Handheld Learning

There's a new kid on the block aiming for the crown of the ultimate browser for mobile devices providing a desktop experience on your windows mobile smartphone or PDA. Symbian and other platform editions are on their way.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4mWUoxiLZFc&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/4mWUoxiLZFc&rel=0</a>

The makers claim that it is the first mobile browser fully compatible with technologies such as asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX), Java, and embedded Flash.

Currently it's a free download for US users only and from the spec should give Opera a run for it's money...

More info at:
http://www.skyfire.com/

I've been using for a while now on my N95 and I kinda like the concept, especially being able to access Flash but after a while I remember why I design and develop specifically for the mobile environment. The usability is a problem as is the system drain.

It's a niche tool not a solution. The idea of a 'desktop experience' on mobile is 21st Century snake oil. Even the iPhone is not a desktop experience, still lots of scrolling, lots of zooming and lots of things not working e.g. Flash.

The biggest concern is that packaging these tools (and I think they have a role in mobile development) as the 'desktop brought to the mobile' does the mobile environment a dis-service. Its new and exciting but if all we want to do is replicate what we have already done - then where is the innovation? Where is the room for new learning ideas?

I'm finding Skyfire to be really promising but really slow to load. Looking around the american forums on the subject that seems to be a prevailing view for most users. Hopefully future iterations will solve the problem.
Also, it says it can work through my wireless connection rather than my 3G, this doesn't seem to work and their technical support have not got back to me for nearly a week.

Just worth bearing in mind. Definitely a bit of software to watch though.

ST