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Microsoft's "Native HTML5" nonsense

April 13, 2011 · by Haavard

Another week, another nonsensical marketing claim from Microsoft.

This time they have tried to coin the term "Native HTML5", which basically contradicts the whole idea of the web as non-native and platform-agnostic. You know, the idea the entire web was built on?

HTML5 is not native. It is not supposed to be native. It is silly to even attempt to tie HTML5 to a specific platform.

Some people are making fun of Microsoft's antics, which is all well and good. The idea of "Native HTML5" is that ridiculous. Others are quite harsh in their coverage. I think a combined approach is necessary: Make fun of their obvious attempt to hijack HTML5, while making sure that their claims are also met with clear, factual refutations.

In my opinion, Dean Hachamovitch should be ashamed of himself for signing his name to such a shoddy piece of dishonest marketing nonsense. Call me a grumpy old open web fundamentalist, but I'm getting fed up with this.

Whew, glad to get that off my chest :smile:

Readers' comments 35

Left under the original article, as archived.

  • Krzysztof HankiewiczWednesday, April 13, 2011 11:20:10 AM

    Like I replied to you on twitter, maybe MS is proud that their browser won't need hacks such as html5shiv & modernizr anymore ;-)

  • Opera Community ModeratorWednesday, April 13, 2011 11:33:23 AM

    Be warned that trolls who insist on hijacking the discussion with off-topic comments may be banned.

    -JD

  • sirnh1Wednesday, April 13, 2011 11:41:10 AM

    yeah, microsoft makes it sound that only the latest windows can deliver 'native' html5. Did you know that the 'IE 10 platform preview' refuses to install on windows vista? After you agree with the license you get a message saying that it does not support any os earlier than windows 7.
    (screenshot)

    Yes, native html 5 is soon only for windows 7 :lol:

  • ChirpieWednesday, April 13, 2011 11:41:50 AM

    Yeah, typical Microsoft marketing.

    There's a pretty major difference between saying "we have a new product that we think will change the web" (when all types of devices are able to communicate freely across the web, has the web not changed significantly?) and saying "you can only view the proper web with IE; all the rest are just fake."

    Microsoft always does that. Other companies usually do their marketing without outright deception.

  • Charles SchlossWednesday, April 13, 2011 1:06:41 PM

    Well Microsoft don't have the best track record since IE 6 :wink:

  • Swapnil RustagiWednesday, April 13, 2011 2:08:40 PM

    Microsoft is idiot. The IE team is idiot.
    IE 9 has the least HTML5 support. IE 10 PP1 has the same amount of HTML5 support + some CSS3 features.

    With least HTML5 standards support, they are saying "Native HTML5"???
    And yes, HTML is web coding language, not a feature that only the IE 9 platform supports.

    Internet Explorer 9,???
    It has no special pros when comparing to other browsers and high cons such as IE 9 not supporting Windows XP and IE 10 PP1 not supporting Windows Vista

  • Charles SchlossWednesday, April 13, 2011 3:05:34 PM

    Originally posted by Swapnil99pro:

    not supporting Windows XP


    XP has less than 3 years of support left, and I think IE 9 needs some library versions that are in Vista and up

  • Blaz(ž) PristavWednesday, April 13, 2011 4:54:45 PM

    Hijacking HTML5 and making other browsers suck, sure but still Mozilla, Google and Opera got something to say about that if using common markup, it's not like HTML5 comes from Microsoft alone.

  • Charles SchlossWednesday, April 13, 2011 6:18:31 PM

    Also how can it be "Native HTML5" if HTML 5 is not even a final spec for a few more years

  • OğuzWednesday, April 13, 2011 8:03:56 PM

    "Native HTML5", I think Microsoft will discontinue ActiveX, Flash plug-in support.

  • PengeWednesday, April 13, 2011 8:18:35 PM

    http://arewenativeyet.com/ :bigsmile:

  • Martin RauscherWednesday, April 13, 2011 8:41:11 PM

    You were quoted! http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/13/web_skewers_microsoft_for_native_html5_talk/

  • Thomas Angelbo ChristensenWednesday, April 13, 2011 9:06:08 PM

    Did any of you watch the keynote? I was appalled by the way they were picking on Chrome. Never mind their hardware accelerated canvas implementation (which is ONLY doubling rendering performance - shoddy work imo)... How dare they say stuff like "moving the web forward", snickering and pointing fingers at Chrome - showing off their "super fast" canvas tech-demos - whilst being solely responsible for halting the evolution of the web for a decade?!

    Without Chrome, Opera and FireFox pushing for change, HTML5, canvas or CSS3 wouldn't exist! Way to stay classy...

  • Rafael LuikWednesday, April 13, 2011 11:25:25 PM

    Originally posted by Penge4:

    http://arewenativeyet.com/

    WTF? :p:

    PS: A very good read: http://www.osnews.com/story/23876/Why_the_OS_Matters/

  • JimThursday, April 14, 2011 4:50:42 AM

    Isn't Opera developing a DirectX backend for vega?

