean up unwanted apps
- Have to be linked to a Google/Apple account just to browse the web
Solution
A simpler tablet:
- Just a web browser
- No app store
- Content is front and centre
Features
- Just a web browser
- No app store, no packaged apps, no built-in apps
- No app installation, home screen automatically populated with top sites
- Content is front and centre
- Automatic updates direct from Mozilla
- Firefox Sync
- Addons
- Discover and interact with smart things in your home and on the move
(e.g. use as a companion device for Smart TV or Smart Home control panel)
Architecture
A drastically simplified architecture:
- No mozApps API
- No app permission model
- No proprietary DOM APIs for telephony, SMS, DataStore, IAC, FM, Settings etc.
- Just chrome and web content
- Unified process management model with desktop
- Third party content uses only standard web content and addons (e.g. Service Workers, Push & Manifest)
- Investigate using Brillo as a ready-made base instead of maintaining a full Android fork
- Unified process management model with desktop