20 April 2008

Nokia Won't Do WM6,
But WM6 Does Nokia??!

It was a surprise to most when Microsoft approached mobile titans and Symbian partners Sony Ericsson and Nokia, pleading them to create devices based upon its Windows Mobile operating system.

Its sent ripples through the industry when Sony Ericsson unveiled its new flagship Xperia1 sporting the latest Windows Mobile version, instead of its in house Symbian UIQ operating system (How about a little support for your own development team, SE??).

It was not unexpected when market share dominant Nokia turned its pedigreed nose and declined, while unveiling new touch capabilities for its powerful open source Symbian S60 platform, infringing on the touch screen domination currently held by Windows Mobile.

Evidently, the mobile world is not done with its year of shock and awe. In a roundabout way, Nokia has not only declined to grace Nokia hardware with Microsoft software, but has placed Nokia software into Microsoft devices, and in a position to dominate and replace its Windows branded competition!

It seems Trolltech, recent acquisition of Nokia and Linux developer group, is a major contributor to the Webkit code, the backbone of the beautiful browsers in the Apple iPhone and Nokia N95. At the same time, Trolltech distributes a variant of the Webkit code called Iris.

Iris is a browser from a company called Torch Mobile for, get this... the Windows Mobile operating system! The biggest weakness to the Windows Mobile platform has been its bloat and its woeful browser. Pocket Internet Explorer is a plodding, clumsy piece of software, and competition has been welcome for quite some time, but to come from a Nokia subsidiary through an open source initiative is ironic and perfect.

It is not farfetched to think that the Iris will become the defacto standard browser for Windows Mobile. Webkit code has already set the standard in mobile viewing experiences with the N95 and iPhone, bringing full desktop browsing to mobiles for the first time, and if implemented properly, should make for an excellent application.

For users of Windows Mobile, Iris is available to download now! Its a trial, but a major improvement from the include offer, and probably worth the money for the full version. For Nokia users, stand proud of your company's proliferation of its heavily patented and totally genius technology, and thumb your nose at Microsoft apologists everywhere, and tell them this:

Microsoft, we don't need you, and you might not want us, but innovation is unstoppable, so its us you shall have.