Can HTML5 Replace App?

Everything is repeating itself. Around the mobile Internet ,App is sinking into the desert of heavy capital. Some people thought of HTML5 as the dew in the desert - even if it failed to achieve complete standardization.

Mobile Internet version of "Gods Must Be Crazy," the sequel, the last time the protagonist is the App, now is the HTML5: A nearly 10 years ago was proposed for replace HTML4.01 and XTHML1.0 after walking stumble, until the technology sector in recent years re-become the focus of Web standards version. In this way, we will follow the value of the tangle of idealism, geeks ideological evolution and commercial interests of the industry chain - is ultimately to talk about money - this series of labels to tell the story of a period of about HTML5, the industry favorite ", and it is the story of the people around.

Mozilla, a perhaps cannot be considered a giant of the Internet company, has earned a lot of favor beginning of the--21 century, Mozilla Firefox to make everyone aware of the Microsoft IE is an outdated browser and Firefox predecessors, was with the brutal Microsoft "bundled" victim policy, has won numerous sympathetic ancestor browser--Netscape.

Recently, it made a funny thing, released Firefox OS, a Smartphone operating system. Interesting is not a Mozilla dared enter the OS (operating system) this thing in the field. FirefoxOS is believed to be the first browser-based mobile OS, reduces levels of schema, all rendered in the form of HTML5. It is learnt that pick-up this OS smart phone the lowest price to 300 yuan. "Browser and OS boundaries are blurred. "Mozilla CEO Kovacs" pretentious "to listen developers announced: kids, it's time to get rid of dependence on iOS and Android.

Google is doing a similar thing on. In 2008, Google announced the Chrome OS project, is also based on the browser's PC OS, "Nothing but the Web" concept at the time looked "very crazy, palpitations"; in 2010, with many OEM companies forming laptop products and global launch of the Chrome Web Store, this project there has been substantive progress; for now, Chrome Web Store even has emerged in HTML5 applications that can run offline.

Such situations also appear in domestic--of course they do not the OS, but applications represented by the browser, for the HTML5 publicity has gone beyond simple Web standards itself. If the religious analogy to China Internet industry, then HTML5 undoubtedly is currently the fastest-growing number of followers of faith – the beginning of 2011, members of the global world wide Web standardization organization W3C even a Chinese company names on the list; for now, Baidu, Tencent, qihoo 360, Huawei, UC as companies have already entered, participate in one of the most important work on the HTML5 standard.

It is the mobile Internet version of the sequel to the gods must be crazy, protagonist of the most recent is the App, and now HTML5: A nearly 10 years ago, was used instead of HTML 4.01 and XTHML 1, but stumbled after, until it again became the scientific and technological community in recent years the focus of standard versions of the Internet pages.


We will value, entanglement of idealism, geeks-Yes, the industrial chain evolution and commercial interests, eventually to talking about money--this series of labels to tell about HTML5 media "new favorite", and the story around it.

Why HTML5？

Even if the current HTML5 scenery infinite, has also faced collapse.

In 2003, he was considered to be HTML5 's birthday year. When HTML5 as an alternative concept of HTML4.01, Norway established browser vendors Opera submitted to W3C. But most of W3C members holding voting rights thought that this was a "Crap" 14:8 election results be shut out in the final.


Blow's Opera does not give up, but joint Mozilla companies, such as the establishment of the WHATWG (Web Hypertext application technology working group) and to continue its study of new Web forms and applications, and finally paid off--2007 years, HTML5 accepted by W3C, and become the most important issue within the organization in recent years. For their Opera,W3C assignment, the rescue came back from the edge collapse, standardization of HTML5 team by Opera employees of a number of important positions in development of the HTML5, including the editor-in-Chief which has the final say.

W3C play a crucial role in the standardization process of HTML5

Is Opera's unique position in the W3C HTML5 development, in their team to a "Chief standards officer" rare executive positions, there are also exclusive HTML5 evangelism Division, responsible for the docking of W3C and other peripheral HTML5 organizations work.

From the perspective of the business logic, and textual research on the HTML5-based eco-system value remains to be seen; from the perspective of industrial logic, Internet businesses, or for the vast majority of Internet businesses, turned to HTML5 is inevitable – particularly on the mobile side. Horizontal comparison PC side, richness of development tools, the accumulation of technology and maturity, talent and industry experience, make HTML5 Web-side alternative to Adobe FLASH much more difficult--even if the user is willing to in the case of having to install any ActiveX plug-in, using a variety of rich media and even Internet banking features.



With the popularity of HTML5, Web App about characteristics of cross-platform will become developer choose the decisive factor. Traditional Native App on a mobile terminal (local application), developers of the research and development must be taken for different operating systems, the high cost of and follow-up of client side update must be repacked later passed to the user, step complicated. Also, Native App exists for user consumption cost management costs, storage costs, and performance.


