The iPhone may sleep with the fishes

Microsoft has released a new mobile internet technology called Deepfish. Deepfish is an interface for web content on mobile phones and internet devices (read: mobile browser). The app loads full screen thumbnails of webpages and allows users to select an area of the webpage to view in detail. Websites do not have to be ported into a mobile format. The application reportedly utilizes such revolutionary technolgy as:

• A familiar look and feel of web pages on mobile as seen on desktop.
• Bandwidth optimized rendering for faster content delivery.
• Address bar web navigation.
• Intuitive zooming, panning and cue map for quick navigation and browsing.
• Support for simple link navigation and form submission.

So…in other words it’s a browser with a zoom function…

This sounds familiar… where have I heard about this before?

Oh right. Apple’s iPhone (announced in early January) features its Safari web browser which allows users to zoom an pan around websites with the touch of a finger

The main differences? We don’t have full specs since neither have seen a full release (Deepfish is available in a limited beta version) but we know a few things. Deepfish currently require you to navigate with a joystick and keypad while iPhone uses Apple’s touch interface. Deepfish is also missing support for ActiveX controls, AJAX, cookies, Javascript, and HTTP POST. Apple says that the iPhone uses their Safari browser, but isn’t clear about what features will be included. They have already said that the iPhone will probably not run Java because it’s bulky and not as widely used in web sites.

The most important difference in my mind is that Microsoft’s Deepfish can be downloaded onto Windows Mobile devices whereas right now, Apple’s mobile software is only available on their $500-$600 phone which will only be available with the purchase of a 2-year contract from Cingular (AT&T) and will not accept third-party software.

This all feels familiar. When the Macintosh and Windows were first introduced, Apple lost out big time because, although they arguably had a better product, it was a proprietary system. You had to get everything from Apple and everything you got from Apple could only run with other Apple products. Microsoft basically made a copy of the Mac OS (which was only a GUI facade that ran over DOS rather than an operating system) and beat Apple to the market with a more widely available and compatible system.

Getting the picture? Right now the iPhone is doing exactly what the original Macintosh did. It’s really cool, but you’ve got to do things the Apple way in order to own one. Apple has a good chance of loosing this one if they don’t at least make the iPhone available through other carriers.