SPECULATION: iPad 2 will Announce Support for Safari JS Extensions...

[Cleverboy]

Heh, heh. I just wanted to throw that out there so I can point back at it in the slim chance that I'm correct.

Here's what I'm thinking. Ready?

1. Safari on iOS 5 will support Safari extensions ( http://extensions.apple.com ).

2. Apple will announce this on March 2.

3. Amongst two powerful and interesting examples, Apple will announce what will become a very popular extension that allows Flash playback in the browser.

Where do you folks think this falls in the realm of possibility?

In the end, Safari extensions on iOS has even broader implications, as it allows users to use their mobile Safari in even more dynamic ways.

Some thoughts.

~ CB

 

[GFLPraxis]

Won't happen.

Apple could just as easily just add Flash to the iPad.

The point of not supporting it is not to be a stick in the mud- they're trying to break corporate reliance on it, as an unnecessary and obsolete technology barring certain applications (mostly games). Flash doesn't have to and shouldn't be used for video delivery, but as long as it is in place, companies don't feel the need to spend the money needed to get rid of it as long as it works. It has to not work on iProducts for progress to be made.

If Apple puts some kind of shoddy solution like this in place, you can bet that Flash will remain in place for years to come. The point is to eliminate the web's dependence on Flash, and honestly, the iPad has greatly improved the web for me in general by making many web sites move away from Flash.


(That said, I can totally see them adding extensions support in to Safari. I just can't see them getting up on the stage and saying, 'hey everyone, use Smokescreen!')

 

[Cleverboy]

Won't happen.

Apple could just as easily just add Flash to the iPad.

The point of not supporting it is not to be a stick in the mud- they're trying to break corporate reliance on it, as an unnecessary and obsolete technology barring certain applications (mostly games). Flash doesn't have to and shouldn't be used for video delivery, but as long as it is in place, companies don't feel the need to spend the money needed to get rid of it as long as it works. It has to not work on iProducts for progress to be made.

If Apple puts some kind of shoddy solution like this in place, you can bet that Flash will remain in place for years to come. The point is to eliminate the web's dependence on Flash, and honestly, the iPad has greatly improved the web for me in general by making many web sites move away from Flash.

You're right.

~ CB

 

[alex2792]

If Apple does that I'm buying iPad 2 day one. I want a table that can browse ALL websites.

 

[JulianL]

I've wondered about, and hoped for, extensions in iOS Safari for a while. I want it so that I can get things like the LastPass password manager fully integrated into my browser.

One possibility for Apple would be to allow extensions, but to only allow them to be installable via an extensions section of the app store. Apple could claim that this gives users the easiest possible experience for finding extensions that they know they can trust and installing them with a single click (i.e. typical marketing spin) but it would also mean that Apple gets the chance to approve or reject every extension that wants to support iOS Safari and so they can block any third party stuff that tries to get Flash or anything else that Apple doesn't like into the browser. It also gives Apple a small extra revenue stream if it takes a 30% cut from any non-free extensions.

I'd happily pay a few bucks for a full LastPass extension and also a few more bucks for an extension that put a proper tab bar into Safari (although Apple really should be doing that last bit itself in the basic Safari app). I'd probably also pay for an XMarks extension to synchronise my bookmarks with Firefox on my desktop PC.

- Julian

 

[Cleverboy]

I'd happily pay a few bucks for a full LastPass extension and also a few more bucks for an extension that put a proper tab bar into Safari (although Apple really should be doing that last bit itself in the basic Safari app). I'd probably also pay for an XMarks extension to synchronise my bookmarks with Firefox on my desktop PC.

Support for free and paid extensions would certainly be nice. I imagine the extensions would have to include targeting "profiles" for the appropriate platforms (desktop, tablet, mobile). I'd hesitate to think Apple would block or not block extensions, as they would all be Javascript based... but I can see how they would control deployment/revokation through the use of certificates as they do now. Today's "bookmarklets" are clearly NOT ENOUGH.

For the sake of security, I could see that being desirable. And, again, I don't see how they'd care to "block" Flash-related extensions. From automatic support for a Javascript Flash runtime to parsing Flash through a local proxy server into some type of interactive media object that funnels interactivity to a small streaming Quicktime of a VNC window... I think its all up to the user at that point.

As long as Apple has NOTHING to do with the extension, I can't see them being too concerned about it if it adheres to all other rules. I think the only true exception Apple might be adamant against, would be taking advantage of a Safari security exploit to execute native binary code from the browser.

(Open) browser extensions (an not "plugins"), if able to maintain an acceptable level of performance, would be a much welcome addition... and competitive advantage... to the entire iOS platform. Safari is already a much more capable browser than its competition on the Android platform (if comments made by Google at the last Google IO is any indication). Moving that further into the realm of customization advances that edge even more, I think. --That Apple has systematized and formalized the development process, and given it its own subdomain of apple.com has always implied this was something of a major initiative for Apple.

~ CB