Opera's Phillip Grønvold has told TechRadar that the arrival of HTML5 over the next few years is 'immensely critical' for the internet, and will change everything from how long our phone batteries last to how the entire web is structured.
Grønvold, a product analyst for browser specialists Opera, is already looking forward to the final HTML5 standards being set, something that is unlikely to happen for 18 months or so.
HTML5 will allow browsers to utilise the computer's hardware more, using things like graphics processors to speed things up and allowing us to phase out plugins like Flash and JavaFX
Immensely critical
"HTML5 is immensely critical for the web," Grønvold said, "What I want to say is the Opera browser in 18 months is almost unrecognisable from Opera as it is now –bringing speed, performance, usability and true web integration.
"That's not so much that there's not the capability in technology but content and services are catching up to really take advantage of what has really been a static and in general over the last 20 years only interpretable language.
"So the problem of the web it that it is interpretable, and written poorly so you always have a web browser that is trying to process code on the fly that's written poorly on a system that's tied to brilliant hardware that if you just did it right would execute it in the blink of an eye."
Your comments (6) Click to add a new comment
fearphage
May 8th 2010
6. @singapura: It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
As predar said, Opera has been banging the HTML5 drum for ages. Only recently have you noticed perhaps as it has crossed path with your Apple-ism.
Alert a moderator
predar
May 8th 2010
5. @singapura: "But you must admit that after their approval in the Appstore they have become much more vocal about their support for HTML5."
No they haven't. They have been promoting HTML5 heavily all along. It's just that you didn't notice until Apple said something about it.
Alert a moderator
noleafclover
May 7th 2010
4. @singapura: The app store approval of Opera Mini is completely unrelated to HTML5 really... Opera Mini uses it's own binary protocol to render stuff sent down directly from Opera's own servers which act (kind of) like a proxy.
In contrast, where HTML5 is concerned Apple would probably never approve Opera *Mobile* because it is a fully blown browser which would "duplicate" what Safari does on the iPhone.
So yeah, completely different things.
Alert a moderator
singapura
May 7th 2010
3. But you must admit that after their approval in the Appstore they have become much more vocal about their support for HTML5. Just now Jobs is playing holy crusader against Adobe.
Alert a moderator
fnsntst
May 7th 2010
2. @singapura
Opera are not "suddenly big fans of HTML5".
In fact, HTML5 started out as a project at Opera Software. Opera also suggested the HTML5 video tag.
Opera has always promoted HTML5. There is nothing new here.
Alert a moderator
singapura
May 7th 2010
1. Aha, the plot thickens. Opera was approved for the iPhone not too long ago, to the astonishment of the tech community. Now they are suddenly big fans of HTML 5. Another ally in Jobs personal crusade against Adobe and Flash.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments