Apple's MobileMe, SproutCore and Web Apps Bypass Silverlight & Flash

by , 3:15 PM EDT, August 18th, 2008

Apple has developed an architecture in MobileMe that could lead to 3rd party Web apps, similar to how iPhone customers utilize iPhone apps, according to Daniel Dilger at Roughly Drafted on Friday. One of the keys is open source technology; the other is the payment service and business relationship Apple has already developed with its customers via iTunes.

Writing under the pseudonym of Prince McLean, the author explained the origins of HTML, CSS and Ajax and how various Web technologies have made the browser interaction with the Web server more and more interactive over the years.

Lately, Apple has been using the SproutCore - Javascript application framework to build even more robust interaction. Typically, Apple develops these kinds of technologies for its own use, then makes them available to developers.

Apple, seeing the success of the App Store, might well open their MobileMe APIs to developers in order to create a whole new generation of Web applications that customers would find compelling enough to pay for.

While many users think of the Internet as free, once they pay to access it, Mr. Dilger continued, Apple has the benefit of a long term, proven, trusted billing relationship with their customers built upon iTunes, music, movies, TV shows and now the App Store.

While the article is fairly technical regarding Web technologies, it also provides customers and developers some keen insight, especially regarding security, into where Apple is going with its MobileMe technologies. The author also explains how Apple intends to use open source technologies to squeeze out proprietary products that hinder Apple's business relationship with its customers.