Just trying out a slightly attention grabbing headline.  Of course Google didn’t do anything directly for the Palm Pre, but while I was out on vacation last week (and not blogging), Google did release a significant upgrade to the mobile version of gmail for the iPhone.  What makes it significant is that it makes use of the iPhone browser’s local database capabilities (via Javascript) to provide not only a more responsive UI, but also offline access to email.  All of that is delivered strictly as a web application and therefore bypasses Apple’s app store and it’s approval process (and of course, like any other web app can be upgraded at any time).

Last year I had suggested that this was possibly one way to create a phone that might ultimately beat the iPhone.  That of course is exactly the approach that Palm is taking.  So by showing how powerful a web app can be that actually leverages local storage, Google has given that model a further boost.  Now the big question shifts to where and how such apps will be best distributed because clearly the App Store has proven to be a successful model.  That is no issue for google since it can just promote the gmail app when folks search google from their iphone.  But it will be an issue for other developers and for the Palm Pre.  One interesting possibility would be to have a Palm sponsored but essentially peer-produced directory that is accessible from the top level of the phone.  Excited to see how this will play itself out!

Just trying out a slightly attention grabbing headline.  Of course Google didn’t do anything directly for the Palm Pre, but while I was out on vacation last week (and not blogging), Google did release a significant upgrade to the mobile version of gmail for the iPhone.  What makes it significant is that it makes use of the iPhone browser’s local database capabilities (via Javascript) to provide not only a more responsive UI, but also offline access to email.  All of that is delivered strictly as a web application and therefore bypasses Apple’s app store and it’s approval process (and of course, like any other web app can be upgraded at any time).

Last year I had suggested that this was possibly one way to create a phone that might ultimately beat the iPhone.  That of course is exactly the approach that Palm is taking.  So by showing how powerful a web app can be that actually leverages local storage, Google has given that model a further boost.  Now the big question shifts to where and how such apps will be best distributed because clearly the App Store has proven to be a successful model.  That is no issue for google since it can just promote the gmail app when folks search google from their iphone.  But it will be an issue for other developers and for the Palm Pre.  One interesting possibility would be to have a Palm sponsored but essentially peer-produced directory that is accessible from the top level of the phone.  Excited to see how this will play itself out!