Waiting for a Google browser is becoming more like "Waiting for Godot." Not only has Google"s top executive denied that the company is developing a Web browser, but the Mozilla Foundation more recently has quashed speculation that it is working with the search leader. In an interview with eWEEK.com ahead of Tuesday"s Firefox launch, Mozilla President Mitchell Baker denied rumors that the Mountain View, Calif., foundation was working with Google on a browser based on Firefox or its Gecko rendering engine.
"The code base is open for companies to do what they wish to do, but we"re not working with Google on a special browser," Baker said. "We are not working on a Google browser." As an open-source project, Mozilla"s code base is available to other organizations and companies for building browsers and Web-based applications. Most notably, America Online Inc."s Netscape Communications released its Netscape 7.2 browser based on Mozilla"s underlying technology.