Apple's New iPad: Making It Complex for HTML5 Developers


Apple's latest device, the new iPad, which has already become a big hit amongst its users, has begun to bother the HTML5 developers around the world, as the device not only complicates the process of HTML5 data storage, but also lacks support for HTML5 files and applications. No doubt, Apple's iPad provides support for HTML5 files and applications, but it goes well with iPad version 2 followed by iPhone 4.
A few months before releasing the new iPad that features a high resolution 'retina display' along with CPU and GPU memory files, Apple released its latest operating system iOS 5.1. With the release of this new operating system nearly 60% of Apple's devices have been upgraded to iOS 5.1.
The HTML5 scoreboard posted by an HTML5 tools providing vendor, Sencha, throws light on how much of the HTML5 elements are present in each of the devices, and how well the devices support them. However, the firm has called the new iPad a "mix bag" as although the device contains a high resolution retina display with sharp text, yet its browser performance is relatively slow and the images, that have not been upgraded to the resolution of the device appears blurry. On the other hand, the iOS 5.1 has disappointed the developers too, by parting away from the constancy of its local Storage and WebSQL.
The HTML5 issues in the new retina iPad
Although the new retina iPad features some of the advance features than that of its previous versions, yet when a test was conducted by Sencha on both iPad 2 and the new iPad using iOS 5.1, it was found that the performance speed of the iPad 2 was three time faster than that of the new retina iPad. The two main reasons behind the difference are discussed below:
  • Complicated HTML5 web data storage:- Since the release of the beta version of iOS 5.1 in the early part of 2011, some of the aspects of the HTML5 local data storage has become limited, and hence the data that was stored locally using HTML 5 data storage element is partly seen in the operating system. This has begun to cause trouble to the developers, who use HTML5 either with WebSQL or with localStorage for storing data. However, this has also doubled the chances of data destruction with the iOS considering this data as a temporary one. This might lead the operating system to destroy the data at any point of time or during the low memory space in the device without any previous notification.

  • However, although developers around the world thought that Apple would fix this bug in their future invention, but the recent announcement of the new iPad came as an utter despair to them, as Apple launched the product without fixing this and the developers found themselves in the same position where they were before the launch of the product.

  • Lacks HTML5 support:- The new Apple iPad that uses the new operating System, iOS 5.1 did not show up any new HTML5 features for its Safari web browser. Although much have been spoken about it before the formal launch of the system, yet it did not carry any new HTML5 driven features or application for its users as well as for the web developers. Hence, iOS 5.1 appeared almost similar to that of its previous version, 5.0. For instance, the Safari version 6 on the Mac systems had Cascading Style Sheet that made designing a web layout simple and attractive for the designers, is found missing from the devices with iOS 5.1.
Conclusion
No doubt, Apple is known for its world class hardware and software products, and we have grown accustomed to its tradition of launching innovative products each year. But the latest launch of new iPad and iOS 5.1, it has diverted from its custom on delivering high -end hardware and an enhanced HTML5 browsing software. Compared to iPad 2, the slow JavaScript performance in the new iPad and removal of HTML5 features from iOS 5.1 has contributed to an overall disappointment for the HTML5 developers.
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