Mozilla outlines two mobile-browser prototypes

Prototype 1 is 'plain vanilla' for the conventional mobile screen.

Amid rookie mobile browser Skyfire's bold attempt to take on the market and Opera Software's defensive rebuttal (sent via press release) emerges news from Mozilla developer and project lead, Doug Turner.

A few months ago, Turner told us that the Minimo browser was on its way out (you can still download it here) and that newer projects would take its place.

According to Doug's blog, the replacement efforts have arrived. Well, not quite, but two prototypes have.

The first, called simply "Nontouch screen UI," is dedicated to the broad range of devices. While Turner describes it as "vanilla," it evokes much more strongly the cheery bubble gum gloss of an Apple interface.

The second prototype attends to touch-screen phones, many more of which we'll see in hands, purses, and pockets within the next six months.

It's an information playground on these development wikis, and there's matched eagerness on Mozilla's part for sound feedback. In fact, you can vocalize it yourself by calling in to Mozilla's mobile UI phone conferences every Monday morning at 10 a.m. PST.

The second prototype is optimized for touch-screen phones.