Mozilla confirms single Firefox build for Windows 8

Mozilla still plans to release a version of its Firefox browser that will run in both the Metro and desktop environments of Windows 8, as well as supporting older Windows versions.

Following the release of Firefox 18 last week, V3 asked Mozilla for an update on its Windows 8 plans. The open-source group released a preview of a Metro-compatible Firefox back in October 2012, but there has been little news on progress since then.

Mozilla confirmed it is still working on a Windows 8 release of Firefox that will run under Metro, but was unwilling to offer a timeframe for when this might be available.

"The team is at work building a browser for the Metro environment, but we don't have new test builds to share at the moment," a Mozilla spokesperson told V3 in a statement.

"Our plan is to have a single Firefox executable that will offer users both the classic browser interface as well as one tailored for Metro."

Further, Mozilla said it expects the browser to be delivered as a single executable that will also run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Windows 8 has been making life difficult for browser developers, according to reports, because of the problems in accommodating both the Metro-style user interface and the traditional desktop environment.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has also been quiet about a version of its Internet Explorer 10 browser for Windows 7.

Although IE10 shipped as part of Windows 8 in October, a version for the older Windows 7 platform is still available only in a Release Preview build, announced in November.

Microsoft had not responded to requests from V3 for further information on the status of IE10 for Windows 7 at the time of writing.

UPDATE: A Microsoft spokesperson has now provided V3 with the following statement;

"We don't yet have the date of final availability, but according to Rob Mauceri, Group Program Manager, Internet Explorer, final availability will follow, as we collect developer and customer feedback."