Native HTML5: First IE10 Platform Preview Available for Download
IE10 Platform Preview 1, available for download today is the first step in delivering the next wave of progress in native HTML5 support. Web sites and HTML5 run best when they run natively, on a browser optimized for the operating system on your device.
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft had already used platform previews to expose its standards work, from an early IE9 developer look to a fourth IE9 HTML5 preview. IE10 extends that cadence around native HTML5 support as HTML5 interfaces, video, and plugin alternatives were becoming central points of competition.
The release matters because Microsoft is tying web standards support to browser-and-operating-system optimization, while HTML5 is being framed as an alternative to runtimes such as Flash and Silverlight.
First-order effects
- Web developers gain an IE10 test target for native HTML5 work, allowing them to validate sites against Microsoft's next browser engine earlier in its development cycle.
- Microsoft puts IE10's HTML5 support into direct comparison with plugin-based web experiences, affecting developers still weighing Flash or Silverlight against browser-native features.
Second-order effects
- Publishers adopting HTML5 interfaces and video face added pressure to test cross-browser behavior rather than relying on a single proprietary runtime.
- Adobe's Flash runtime and Microsoft's Silverlight face a tougher developer proposition where browser-native HTML5 capabilities meet site requirements.
Third-order effects
- If browser vendors continue shipping standards work through frequent previews, web-platform competition shifts toward implementation quality and operating-system integration rather than standalone runtimes.
- HTML5's advance points toward a more browser-native application layer, though security concerns around the standard's expanding capabilities remain part of that transition.
The trend: Browser makers are using native HTML5 support and rapid developer previews to move web experiences away from proprietary plugins and toward the open web platform.