    Wouldn't that mean Opera will have "Native HTML5" too? :wizard:

    Originally posted by Penge4:

    http://arewenativeyet.com/



    https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=649408#c2
    .:wizard:

    https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=649408#c47
    Native HTML5 example site

  • gar1tThursday, April 14, 2011 5:19:32 AM

    Sometimes something so incredible comes along that you're forced to make another talking bear video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mXe9nRiPHI

    Please note: Some strong/NSFW language

  • HaavardThursday, April 14, 2011 9:05:53 AM

    Originally posted by toyotabedzrock:

    Wouldn't that mean Opera will have "Native HTML5" too?

    No, not without fish. We need fish.

  • Sn3ipenThursday, April 14, 2011 1:49:12 PM

    So when I am running Opera on Linux I will never be able to experience the same real native HTML5, that my fellas using Windows 7 with IE10 will? I will never be able to get the real deal on my operative system of choice. :no:

    We have to fork the Linux kernel and integrate some rendering engine into it, to get that same native HTML 5 experience.

    Maybe we have to contact Steve Jobs and ask if he can integrate Presto into the underlying Unix Kernel he is using in OS X, so Opera users will get the same native HTML5 experience.

    This man is so full of it. It's just sad. :scared:

  • Charles SchlossThursday, April 14, 2011 1:55:43 PM

    The OS should not matter as the web is cross platform

  • RavnaThursday, April 14, 2011 5:10:59 PM

    You are missing the point. If MS decides to develop HTML5 extensions for IE, who's going to stop them ? If they are somewhat useful, more than a few WebDevs will adopt them. It's a Windows / IE world out there, you know ? I guess it's back to "This site can only be viewed . ."

  • Rafael LuikThursday, April 14, 2011 6:30:00 PM

    Originally posted by toyotabedzrock:

    Native HTML5 example site

    LOL!!! :lol:

  • Charles SchlossThursday, April 14, 2011 7:51:07 PM

    Originally posted by Ravna:

    It's a Windows / IE world out there,


    Not so much any more as smart phone are growing, same with the rest of mobile browsing

  • QuHnoThursday, April 14, 2011 8:12:27 PM

    That is a brilliant viral campaign of MS:

    Put a straw man person on a stage and let him tell something about native HTML5 support - and all the press is full of IE10 news, they even talk about that on the the Mozilla and Opera related web pages ...

  • Cutting SpoonThursday, April 14, 2011 11:28:41 PM

    When most of the press is negative, you're doing it wrong. Because the only people reading most of those articles are in IT. And if the IT people are getting a negative image, they will probably dig in their heels and use IE6 for ten more years.

  • IlidioFriday, April 15, 2011 8:29:29 PM

    Extra extra... new HTML5 Native Logo:
    http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/2702/capturadeecr20110415211.png -

  • Cutting SpoonFriday, April 15, 2011 10:33:00 PM

    Not enough fish.

  • Charles SchlossFriday, April 15, 2011 10:43:57 PM

    Don't go Phishing :wink:

  • Blaz(ž) PristavSaturday, April 16, 2011 8:41:05 AM

    Hi, i have found HTML5 editor, it was donated by IBM to open source, it's not all lost yet or it is, at lest check it if run ok with Opera, cheers :cheers: http://maqetta.org/

  • XP1Saturday, April 16, 2011 11:02:33 AM

    Maybe instead of "Native HTML5", it's "HTML5.NET". :left:

  • NorthgroveSaturday, April 16, 2011 3:57:17 PM

    Hey now, let's let Microsoft keep dreaming that connecting IE 10 to a single version of Windows is a good idea for their marketshare. :wink:

  • Cutting SpoonMonday, April 18, 2011 2:37:08 AM

    Surprisingly few people remember that already, and it didn't do much of anything for Safari's popularity.

  • Charles SchlossMonday, April 18, 2011 3:18:04 AM

    Originally posted by hellspork:

    it didn't do much of anything for Safari's popularity


    true

  • Sn3ipenMonday, April 18, 2011 6:37:50 AM

    Thats only because most Safari users are Apple fanatics and use everything that come out of that company's doors.

    I can also remember that Apple claimed they had introduced allot of features first. The truth was that they already where in Opera, long before that. They simply "forgot" about Opera in their ads.

  • Charles SchlossMonday, April 18, 2011 4:03:09 PM

    I do like Apple a lot tho I rarely use Safari, use Opera way more

  • Hector Macias AyalaTuesday, April 19, 2011 12:39:18 AM

    Mod edit: Off-topic comment removed.

About this article

Published inA Journal from Behind the Trenches
DateApril 13, 2011
AuthorHaavard
Tagsnative, web, html5, dishonesty, marketing, microsoft
OriginalInternet Archive

The Red O » Developers » Haavard » Microsoft's "Native HTML5" nonsense

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