This is very much like the Chrome OS that Google was touting a little over a year ago. It is a cloud based operating system that uses web technologies to drive the applications. No user data or information is stored locally; it is all kept in a cloud based storage space for the user in question. This is concerning for multiple reasons;

One – Data plans are getting more restrictive. As companies like AT&T, Verizon and others start capping the amount of data you can use each month it is going to become more difficult for users to take advantage of a cloud (or web) based operating system for their truly mobile devices. If you think about this what Mozilla appears to be indicating is that everything on the phone will be web based; things like contacts, texts, pictures all would be stored off the phone or other mobile device. This type of constant access will eat away at your limited data plans very quickly.

Two – Personal security and safety is at risk. Again by storing all user information in a single space you are opening up these accounts to potential hacking. Anon and other groups have proved that there is no such thing as a secure system (something we have said over and over and…) So all of your precious personal data will be at risk as soon as it is put in the cloud. You can bet that this type of prize will be very enticing to many groups out there.  

Lastly, it is important to remember that Apple tried the Web App approach with the first iPhone. They did this for a few months and no one liked it. It was terrible; the apps were bulky, slow and very limited. It is true that the web, HTML, and mobile technology have come a long way, but still consumer memory is very long. If Mozilla is really working on this they have a rather large hill to climb to get anywhere near any of the consumer massed except for the fringe Microsoft, Apple and Google hating Open Source crowd.

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