This tutorial takes you through the basics of WAP, and provides all the information you need to create your own WAP pages using the Wireless Markup Language (WML). The WMLScript tutorial that we promised has unfortunately had to be postponed, however. We shall return to it when we have time.
Introduction to WAP
At the time of writing, the backlash against the mobile Internet is going strong. This is in major part a response to the massive hype that accompanied the first WAP-enabled handsets in 1999-2000. Whilst these devices were marketed as windows onto the Internet, their limitations soon became obvious. Not only were they unable to show most Internet content, with little content of their own, they were also very slow to connect and navigate.
At the time of writing, the backlash against the mobile Internet is going strong. This is in major part a response to the massive hype that accompanied the first WAP-enabled handsets in 1999-2000. Whilst these devices were marketed as windows onto the Internet, their limitations soon became obvious. Not only were they unable to show most Internet content, with little content of their own, they were also very slow to connect and navigate.
This backlash is itself a creature of hype, however; as out of touch as the original euphoria. In a world grown accustomed to the capabilities of the wired Internet, it is easy to forget that the mobile Internet is still at a very early stage of development. In the next five years we will see much faster, 'always-on' networks. We will also see a range of functions taking advantage of browser location-awareness, providing services tailored just for portables. So, the mobile Internet is going to have a strong future. And - as with the wired Internet - the most successful developers will be those who get in early, ahead of the crowd...