Comments on: What will be the Model T of the Mobile Web? http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html Musings on technology, the Web, mobility and beyond Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:47:32 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John S http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-183141 John S Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:16:35 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-183141 I would have to vote for the iPhone as well. There hasn't been a device that has impacted mobile web browsing like it has. I haven't seen the Firefox browser - but I doubt it will be a smooth as Safari on the iPhone.....which is great! I just wish another carrier would pick it up. I would have to vote for the iPhone as well. There hasn’t been a device that has impacted mobile web browsing like it has. I haven’t seen the Firefox browser – but I doubt it will be a smooth as Safari on the iPhone…..which is great! I just wish another carrier would pick it up.

]]> By: Greg Beuthin http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-167762 Greg Beuthin Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:16:33 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-167762 I'll put in my 2 cents for the Openmoko. Sure, it's got a way to go, but it is slated to become a) a mass market device, b) fully extensible. It's still expensive right now, but the price will drop eventually. And if the Openmoko software makes it to a decent level - or Android gets ported - it could be awesome. Or, it could suck because it's too hard to use and relies too much on Linux hacking / coding, so never breaks the mass market. But in reality, a lot of companies / groups are adopting the Openmoko *because* they can develop their own tools on top of a working cell phone / Linux device... I’ll put in my 2 cents for the Openmoko. Sure, it’s got a way to go, but it is slated to become a) a mass market device, b) fully extensible. It’s still expensive right now, but the price will drop eventually. And if the Openmoko software makes it to a decent level – or Android gets ported – it could be awesome.

Or, it could suck because it’s too hard to use and relies too much on Linux hacking / coding, so never breaks the mass market. But in reality, a lot of companies / groups are adopting the Openmoko *because* they can develop their own tools on top of a working cell phone / Linux device…

]]> By: Hudin http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-166784 Hudin Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:21:05 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-166784 That's a tricky question because it depends a great deal on what part of the world you're talking about or the whole world in general? For instance, an iPhone or a RIM device is ubiquitous for mobile web use in the US, whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa, it's any newer Nokia device. Thus what is a Model T is hard to ascertain for the world at large. That’s a tricky question because it depends a great deal on what part of the world you’re talking about or the whole world in general? For instance, an iPhone or a RIM device is ubiquitous for mobile web use in the US, whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa, it’s any newer Nokia device. Thus what is a Model T is hard to ascertain for the world at large.

]]> By: Christopher Blizzard http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-156768 Christopher Blizzard Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:35:18 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-156768 Firefox. As we enter the realm of mobile - a place where we're relatively new but well-equipped to play - we're bring the entire web with us. We're portable, and we're going to run on devices everywhere shortly. Windows mobile, LiMo-based devices with GTK+, Qt-based devices and very likely Symbian as well. We don't care as much about platforms as much as we care about bringing the web - a single web - to everyone. So we'll run pretty much everywhere that doesn't already have a well-integrated, recognizable branded browser, ala Safari or Android. Platforms don't matter. The web matters. Low cost? Check. Recognizable brand? Check. Fits the needs of mobile users? Check. Can be modified to fit the needs of mobile users and a mobile web? Check. I think that over the coming year we'll do fine and we're bringing the web with us. Firefox. As we enter the realm of mobile – a place where we’re relatively new but well-equipped to play – we’re bring the entire web with us. We’re portable, and we’re going to run on devices everywhere shortly. Windows mobile, LiMo-based devices with GTK+, Qt-based devices and very likely Symbian as well. We don’t care as much about platforms as much as we care about bringing the web – a single web – to everyone. So we’ll run pretty much everywhere that doesn’t already have a well-integrated, recognizable branded browser, ala Safari or Android. Platforms don’t matter. The web matters.

Low cost? Check. Recognizable brand? Check. Fits the needs of mobile users? Check. Can be modified to fit the needs of mobile users and a mobile web? Check. I think that over the coming year we’ll do fine and we’re bringing the web with us.

