I wrote yesterday about Apples decision to proof its applications for the iPad like they do with the Iphone and Touch devices, adding restraints to the addition of new applications. But inadvertently Apple have opened up the iPad for open technologies through the web platform.
Apple have released a heavily proprietary , locked locked down device, in order to install an application Apple have to approve it first through their Application Store.
But Apple have created two platforms on their new device. One a heavily proprietary native platform that requires Apple approval and has significant Apple restrictions. But ironically with Apples heavy focus on improving the quality of Safari and the HTML standard, they have shipped the iPad with a platform based on open unencumbered services.
The web platform has gained offline API’s, improved caching support, local storage, Safari has a built in SQLite database accessible through javascript. CSS based animations and custom downloadable fonts. The Safari mobile version already supports gestures, geolocation and hardware accelerated graphics.
Apple even allows you to take a web application and add it to the home screen to run amongst normal applications, the iPhone even downloads all of the HTML5 assets to allow the running of web application offline. Google has been the first technology company to take advantage of this loop hole Apple have created for itself, when they disapproved Google Voice from the App Store, Google immediately set out to develop an HTML5 application to run on the web through the iPhone and Touch devices, proving that it is possible to bypass Apples restrictions within its application approval system.
The birth of HTML5 is not yet officially upon us, but Apple has already created a highly desirable market for the new technology, opening up the possibility of a new revenue source for application developers without giving a share to Apple.
Posted On: Thursday, January 28th, 2010 @ 7:18 pm by Ian Tearle
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