TMCnet News

The HTML5 Revolution

[April 14, 2011]

The HTML5 Revolution

Originally posted on VoIP & Gadgets Blog, here: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/internet/the-html5-revolution.asp.

When Steve Jobs and Apple blocked Adobe Flash from Apple's popular line of mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Apple's main claims against Flash were that it was too processor-heavy, a battery hog, and that HTML5 was a better standard for the future. Rich Tehrani calls it the "Apple Tax". According to the HTTP Archive project, a website that tracks over 17,000 top websites and lets you compare web statistics over time, Flash experienced a 2% drop in usage over the last 4 months. It went from 49% on November 15, 2010 to 47% on March 29, 2011.

The move to HTML5 is clearly on. Rich Tehrani wrote today how investing legend Roger McNamee, managing director and co-founder of Elevation Partners sees a 15 year post-Internet boom cycle due to HTML5. An interesting rosy picture Roger paints simply by the move to HTML5. I think he's being a bit dramatic in the impact of HTML5 (see CNBC video in Rich's post), so I wouldn't start looking for 4.5% unemployment, a 17,000 DOW, a booming economy, and lower deficits just yet.

Nevertheless, HTML5 will certainly have a profound impact on the Internet. Rich adds, "He (Roger) is not excited about the Android market because there is no central control, no anti-virus and a history of apps which have done things like steal credit card numbers. He says Android is like the Wild West. He also posits the question - what if Apple doesn't get 10-15% market-share in tablets but instead 60-70%? He explains then Apple will be the largest hardware company out there by a mile. I must say the points regarding Apple are very good and it is not a given that Apple will lose the share analysts predict. Moreover, I agree that HTML5 presents a major opportunity and listening to this interview made me feel good that TMC is launching an HTML5 development event in New York later this year called Devcon5."

Indeed. if you're interested in HTML5, you definitely should attend Devcon5, the first HTML5-focused conference that I am aware of.