Next Generation Wireless Applications: Creating Mobile Applications in a Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 World, 2nd Edition

11.13 ON-DEVICE PORTALS

11.13.1 Introduction

The mobile browser is an easy way to deliver services to the mobile. It is probably still the most reliable in terms of device penetration because nearly every mobile on the market now has a browser. However, the browser has several limitations that have led to alternative approaches. Two limitations in particular are:

1. The richness of the user interface of a web page is limited compared to using an embedded programming technology, like Java.
2. Apart from the recent advances with AJAX, it is not possible to pre-fetch data into the browser, especially if a particular website isn't actually being surfed. This is particularly problematic for rich-media solutions where the user would like to access many media clips. Jumping between pages whilst opening and closing media clips is an extremely poor user experience in mobile browsers (and I would argue in desktop browsers – it's no coincidence that iTunes uses an installable client, not a browser).

We cannot dismiss the browser altogether. Its universality is still important for reaching as many users as possible with a particular service. However, in terms of a service strategy, we really have to consider that the browser approach is the lowest common denominator, notwithstanding that some browsers on some devices can support relatively rich pages.

The above limitations have led to the emergence of On-Device Portals (ODPs) for the purpose of offering users a rich media experience, but with the ...