Firefox/Win64

Agenda

• Background and Objectives
• Go to market
• Work outline
• Risks
• Discussion

Background Summary

• Firefox has been doing 64 bit builds for Windows for years. We once even had a 64 bit distro.
• Development is mostly complete. Releng work is small.
• The outstanding engineering work to complete 64 bit on Windows is: finish test coverage, plugin compat work, and installer work. The last two are significant obstacles.

Market Landscape

Internet Explorer has 64 bit. Chrome is launching 6 in v37.

• Chrome for Windows: http://blog.chromium.org/2014/08/64-bits-of-awesome-64-bit-windows_26.html
• Chrome for Mac: http://blog.chromium.org/2014/08/mac-chrome-when-im-sixty-four-bits.html
• Goodbye, NPAPI: http://blog.chromium.org/2013/09/saying-goodbye-to-our-old-friend-npapi.html
• Chrome is doing us a huge favor by setting NPAPI expectations in the market. There isn't a huge "first-mover" advantage with 64 bit. While it offers huge tech. advantages, itt's not a consumer feature for most users. We have a great opportunity to get things right and learn from their rollout.
• The timing is finally right for Firefox 64. 50% of Fx users on Windows run 64 bit OS. We've reached a threshold where the effort makes sense.

Objectives: Why launch Win64?

• Take advantage of a limited window of opportunity in gaming and performance browser apps. Signal to game devs that our browser will accommodate them

Offer our users a better experience with improvements in stability, performance, and security.

• Remain competitive with the rest of the browser landscape.

Industry Speculation: Get ahead of Windows 9, in case they retire 32 bit OS: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2220221/microsoft-subnet/windows-9-details-are-already-emerging.html and http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/new-product/windows/3496959/windows-9-release-date-price-features-beta-uk-30-september-event/

Users and Their Problem

64 bit is incredibly exciting to those of us who understand what it offers in stability, performance, and security. We're the minority. Most of the world has no idea what 64 bit means. They can already do everything they want to do online. Many will only notice 64 bit if their experience breaks. Our job is to deliver the benefits -- even if they're invisible -- and avoid the breakage.

64 bit users groups to consider for our rollout:

• Early adopters: 1%-ish Power users (gamers, developers, security folks, high memory users, etc) who know what 64 bit is and why they want it
• Everyone else:
  • Users who don't use plugins or binary add-ons and aren't at risk if we drop support
  • Users who have plugins/add-ons that may break in 64

Go-To-Market

Clean Slate Approach

We have a chance to clean house. We recommend stopping support for most plugins. We should cease binary add-on support entirely. This will wipe away a lot of browser hijacking, instability, and malware. We should reach out to top add-on developers with advance notice of our intentions.

Tiered Roll Out

• We'll first launch with an opt-in (new download) targeting the 1%. This puts us in the game and satisfies game developer needs.
• Limited roll out will help us gauge overall benefits in speed, stability and security and inform our decision for updating mainstream users.
• Users without legacy binary add-ons and old plugins have the next easiest migration to 64 bit.
• Auto-update for all users will be necessary at some point, but with maximum care to avoiding breakage for those running old plugins or binary add-ons.

Phases

• Phase I: Release a separate installer with 64-bit payload. Deliver to users via "what's new" page. Ensure 64-bit builds are served by default to those who choose to covert to 64-bit. -- What does "by default" mean in this context?

• Phase II: Transition to Universal Installer with guidance as to the benefit of 64-bit

• Phase III: Transition to Auto Update (with opt-out for 32-bit only)