5 reasons we need mobile websites

In a recent post I have listed five reasons light mobile versions of websites are necessary for current and near future mobile devices. Of course hardware and software change so rapidly that I am going to play it safe and state that everything is possible. For this reason, here is five reasons that for our mobile devices we need light versions of classic websites:

5 reasons mobile websites are not necessary

Amid the Atom news frenzy from Intel in Shangai this week and the release of mobile device software like Google’s Android OS and the Skyfire browser for Windows Mobile, it is evident that probably very soon we will all have some form of web browser on our mobile devices.

After reading an interesting post at UMPCportal, I have to admit that the question whether mobile devices will handle the web in its full PC-like form or a lighter mobile version is a crucial one. If you think about it, we talk about two completely different levels of complexity. I will not pretend to be an expert that knows what will happen, but here is five reasons that the mobile experience will be identical or near-identical to what we now have on our PC:

Chrysler to have Internet as standard in all its cars

Chrysler does not only want to rely on car design for its future. As a result, full Internet functionality will be added to existing models this year and later on will be installed from the assembly line throughout the model range.

It is doubtful that this is a response to BMW’s plans for Internet in its new X6 model. By all signs, car gadgetry is taking pivotal role in customer choices and obviously Detroit wants to be in the game.

Proper in-car web access by BMW

It was about time! Modern cars are loaded with super advanced audio-video equipment and sophisticated GPS navigation. But what about simple, humble, good old web surfing?

Now things start to move in this front also, and BMW has presented in the Geneva automotive show its X6 beauty with full web browsing capability integrated from the factory! Imagine that you are traveling somewhere for business and are waiting for that all important email. What do you do? Easy! You park, switch off the engine -web access at front seats is deactivated when the engine is running- and use your BMW’s iDrive feature to browse those all important pages. Presto! No need to slave around in the car with a laptop any more.

Tags, the valuable ingredient of all web content

I have come across this interesting article that presents the latest statistics on YouTube video views in terms of number and spread over time from the initial upload. Most videos have a decent chance of being viewed early, even those from unknown videographers with no previous activity on the site. However, some videos keep drawing the crowds in depth of time, viewers keep coming back again and again.

After billions of hours online, I have also come to the realisation that it is risky to try to put barriers between content types of text, video, photographs or whatever. Thinking about it, I go to certain sites not because of the content type, but because I find the quality high and the experience useful or entertaining. Some sites offer many combined types of content so the division is virtually no-existent, everything is seamlessly integrated in the web page.