In Defense of the Blackberry Browser, my email to John Gruber of Daring Fireball
responding to:
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/04/16/blackberry-browser
"
Huh? ★
Mark Spoonauer interviews RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis:
Q: How do you think RIM stacks up to the competition when it comes to your Web browser?
A: I look at it this way. I say that our browser technology was developed with very different requirements. By writing our browser in Java, that provides our CIOs and wireless managers the assurances they need, to allow the browser to access internal information at the same time it accesses external information. So the overriding design criteria for our browser has been to not compromise on that experience in the enterprise phase.
Just me or is that a convoluted way of admitting their web browser blows chunks?
"
I think this one is just you. It's true that their browser predates webkit, and it doesn't perform as well webkit, and part of that is because Webkit is running native code, instead of being done in java.
What he is doing is speaking of the strengths of the RIM browser, the features it does right. Adding tight, secure, integration with java to the browser is a significant accomplishment. Giving the browser access to java code already on the handset, and the user's data, is a significant accomplishment.
RIM opens up verrrrrrry powerful API's to trusted partners, with the right signing, etc.
The blackberry browser has it's strengths, it's the best I've found for reading text. Since the last firmware update I've found running the browser on my curve with a mouse pointer run by the trackball is a pleasure. I love my IPod touch, but it badly needs a trackball as an alternate UI method. The curve browser works one handed too.
Blackberry can proudly talk about the strengths of it's browser. I hope they don't ignore performance, and they really should consider switching to webkit.
Well now that I've typed this much I guess I'll have to blog it too. Darn you for not encouraging people to post comments in a specific place.
-Matt Kanninen
A fan of daring fireball, since the Iphone
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/04/16/blackberry-browser
"
Huh? ★
Mark Spoonauer interviews RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis:
Q: How do you think RIM stacks up to the competition when it comes to your Web browser?
A: I look at it this way. I say that our browser technology was developed with very different requirements. By writing our browser in Java, that provides our CIOs and wireless managers the assurances they need, to allow the browser to access internal information at the same time it accesses external information. So the overriding design criteria for our browser has been to not compromise on that experience in the enterprise phase.
Just me or is that a convoluted way of admitting their web browser blows chunks?
"
I think this one is just you. It's true that their browser predates webkit, and it doesn't perform as well webkit, and part of that is because Webkit is running native code, instead of being done in java.
What he is doing is speaking of the strengths of the RIM browser, the features it does right. Adding tight, secure, integration with java to the browser is a significant accomplishment. Giving the browser access to java code already on the handset, and the user's data, is a significant accomplishment.
RIM opens up verrrrrrry powerful API's to trusted partners, with the right signing, etc.
The blackberry browser has it's strengths, it's the best I've found for reading text. Since the last firmware update I've found running the browser on my curve with a mouse pointer run by the trackball is a pleasure. I love my IPod touch, but it badly needs a trackball as an alternate UI method. The curve browser works one handed too.
Blackberry can proudly talk about the strengths of it's browser. I hope they don't ignore performance, and they really should consider switching to webkit.
Well now that I've typed this much I guess I'll have to blog it too. Darn you for not encouraging people to post comments in a specific place.
-Matt Kanninen
A fan of daring fireball, since the Iphone
posted by Matt Kanninen at
4:26 PM
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