The Web Pushes Forward: HTML5, Opera Mini 5, iPad, Internet Explorer 9

Everything must move forward.  The web is no exception.  The strange part is, for a while, the internet didn’t move much.

Nowadays the web seems to be pushing forward fast, very fast.  Here are some of the new “happenings” on the internet, and where it may be going.

HTML5 and the iPad

I just saw on Engadget that CBS is now experimenting publicly with HTML5.  You can watch video without Flash, The Young and the Restless. Why is this such a big deal?  Major support for a platform that is hotly at the center of the Apple iPhone / iPad debate.  Can the internet survive without Flash?  Looks like CBS isn’t hurting.

I’d have to say that this test is purely aimed at supporting the iPad when it comes out.

Opera Mini Submitted and Tested

Opera Mini is very important right now.  For the following reasons:

• Opera Mini will be the first “official” alternative browser for the iPhone if it is approved
• Opera Mini pushes performance for the end user in low bandwidth environments
• We MUST continue to develop and test our web development projects on Opera
• Opera beat Firefox to the punch

What is also good to mention is how the Opera Mini 5 browser does this, through it’s own servers.  Just like Google, Opera is trying to “cache the internet”.  Check out the video of the real speed of Opera Mini 5:

iPad

I don’t have any particularly interesting news about the iPad, but it is still very important in the way the internet is shaping.  I still don’t see it as being a big seller, but I do see it as introducing a new (well, reintroducing) platform to the web.

First, why is CBS experimenting with HTML5?  I don’t think HTML5 has seen such a boost in popularity since Steve Jobs has been making a stir about HTML 5.

Second, we are beginning to see the need to shift printed media distribution.  The iPad is definitely not printed media, but people still want to sit down with a “magazine” and flip through the pages at what is presented.  Just like the concept of an “Album”, the concept of a “Magazine” is disappearing.  Apple has recently revived the album concept by publishing “iTunes LP”, which is just an album sold with extra branding.

The experience of flipping through a set of articles specifically meant to be released and read together is far away from us.  Every day I read single article after single article.  I’m never thinking “I wish this were a magazine” but we have to acknowledge, the medium has been disappearing.

Lets hope the iPad can revive this.  I get excited seeing the demos of these new experiences:

Finally, Internet Explorer 9

Yes, Microsoft has been talking loudly of the performance gains IE9 has over IE8 and even other browsers.  Rumor is that IE9 will NOT be supported on Windows XP (the excuse is that the performance gains would not be possible in the XP architecture.  Personally, I think this is 50/50 realistic, I think they just want people to finally migrate off XP.

I’m ashamed to admit, that I used to be an IE users.  I loved IE6 at one point.  I can remember loving the things IE4 brought to the internet (remember when wired used CSS to publish an entire page layout back in the mid/late 90s?).

Microsoft seems to be removing the bloat of IE9, and even scoring higher on the Acid3 test.  We can see that IE9 has been doing “better’ in supporting SVG, although nowhere near where it should be.

If you’re up for it, you can download an early version of IE9, at the official Internet Explorer 9 page.

Tags: Apple, HTML 5, HTML5, IE 9, IE9, Internet Explorer 9, iPad, Opera Mini, Opera Mini 5, SVG

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