14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla has made available for download Gran Paradiso Alpha 4 at the end of the past week. Gran Paradiso is the code-name for the upcoming version of the Mozilla open source browser Firefox 3.0 that is scheduled for availability in the second part of 2007.
Gran Paradiso is built on Gecko 1.9. Gecko 1.9 and its predecessor, Gecko 1.8 are the layout engines that act as the foundation of Firefox 3.0 and Firefox 2.0, with the version 1.9 representing the next generation of layout engine from Mozilla.
Together with the availability of Gran Paradiso Alpha 4, Mozilla has also warned of web and platform incompatibilities with Gecko 1.9. In this context, it didn't take me too much to find a website to exemplify compatibility issues. I simply headed over at a couple of Microsoft websites. Actually, Microsoft's official website for Windows Vista is the first one I tried, and the first home run, so to speak.
Gran Paradiso Alpha 4 is a tad incompatible with the Vista website. The adjacent image illustrates what I mean. First off, I want to mention that Gran Paradiso Alpha 4 is exactly what it says, an alpha build designed for developers and for testing purposes, and not for general use.
To be honest, when I read about compatibility problems I was expecting something more severe. But Gran Paradiso Alpha 4 has a few simple behavior and rendering issues with the Vista website. Nothing major. And this is indeed impressive for an early alpha built, which just goes to show the great work that Mozilla is putting into Firefox 3.0.
