Just Browsing

Apple Ramps Up Its iPhone RIA Platform

While industry observers focus on AIR and Silverlight, efforts by Adobe and Microsoft respectively to implement their vision of a more compelling web experience, Apple is slowly slipping in through the backdoor. The other day I hypothesized that Apple’s aggressive tactics for pushing Safari on Windows users were all about plans to turn WebKit into a ubiquitous application runtime. After all, they are clearly intent on adding features to their browser that enhance its viability as a Rich Internet Application (RIA) platform.

Now, based on some tests run by one of its readers, The Unofficial Apple Weblog is suggesting that the next iPhone firmware release will include support for offline storage.  As speculation goes, this is pretty plausible. If true, it would represent a huge step forward for Safari as an alternative to the recently announced iPhone SDK. Once I can run my apps without constant network connectivity and store data locally where appropriate, the advantages of web apps will start to shine through: ease of installation, adherence to standards, multiplatform support and the like. Many web developers who might be disinclined to learn XCode and Cocoa will be in a much better position to get their apps on the iPhone, with the assurance that they will also run on OS X and even Windows (provided users succumb to the pressure to install Safari).

It’s interesting that Apple is relying on HTML 5 to launch its attack. In a way this positions it as an ally of Opera and Mozilla, the other vendors most committed to the standard. Interoperability with other browsers will be a powerful stick to beat up Adobe and Microsoft. And Apple doubtless believes that its formidable engineering muscle and control of the iPhone platform will give it a leg up when it comes to gaining market share down the road from its current comrades-in-arms.