The beauty is that really can use HTML5 to solve--in the end, it's all channels. HTML5 has became mainstream browser of standard, and based on unified HTML/JavaScript/CSS language development of application as long as once development on can entered all browser for distribution--in fact, even is go traditional of App Store or Google Play application shop channels, by more out of a steps that is will underlying with HTML5 development of application "package" became App, time and funds cost also far is less than across system transplantation. 

Aftermarket upgrades and user channels flat may bring additional cost on the server side to the development team, but the proceeds with promoting and maintaining conversion rates compared to oblivion.


"HTML is the basic protocols of the Internet, HTML5 will be the emergence of the Internet's imagination becomes even greater. "Plus as the CTO of UC Liang Jie told computer world reporter, the mobile device will face in the future with multiple operating systems, multiple types of devices, multiple network environments" more than more than three "issue. "We need basic common standards like HTML5 to promote rapid and healthy development of the industry. ”


However, these representatives are hosting the party – HTML5 application platform there is a genuine reason to use HTML5 can only be the industry chain downstream of large development groups.


Rong Tang technology is a mobile game development-focused startups, the first is as a mobile WAP web game started digging won the first pot of gold, the strategic direction of the company now has fully turned to HTML5. "Man, we tried the Android client of game development, but in the end there is no in-depth. "Used to be the air wing Tang technology for network technology executive CEO Li Songtao told reporters, compared with HTML5 can provide cross-platform features, client development cost of the game is clearly too high. "Through social platforms such as Tencent, SINA micro-blog promotion, compared with traditional channels of app store, and save a lot of cost. ”


Infinite marketing company fly extension wireless CEO Chen Chang will HTML5 have rich media to show capacity treated as new opportunities. According to survey data Double Click display, rich media advertising is the average click-through rate of 5 times times more than other forms of advertising. Cross-platform media channels can also bring more performance indicators, advertisers can get length of user interaction and advertising, users ' concerns about the extent of advertising information, interaction is through understanding the most important to the user, such as brand preferences and purchase intentions.


Costs and cross-platform, two key words make the HTML5 Mobile Developer focusing on object; there is no doubt that this is represented by the browser platform vendors would like to see.

So the question is, why the obvious advantages of HTML5 has not been universal in scale?

The Apple paradox

HTML5 will eventually replace the App, and become the future of the mobile Internet.

This proposition has increasingly thrown into people's eyes. While various Native App developer living in dire straits message you will view an infinite zoom, and many people vowed to represent: this is not a bubble.

UC continues to the outside world that the Web App will soon become mainstream, with a supported browser platform of its own data: in September 2011, UC has introduced the first Web application applications App store--UC Center, currently includes more than 300 based on the development of the HTML5 Web App, more than 15 million monthly active users, adding more than 50 million times.

Even more compelling is the late passage of Apple founder Steve Jobs death: Although the Native App gives users a better experience at this stage, but the Web is the future. If the developer is not capable of effective use of Web technologies such as HTML5, that he had left behind.


If someone even jobs are of no account, then he must be insane.

However, there is reason to doubt any "myth". In the past few years, Apple's app store and Google were born in countless classic: angry birds, Flipboard, Instagram ⋯ ⋯--HTML5 applications where are you? Zynga on Facebook? Sorry, Zynga remains most profitable application based on FLASH, and is limited to PC-side.

Reasons of this phenomenon have been generally attributed to "HTML5 standard has not been perfect". But in fact, the root causes behind it far from being a technical problem so simple.

In recent years, there are two landmark events that are considered HTML5, are related to Apple: iPhone released in 2007 refuses to support FLASH only supports HTML5;2011 year, Adobe announced abandonment of the FLASH mobile project in favour of development of HTML5 tools.

HTML5 then wish to become mobile only Web standards. These however proved a fundamental theory: HTML5 is a revolutionary product that even Steve Jobs acknowledged. Its value is not overvalued, nor had been underestimated.

Really fun and dubious is Apple followed by the move. Compared to Google, and even companies such as Microsoft, enthusiastic about HTML5, Apple is making with strong blocking FLASH, diametrically opposed moves pushing HTML5: has not devoted similar Google Web App, building or Opera eco channel, even from iOS4.0, thwarted a series of vital Web API for HTML5.


One of the reasons is not a secret: when in the App Store in its heyday, Apple why risk risk of 30% loss of profits, fostering a alternative nature of the ecosystem? A similar "tricks" there are a lot-video formats in HTML5, Apple has chosen to support MPEG, format owned by a core of private commercial organizations, which obviously runs counter to the HTML5 open source sharing of ideas.

A more reasonable but there was no evidence is, Apple is secretly nurturing its own ecosystem of HTML5, but at the time the App Store has been able to maintain a strong, will not show up.


Force push while blocked, this is known as the "Apple paradox". Broad sense, it describes is not the Apple company incredible moves, but in HTML5 in the game ring, almost all players of a State of mind: hope this open and efficient vector to earlier standardization, for their own use, while guaranteed system of their own interests against malignant impact.