]]> By: Phil Barrett http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-152771 Phil Barrett Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:20:36 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-152771 I would argue that the iphone is the "model T" of the mobile industry because of the cultural impact it's having on society and its influence over all future design of devices and platforms. I would even go as far to say that the iphone will mark the start of the true open mobile web as soon it will no longer be about what device you have - but what platform you are running. Thanks to the iphone, consumers, brands, and marketers are looking at this channel differently. I agree with your assessment that the iphone isn't the "jesus" phone for the industry, but neither was the model T at the time. It was neither affordable for the average person and it came with few options. For example, it only came in black at the time. cheers, Phil. I would argue that the iphone is the “model T” of the mobile industry because of the cultural impact it’s having on society and its influence over all future design of devices and platforms.

I would even go as far to say that the iphone will mark the start of the true open mobile web as soon it will no longer be about what device you have – but what platform you are running. Thanks to the iphone, consumers, brands, and marketers are looking at this channel differently.

I agree with your assessment that the iphone isn’t the “jesus” phone for the industry, but neither was the model T at the time. It was neither affordable for the average person and it came with few options. For example, it only came in black at the time.

cheers,
Phil.

]]> By: Kevin Smith http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-139695 Kevin Smith Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:02:16 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-139695 And then there's Intel's Moblin, Mobilinux, Qtopia, Hildon, etc. ...is it me, or are they all starting to sound like Ikea furniture products? And then there’s Intel’s Moblin, Mobilinux, Qtopia, Hildon, etc. …is it me, or are they all starting to sound like Ikea furniture products?

]]> By: McGuire’s Law » Blog Archive » Business Observations: July 31, 2008 Edition http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-130998 McGuire’s Law » Blog Archive » Business Observations: July 31, 2008 Edition Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:16:15 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-130998 [...] roughly the same question, but with a different twist when he titled one of his posts “What will be the Model T of the mobile web?” Unlike Carlos, Dan doesn’t directly answer his own question, but he does provide some [...] [...] roughly the same question, but with a different twist when he titled one of his posts “What will be the Model T of the mobile web?” Unlike Carlos, Dan doesn’t directly answer his own question, but he does provide some [...]

]]> By: Michael (tm Smith) http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/07/model-t-of-the-mobile-web.html/comment-page-1#comment-128596 Michael (tm Smith) Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:20:43 +0000 http://www.torgo.com/blog/?p=273#comment-128596 Qt-based devices. Qt is an exceptional framework for developing cross-platform and cross-device apps (not just mobile apps), and it now has WebKit as a core component, along with APIs that enable WebKit to be integrated into apps other than just the browser (that is, to enable interactive Web content to be embedded in other apps, and to for WebKit to be used as a rendering engine or "Web engine" or what have you in other apps). And Qt now also ships with a sort of reference-implementation browser UI that has already developed into a quite usable desktop browser -- Arora http://code.google.com/p/arora/ -- which is 100% free/open-source software (unlike the Nokia S60 and mobile Safari). Arora is not yet practical/usable as a mobile browser -- because it lacks, for example, zooming or a small-screen rendering mode -- but it could get there eventually. Qt-based devices. Qt is an exceptional framework for developing cross-platform and cross-device apps (not just mobile apps), and it now has WebKit as a core component, along with APIs that enable WebKit to be integrated into apps other than just the browser (that is, to enable interactive Web content to be embedded in other apps, and to for WebKit to be used as a rendering engine or “Web engine” or what have you in other apps).

And Qt now also ships with a sort of reference-implementation browser UI that has already developed into a quite usable desktop browser — Arora http://code.google.com/p/arora/ — which is 100% free/open-source software (unlike the Nokia S60 and mobile Safari). Arora is not yet practical/usable as a mobile browser — because it lacks, for example, zooming or a small-screen rendering mode — but it could get there eventually.

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