The Sad Story of Secure Mobile Browsing

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=10157' target='_blank'>http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=10157</a><br /><br /></div><i>"As many of our readers know, I am a major proponent of mobile-friendly web design and browsing. Very few browsers in the mobile world are powerful enough to support modern w3c technologies (IE, NetFront, Opera &amp; OpenWave) however they are good enough to do some basic browsing and even have SSL support. But especially in the case of IE (which is used a lot with PocketPCs &amp; WinCE), Microsoft is still bundling a variant of IE 4.0.1 with WinCE...You see, the same rules do not apply in the embedded world as they do in the desktop world. The company that wrote the OS does not have to release updates to faulty software to end users. Its responsibility is solely towards the integrator companies, not end users."</i><br /><br />This article nicely summarizes up the problems in the mobile world, although I'd like to think there's something Microsoft can do more aggressively about it. PIE 4.01 is certainly a dated browser -- and I'd be very happy if Microsoft fixes it sooner or later, and finds a long-term solution to the software patching and distribution problem.

[surur]

I'd be very happy if Microsoft fixes it sooner or later, and finds a long-term solution to the software patching and distribution problem.

Its called Download Agent :twisted:

http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/articles/2005/image/wm2005/wm2005-039.jpg
http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/articles/wm2005-magneto-en.shtml

Apparently MS is quite upset with the OEM's for not providing an WMP 10 update to their devices, as it would have automatically have created millions of people capable of using e.g. Napster to Go and other WM Digital Restrictions Management services. This is their way of removing some control from the OEM's, to further serve their customers (the media producers of course).

Surur

[Mike Dimmick]

My understanding is that the version shipped with Windows CE 4.x and higher is based on Internet Explorer 6.0. There are two (sets of) components available, actually: Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows CE (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wcedsn40/html/cgconinternetexplorer55forwindowscefeatures.asp?frame=true) and Pocket Internet Explorer (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wcedsn40/html/cgconPocketInternetExplorerFeatures.asp?frame=true). See this comparison of features (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wcedsn40/html/cgconSummaryOfBrowserFeatures.asp?frame=true).

Pocket IE on Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition actually has a surprising and unwanted feature. The Eolas patent workaround (http://msdn.microsoft.com/ieupdate/) got implemented. This means that you get an irritating 'Press OK to continue loading this page' message box if the page uses any &lt;object> elements that are initialised with &lt;param> elements.

[Phillip Dyson]

I don't think I would classify MS as upset with the OEMs. Perhaps WM was architected this way to give OEMs incentive to make devices.

The current architecture allows a reasonable (relatively speaking) profit margin to OEMs because they make most of their money off of hardware.

However, now that the arena is maturing and the major players have finally shown themselves, MS can to a more software oriented architecture. Which would include the ability to offer updates and upgrades independantly.

Just a thought.

[surur]

I don't think I would classify MS as upset with the OEMs. Perhaps WM was architected this way to give OEMs incentive to make devices.

The current architecture allows a reasonable (relatively speaking) profit margin to OEMs because they make most of their money off of hardware.

However, now that the arena is maturing and the major players have finally shown themselves, MS can to a more software oriented architecture. Which would include the ability to offer updates and upgrades independantly.

Just a thought.

Or stated differently: First they hook them, then they milk them :wink:

Surur

[Jonathan1]

Mozilla browser to the rescue!! :D

[Phillip Dyson]

I don't think I would classify MS as upset with the OEMs. Perhaps WM was architected this way to give OEMs incentive to make devices.

The current architecture allows a reasonable (relatively speaking) profit margin to OEMs because they make most of their money off of hardware.

However, now that the arena is maturing and the major players have finally shown themselves, MS can to a more software oriented architecture. Which would include the ability to offer updates and upgrades independantly.

Just a thought.

Or stated differently: First they hook them, then they milk them :wink:

Surur

I couldn't have come up with a better synopsis.