In commercial systems, competition for channels is eternal. Theoretically all platforms after you reach a certain size, will try to seek unique, thus creating eco-closed-loop.

As you can imagine, by a group of the world's top Internet companies to participate in the HTML5 standard-setting process, how big is the Apple paradox probability will occur.

Xie Zibin frequented W3C position meant that he was able to, first line contact information on the process of standardization of HTML5. "In fact merely speak resolves at the browser level, standardization of HTML5 has been basically realized. "He believes that HTML5 has far exceeded the strict definition of the HTML language itself, encompassing most of the W3C technologies, which currently fails to complete the standardized part is precisely from the Web analytic technologies. "New technologies are likely to occur at any time, after discussion was applied to HTML5, makes it more and more mature. For developers, 90% functionality can already realize, now is to see how the rest of the 10% settlement. "The significance of this is the W3C exists at this stage.

However, the seemingly simple 10%, is not easy to achieve. Deep experience as first-line players Xie Zibin, and called the play: cyclical "group". "When you're Apple, Google, Microsoft, mobile, when people wanted to quarrel not really hard to. Of course, after the quarrel is also advance at a time, after all, the ultimate goal is to promote the development of the Internet for all. ”


Promotion Manager, Google developed technology Hu Kun for progress made in the standardization of care are obvious, in itself, is engaged in the work of the Chrome browser and HTML5 extension told reporters he expressed the hope that tomorrow will be able to use to improve the HTML5 features. "For us, is, of course, the sooner the better. But can understand, agree on any new technology standards, is the need to negotiate costs. In addition, middleware vendors support weak will also make HTML5 technology in practical challenges. ”


In 2014, is W3C HTML5 standards programme announced official finish time. "In fact, the scheme comes to an end for HTML5 symbolism even wider, and will not bring substantive changes to the standard itself. "A W3C insiders said," is equivalent to a graduate, got his diploma from the campus, only a fraction of a ceremony. ”

The butterfly effect

Current areas of mobile Internet, is an idealistic role played by HTML5, or, more likely is that it needs to play a role of idealism, even in the case of standardization does not finish.

Just 10% of the "unfinished", brought trouble more than imagined.

When I first started working on HTML5 game development, Li Songtao thought compared to Android client development, costs will be significantly reduced – this is the case, advantages of HTML5 is "a development, distributed more than once", research and development costs are significantly reduced--but the real trouble comes from the test areas. "Although the game can run on different browsers, but because different browsers support different standards, results in a function effect of rendering in different browsers vary. "Li Songtao's team had to repeatedly test against different browser kernel, modify the parameters based on the result. Under this situation, the total cost rising at once.

Another additional costs equally from test areas--intelligent terminal adapter. This Android application development in the infamous "Pocket killer" appears again in HTML5, compared to Android development cost is even higher – because the HTML5 can cover all mobile devices, device types include the Android. "While this is not a standard of problems posed by the lack of uniformity in, but we still hope that there are ways to easily suitable for Terminal model. ”

Integrated computing, Li Songtao found that although the use of HTML5 to develop a game of total cost has been reduced, but can save costs is rather limited. "HTML5 game development, funding threshold and no imagination so low. ”


Rex was a migrant Australia Sydney Chinese developer, worked for a local IT company engaged in the development of the HTML5 work. As a mere employee, he did not need to consider the question of cost of capital--unique to Visual experience is the development effect. "Compared to JAVA and C++, difficulty hand HTML/JavaScript/CSS you sure you want to much smaller. These scripts could not be compared with traditional language to achieve the effect. ”


Drop the W3C standard-setting work, Xie Zibin also often auto oupeng open HTML5 evangelism architects and developer contacts and exchanges with them, having obtained a first-hand feedback on HTML5 development. "At this stage for developers, HTML5 to solve the problem of main commercial channels of distribution. Some technical standards on the problem does still exist, such as the lack of standardization, as well as some advanced rendering of light and shadow effects. "But in the provision of recommendation at the same time, he also felt the Chinese developers enthusiastic about HTML5. "The project fell to the ground, as well as on technical study degree, Chinese developers was walking in front of the world. ”


Li Songtao the views expounded by their own team's performance: iOS to block calls the sound hardware API, browser WebGL and WebSocket is not supported, such thorny issues are astonished at the system level is being solved by technical means to bypass. "Of course, paying the cost, no less. ”


Even if still faced a wide variety of issues, HTML5 is still perceived by many people as "the manna in the desert". "HTML5 will become the cornerstone of the network infrastructure. "Xie Zibin HTML5 was rightly given enough patience and confidence, because in the face of" post-PC era "when the dazzling variety of smart terminal, HTML5 after entering the mature phase of deployment, cross-platform would be unable to reject the temptation of.


This point alone, for habit burdened with a sense of crisis, always imagine 35 years after the industry form the Internet platform manufacturers, would be sufficient to