IP: Re: Studies blame WAP for cell phone woes

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>From: "Eunyoung Kim" <ekim3@gradient.cis.upenn.edu>
>To: <farber@cis.upenn.edu>
>Subject: Re: Studies blame WAP for cell phone woes
>Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 09:55:06 -0400
>
>
>Hi all,
>
>I should've said something about WAP long time ago..
>Since I've worked at WAP industry and there have been so many myths and wrong
>concepts about it.
>
>First of all the WAP does not define any "presentation layer" protocol.
>So WAP does not have any responsibility for bad user interface.
>
>There are two components you need to have to run WAP applications on the 
>phone,
>you need a WAP browser on your phone and your service provider(such as 
>sprint and verizon) need to have gateways which
>translate and transfer different protocols and different character sets 
>depending on your phone capabilities.
>
>User interface is mostly depending on the browser on your phone, also 
>partially depends on
>the interoperation between a Brower and a gateway.
>
>So, don't blame WAP for any bad user interfaces.
>If you ever read WAP standard then you'll realize it WAP does not define it.
>(Well...I haven't check for last six months, so there are slight chance 
>that they may
>make something during that time.)
>WAP includes how to translate from HTML to WML,
>WAP includes how to improve security,
>WAP includes how to maintain persistent connection,
>WAP includes how to support interoperability.
>but WAP does not include standard for user-interface.
>
>Bad user experience is only the limitation of hardware- phone itself.
>(small display and inconvenient input device).
>However, there have been many tries of improving this limitations.
>For example, Smartphones- combination of mobile and palm-
>hasn't make success in the market.
>But, it shows how mobile phone can improve user interfaces.
>I wish I could tell you how next generation phone looks cool...but I can't.
>
>Most of phone in North America does not have more than four lines of display,
>which is definitely not enough to experience a great WAP applications.
>However, people now have a bigger screen and soon color display phone will 
>be introduced
>to North America.
>
>So, don't blame WAP.
>If you willing to use, there are tones of reason that you can enjoy the 
>convenience of WAP.
>Please do not limit your expectation of WAP.
>
>In asia, people do Java game with mobile phone, download from the WAP 
>application
>site and do game, people can download popular songs from WAP phone and 
>enjoy them.
>People shows discount coupons from WAP phone, so you don't have to cut any 
>more
>coupons from weekends newspaper.  You can also get rotary ticket from the 
>WAP applications.
>You can send an important message to your boss in meeting such as "there 
>has been something important changes
>made, don't agree on the current bid".
>
>There are tones of services that haven't been introduced to North America.
>
>And there are around 15,000 users of 2.5G service users in Korea, as you 
>can guess
>as bandwidth grows WAP can do much more than now..
>
>It is too early to judge what WAP can make changes in our daily life.
>
>Prof. Farber,
>if you have any questions about WAP..
>I'll be happy to answer your questions..
>
>Enjoy WAP,
>Regards,
>Eunyoung.



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