Comments on: Guest Post: What I’m Doing This Summer, Part 2

By: Darius Kazemi

Darius Kazemi — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:15:49 +0000

Well, IE8 is the *current* version. IE9 is available as a preview, though. It should be out pretty soon.

By: Max Nichols

Max Nichols — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:14:08 +0000

Turns out I had my IE version numbers mixed up, and was thinking that 8 was still the latest one (and a bit surprised to learn that it didn’t support HTML 5!). I also hadn’t considered the mobile implications.

In short: Touche, on all accounts. I should perhaps spend more time double-checking the key facts of my point before blathering all over your blog.

By: Darius Kazemi

Darius Kazemi — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:37:58 +0000

Not for mobile devices, though. Android and Pre let you package an HTML5 “app” as an application.

Similarly, IE9 has Canvas support. I’d wager that in about a year 75% of desktop browsers (by install base) will support canvas.

By: Max Nichols

Max Nichols — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:34:39 +0000

All true, although I’d say that for contemporary products, games, or applications the HTML 5 dependency of Akihabara renders it completely useless. Nobody can afford to cut out 60% of all internet users by not supporting IE. Even looking a couple years down the road, when HTML 5 support will be standard across all modern browsers, many users, especially those who aren’t “techies,” won’t have bothered to make the switch. I think in many cases, older browser support is gonna trump all of Akihabara’s advantages.

Which is unfortunate.