So if you thought Apple was the only force driving the HTML5 bandwagon, you may want to check again. Apple’s getting some support from another major player in the market, and it’s coming from an unlikely source–Microsoft.
We’re well aware that we’re an Apple blog, but news of this magnitude needs to be spread into the Apple-sphere. In a blog spot titled HTML5 Video, the General Manager of Internet Explorer weighs in on the fight between Adobe and Apple. Dean Hachmovitch says, “The future of the web is HTML5. Microsoft is deeply engaged in the HTML5 process with the W3C. HTML5 will be very important in advancing rich, interactive web applications and site design.” Hachmovitch then goes on to explain the importance of HTML5 in playing back videos, as well as the importance of relying on royalty-free codecs such as H.264, so that consumers can be assured that they’ll have access to video without having to rely on other third party plugins.
But, don’t expect Microsoft to throw Adobe under the bus. The article is a measured response to the dicussions surrounding Flash. Hachmovitch concludes by saying, “Flash does have some issues, particularly around reliability, security, and performance. We work closely with engineers at Adobe, sharing information about the issues we know of in ongoing technical discussions. Despite these issues, Flash remains an important part of delivering a good consumer experience on today’s web.” From the sounds of it, Microsoft agrees that video playback needs to be HTML5 compliant, but that putting Flash out to pasture in it’s entirety is a bit premature.
I kind of agree.
Article Via IEBlog
