So Mowser is shutting down.

That’s too bad. Russell Beattie and Mike Rowehl, the two guys behind Mowser, truly understand mobility and mobile web, had the right idea on content adaptation, executed well on the technical side, but failed to execute on the business side. Actually I don’t think they failed on the business side; they just weren’t able to give Mowser sufficient time to succeed.

And in the process, Russ claims that the Mobile Web is dead. And with it goes a similar debacle when Michael Mace wrote Mobile Applications RIP.

And both are wrong. Both contradict themselves. Or should I say, it is all relative; so both are right, and wrong. Which means who cares because we are all right and wrong at the same time. It all depends how you slice the pie.

But Mobile Apps are not RIP, and Mobile Web is not dying. On the contrary, we have more mobile platforms, more advanced browsers, standardization is taking place, overall usage is growing, and the mobile web is growing.

But things move slow in the mobility industry, and not fast enough for Mowser unfortunately.

And good content adaption is needed, even for high-end handsets. Mobile web will never be the same as browsing on the PC/desktop — not because it is a different kind of web, but because it is a different delivery platform, and a different usage pattern.

Yes, mobile web on lower-end phones isn’t great, which is why I keep talking about local applications are better than mobile web when it comes to user experience. And yes, the number of folks with data plans (U.S.) is low today, but again, it is growing.

Running a startup is not an easy thing to do. It is not only about technology, but also about the business model. I understand their frustrations, and it takes a lot of patience to be in the mobile space; it is a shame to see them quit at this point. I wish the Mowser folks would just adapt their business model, and find the right person to run the business side, and press on.

In the meantime, the folks at Mowser are taking bids for their product.

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