Comrades the mobile revolution is here! Well at least the cover article I wrote, entitled “The Mobile Revolution” .net magazine is now on newsstands.
From the article:
“The Mobile web *will* revolutionize how we gather information within the next few years. With growing interest, better browsers, broadband data speeds and location-based services available today… are you ready?”
It isn’t just idle speculation by a mobile geek. 20% of mankind has access to the Internet through a mobile device today. Think about that for a second, 1.3 billion, that is an enormously big number. Especially considering there are just half as many PCs on the Internet.
Forget about the small screens, limited input and slow speeds of today, you have to admit that we are in the midst of one of the greatest consumer electronics revolutions of our time. When you think that one-fifth of the population has a little personal computer in their pocket, that they carry with them all the time, that opens up a the possibilities to those of us designing and developing content for the web.”
In the article you can expect to read more about:
- The state of the mobile web design
- Getting started with the mobile web
- What the web standards developer needs to know
- Creating mobile stylesheets and mobile specific sites
- Even some simple mobile publishing tools
- Some do’s and don’ts of mobile web design
- What to do with dozens of mobile web browsers
- The device detection dilemma
- and 10 sites you need to bookmark
Check out the full article by picking up Issue 158 at your local newsstand or online.
Oh, yes, revolution… Does the fact that 20% of mankind has access to mobile devices mean that they all want to browse the web on them? There are useful services, and no doubt there will be more of them, but I wouldn’t dare to call it revolution. Notebook computers now outsell desktops, what does it mean for the revolution?
@Rimantas, I think what it means is that people are getting more and more used to the idea of having their information at their finger tips rather then having to go sit down at a desk to get it.
The rise of notebook computers is a symptom of that.
Not everyone may be flocking to the mobile web now but you need people to pave the way.
@Brian, sounds like a great article. I’ll swing by B&N tonight and see if they have it.
Rimantas:
Good question. And obviously for us spoiled with ubiquitous broadband coverage the mobile web makes for a poor cousin. But as I state in my article and in my various talks, the Web is on the verge of being contextualized to the real world using location-based technology.
The convenience of readily available information from the Web based on your location, the location of services, or even your friends and family, will produce a massive revolution in how we gather information.
I predict that combined with the massive numbers of people that have access today (over double the number of people with Internet access) that it will create a seachange in adoption and usage.
You also have to keep in mind that the Internet is largely based in Western culture. Developing nations and rural areas depend on the mobile web as their primary gateway to what we take for granted.
The Economist has a cool story about how mobile web has just taken off in East Africa. <a href=”http://www.economist.com/theworldin/middleeastafrica/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8131199&d=2007” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.economist.com/theworldin/middleeastafrica/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8131199&d=2007</a>
Also…I have been chatting with a web developer from Nigeria who I met on the blogosphere. He made the point that its rare to find uninterrupted power in some of the more developing parts of the world. This makes using a mobile phone even more opportune. You don’t have to worry about it when the power in your house shuts off.
Good read. Thanks.
guess I’d prefer web-designing through my pc. but then again, people used to say “they prefer to read newspapers rather than reading it online..” XD
Good read, thanks. I’m going to e-mail this to a few friends.