Is HTML5 Viable…Now?
HTML5 sure brings interesting new features, but the main problem, as usual, is browser compatibility. I’m not a huge fan of Flash/Silverlight, but the the truth is that even if they’re not standards, they allow developers to build cross-browser compatible solutions. And most people have the required plugins installed, making it almost a standard.
Now, that is if you consume your content strictly from a desktop computer. We’ll see more and more mobile devices, all with their very own technical limitations. This is where HTML5 can win: offering a unique user experience across multiple devices. That’s what standards are made for.
So, is it viable today? Well, if you build mobile solutions, ignoring HTML5 would be a huge mistake. Otherwise, considering HTML5 only being compatible with Safari, Chrome, Firefox (only some features) and IE9 (not even out yet), I’m not too sure.
Risk is perhaps the biggest issue. The specification has not been finalized and could remain a draft for many years to come. No one knows what could happen — that
articleorheadertag you love using could be scrapped. At least HTML4 and XHTML1.0 have been stable for more than a decade.
Browser support is another problem. All vendors have jumped on the HTML5 bandwagon, but they have their own interpretations and are yet to implement a consistent set of technologies. Microsoft may have announced comprehensive HTML5 support in IE9, but the browser is unlikely to appear until next year and won’t be available on Windows XP. Developers will need to support IE8 and, to a lesser extent, IE7 and IE6 for some time.
Finally, I suspect many developers are reluctant to spend time migrating to a new, largely unproven, and potentially problematic markup language.
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