EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: New mobile web browser - Deepfish!
Sorry to quash the irrational exuberance of suspected Zune and Halo 3 announcements, but this one is still big and you're getting it early. There's a new web browser in town for Windows Mobile fans that goes by the name Deepfish.
Context & Ripple Effects
Two days earlier, Microsoft spun off ZenZui's widget-based mobile-browsing effort, leaving a separate route to improve how Windows Mobile users reach web content. Deepfish gives the platform a dedicated browser initiative rather than a widgets-only answer.
The release was also carried by Microsoft Live Labs and Engadget Mobile, indicating that Deepfish was being positioned as a meaningful Windows Mobile product announcement rather than an isolated demo.
First-order effects
- Windows Mobile users gain an additional browser choice, while Deepfish becomes a new Microsoft-backed route for delivering web content on the platform.
Second-order effects
- ZenZui must differentiate its widget-led browsing model from a dedicated browser as both target the same Windows Mobile web-use case.
Third-order effects
- If Microsoft continues to support distinct browsing approaches, Windows Mobile's web experience may fragment between browser and widget interfaces rather than consolidate around one default product.
The trend: Mobile web access is becoming a product layer in its own right, with Windows Mobile hosting competing interface models for reaching online content.