Beyond the question of the iPad, I have to object to promoting a blanket attitude that web developers should shy away from pushing out progressive web technologies just because they aren't yet tried and tested and may not work perfectly on every device.
Although the web's evolution is lightly governed by a slow moving standards consortium, it's really the hackers that push the cutting edge to become new standards that any browser needs to stay relevant. If the developer community shies away from pushing new technologies out of fear and inconvenience, the pace of progress slows. I don't want that to happen.
I applaud the bigger players taking steps toward progress even when it's an investment with not much visible payoff at this point. (cf. HTML5 support on Youtube)
Just remember to know your audience, but don't be afraid to nudge them if they're missing out on something in a legacy browser. Use progressive degradation but don't have too much remorse if there's no legacy alternative and you have a saavy audience.
We're talking about websites, not missile guidance systems. Take risks. In an open system things aren't perfect, but if we stop, things stop moving.
Although the web's evolution is lightly governed by a slow moving standards consortium, it's really the hackers that push the cutting edge to become new standards that any browser needs to stay relevant. If the developer community shies away from pushing new technologies out of fear and inconvenience, the pace of progress slows. I don't want that to happen.
I applaud the bigger players taking steps toward progress even when it's an investment with not much visible payoff at this point. (cf. HTML5 support on Youtube)
Just remember to know your audience, but don't be afraid to nudge them if they're missing out on something in a legacy browser. Use progressive degradation but don't have too much remorse if there's no legacy alternative and you have a saavy audience.
We're talking about websites, not missile guidance systems. Take risks. In an open system things aren't perfect, but if we stop, things stop moving.