Web browsing in a wireless environment: Disconnected and asynchronous operation in ARTour Web Express

Abstract

In a previous paper, we described ARTour Web Express, a software system that makes it possible to run World Wide Web applications over wide-area wireless networks. Our earlier paper discussed how our system significantly reduces user cost and response time during online browsing over wireless communications links. Even with these savings, however, users may experience slow performance. This is a result of the inherent delay of wireless communication coupled with congestion in the Internet and Web servers, which cannot be masked from users under the synchronous request/response model of browsing. Furthermore, disconnection - both voluntary and involuntary - is common in the mobile environment, and the standard browsing model provides no support for disconnected operation. This paper describes how ARTour Web Express has been enhanced to support both disconnected and asynchronous operation.