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Opera, Microsoft, and the Mobile Browser Market
DrEspenA writes "Salon has an interesting article on the competition for the mobile phone browser market. Ostensibly the article is about Microsoft's efforts to dominate the market, but the key protagonist is really Opera Software, which may be gaining the (initial) upper hand simply because they are not Microsoft. Good discussion of whether standards and familiarity really is necessary in the mobile browser market."
..If for nothing other than the fact they have a huge ad below this story =D.
It's probably difficult for Microsoft to rule the mobile-marked because they can't seem to find a cellphone with 256 MB of DDR-RAM and a 1 GHz CPU. Not to mention a physical-media like a harddrive for swapping when you are dialing long-distance numbers.
Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
You're not seeing the big picture: it's a fucking telephone.
Clippy: I see your trying to make an emergency phone call...
User: Dammit, my cellphone bluescreened again!
Slashdot user: I bet I could h4x0R the modem and form a cellphone beowulf cluster, but someone said ??? = PROFIT! and then all the cellphones belonged to Bill...
Imagine the largest human library in existance accessible from a device that sits in your pocket.
Just so long as it has in large friendly letters "Don't Panic" on the cover.
On Sendo's leaving Microsoft and using Symbian, where they get the source and are allowed to tweak with it:
Was it a technology problem -- did Microsoft's software work? "It was a not a technology issue," she said. "I cannot go into all the details about it, but our business model is to offer very customized phones so they have something to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, which we cannot offer if we don't have the source code."
Microsoft dismissed this explanation. In an e-mail, Suwanjindar said that Microsoft's "shared source" model "provides partners with the APIs [application programming interfaces] they need in order to customize and develop applications for our platform."
Sendo: We don't like your deal, it isn't flexible enough.
Microsoft: We'll give you our API's.
Sendo: API's aren't as flexible as the full source code.
Microsoft (handwaving): API's will do.
Sendo: No, they won't.
Microsoft (handwaving again): APIs will do.
Sendo: No, they won't! You think you're some kind of jedi, waving your hand like that?
try opera on zaurus..
will make you feel like getting one.. i guess i gotta sell my liver.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Well when you look at the XBox and compare its size to other consoles, physical restraints never stopped them from entering a market, they'll find a way to pack 256 meg of ram and a 1 ghz chip, even it means they have to make the mobile manufacturers sell a brick.
I guess people prefer not having to reboot their phones.
+ +
Your battery is low, please insert
a new one and reboot
[OK] [Cancel]
+ +
``I guess people prefer not having to reboot their phones.''
Not to mention having to insert the Windows CD and entering that CD-key with the phone keypad every time the thing screws up. It reminds me of the series of If MicroSoft Made Cars jokes. Of course everyone knows that the only thing M$ is after making is toaster ovens.
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Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
1) Look for articles with any connection to website layout & design
2) Condemn designers for failing to produce infinitely-flexible text-only sites (bonus: rant about Flash sites)
3) ???
4) PROFIT!