6 ms·

Until Google upgrades their apps, or write new ones, that utilized advanced HTML5 capabilities, I have to assume they aren't serious about the platform and neit

Until Google upgrades their apps, or write new ones, that utilized advanced HTML5 capabilities, I have to assume they aren't serious about the platform and neither should anyone else be. They didn't release Android without apps, Chromebooks should get the same treatment.

kzahel 14y ago
Packaged apps (still Chrome canary) now at least have most UDP/TCP socket functionality (when experimental API turned on in flags), so the door is at least open (soon) to more advanced apps.
- MatthewPhillips 14y ago
  It's been open since they did ChromeOS, but Google Talk was the only app they wrote specifically for it. Even today, 95% of Google's apps are firmly HTML4.
  - Evbn 14y ago
    Chrome apps (apps, not websites) use proprietary Chrome APIs beyond HTML. Behind Chrome, Google uses plugins, like webgl for Maps and the Talk plugin for chat. Why does HTML " 5 " matter more than the actual functionality?
andybak 14y ago
Can you be specific about which apps and which html5 features you are referring to?
- MatthewPhillips 14y ago
  All of the normal apps you would get when you buy a new computer or smartphone. Email, calendar, maps, news reader, word processor. Technologies would include things like css transforms, transitions, animations, application cache, indexeddb, file api, canvas, video, full screen... the things that make web apps feel like apps and not web pages.
  - spankalee 14y ago
    Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Reader, Google News, and Google Docs aren't enough? What do CSS transforms have to do with making an app feel like an app? They all work full screen, or you can open them windowed, with no chrome controls. They don't need local file access (though many use it) because they're beginning to store files in Drive. Some of the apps may already use appcache to speed up startup.
    - MatthewPhillips 14y ago
      > Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Reader, Google News, and Google Docs aren't enough? No, they're not. Aside from Maps using WebGL, I don't believe any of those are using anything that can reasonably called "cutting edge", and most of them are relatively unchanged in the last 5 years. Since Google wants developers to built for Chrome, and wants users, companies, and educators to spend money on Chrome, they should show that they themselves are dedicated to Chrome as well. The first party app support is equivalent to releasing Android without a Gmail app, but a shortcut to the browser version.
      - spankalee 14y ago
        Huh? Gmail is the Chrome app. There will never be a separate Chrome version of Gmail. Over time Gmail is using more HTML5 features, but those work on other browsers too.
ditojim 14y ago
Google Apps uses a ton of HTML5. For this reason, they recently discontinued support for Internet Explorer 8: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-plans-to-support-modern-browsers.html http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-plans-to-support-m... What other "web apps" work better these days than Google's? What is your basis for saying Google's apps don't have advanced HTML5 capabilities? Have you heard of Offline Google Drive for example? How do you think they pull that off? HTML5...
- esrauch 14y ago
  The page you linked to says they are discontinuing support for IE7 not IE8.
  - ditojim 14y ago
    good catch...that's last year's announcement. here is the IE8 announcement: http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/09/supporting-modern-browsers-internet.html http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/09/supporting-mod...

kzahel 14y ago

Packaged apps (still Chrome canary) now at least have most UDP/TCP socket functionality (when experimental API turned on in flags), so the door is at least open (soon) to more advanced apps.

MatthewPhillips 14y ago
It's been open since they did ChromeOS, but Google Talk was the only app they wrote specifically for it. Even today, 95% of Google's apps are firmly HTML4.
- Evbn 14y ago
  Chrome apps (apps, not websites) use proprietary Chrome APIs beyond HTML. Behind Chrome, Google uses plugins, like webgl for Maps and the Talk plugin for chat. Why does HTML " 5 " matter more than the actual functionality?

andybak 14y ago

Can you be specific about which apps and which html5 features you are referring to?

MatthewPhillips 14y ago
All of the normal apps you would get when you buy a new computer or smartphone. Email, calendar, maps, news reader, word processor. Technologies would include things like css transforms, transitions, animations, application cache, indexeddb, file api, canvas, video, full screen... the things that make web apps feel like apps and not web pages.
- spankalee 14y ago
  Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Reader, Google News, and Google Docs aren't enough? What do CSS transforms have to do with making an app feel like an app? They all work full screen, or you can open them windowed, with no chrome controls. They don't need local file access (though many use it) because they're beginning to store files in Drive. Some of the apps may already use appcache to speed up startup.
  - MatthewPhillips 14y ago
    > Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Reader, Google News, and Google Docs aren't enough? No, they're not. Aside from Maps using WebGL, I don't believe any of those are using anything that can reasonably called "cutting edge", and most of them are relatively unchanged in the last 5 years. Since Google wants developers to built for Chrome, and wants users, companies, and educators to spend money on Chrome, they should show that they themselves are dedicated to Chrome as well. The first party app support is equivalent to releasing Android without a Gmail app, but a shortcut to the browser version.
    - spankalee 14y ago
      Huh? Gmail is the Chrome app. There will never be a separate Chrome version of Gmail. Over time Gmail is using more HTML5 features, but those work on other browsers too.

ditojim 14y ago

Google Apps uses a ton of HTML5. For this reason, they recently discontinued support for Internet Explorer 8: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-plans-to-support-modern-browsers.html http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-plans-to-support-m... What other "web apps" work better these days than Google's? What is your basis for saying Google's apps don't have advanced HTML5 capabilities? Have you heard of Offline Google Drive for example? How do you think they pull that off? HTML5...

esrauch 14y ago
The page you linked to says they are discontinuing support for IE7 not IE8.
- ditojim 14y ago
  good catch...that's last year's announcement. here is the IE8 announcement: http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/09/supporting-modern-browsers-internet.html http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/09/supporting-mod...