(2009-10-08) Webkit Variations

Peter Paul Koch says Senior web thinkers from Alex Russell to Tim Bray have envisioned a bright new future for the Mobile Web based on the argument that "WebKit on Mobile" is taking over, and that, with browser incompatibilities out of the way, developers can concentrate on building compelling web applications. Much as I hate to disagree with them, I feel honour-bound to point out that there is no "WebKit on Mobile." There's iPhone WebKit, Android WebKit, S60 WebKit (at least two versions each), Bolt, Iris, Ozone, and Palm Pre, and I don't doubt that I've overlooked a few minor WebKits along the way. All 10 mobile WebKits I've identified so far are subtly or wildly different. Media queries, especially, which are the most important single technique for creating consistent interfaces across inconsistent devices, have wildly differing support levels. And Acid 3 scores range from a complete fail to 100 out of 100. This is not consistency; it's thinly veiled chaos.