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A NeoGAF iPhone Web App
- Thread starter ckohler
- Start date
- Status
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I just hope this version of the app remains available to those who might prefer it. Even if ads are just clumsily inserted. I love the feel of this one.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
It just looks and feels so nice on my iPad, what can I say.
FormallyMegadrive
Member
Put it on github or something then? Let people host their own.
ckohler is probably going to allow themes after release, so there could be a 'v1.0' or 'iOS' theme that mimics the current style.
I just don't see a good reason to go and host separate versions of the same service simply for visual interface nitpicking, esp. when a viable workaround (css editing) will be available.
FormallyMegadrive
Member
I meant have this current version as a legacy version and continue to update. Unless he doesn't want to release the code, which is understandable, there's no reason not to.
I've addressed this in the past. To make it run full screen on iOS requires more than just a meta-tag or two. It's serious change in the way the entire app works. Without going into all of the details, here's just some of the ways it has to change:
1) The entire app must use JS ONLY to load content. Everything must come from a single URL ("index.php", for example).
2) Because everything remains on a single URL, if you leave the app you have to then have the web app remember where you were last so when you reopen that index page again, it loads where you were.
3) There would no longer be a refresh button. I would have to build one.
4) There would no longer be a progress indicator when stuff is loading. I would have to build one.
5) Any time you click a link to an external website, you must leave the web app and open Safari. To get back to the web app, you have to exit Safari and reclick the button on the home screen versus just hitting the back button.
6) Loading everything dynamically using JS could make this less compatible on less JS savvy browsers (DS, PSP, whatever).
All this so what? So iOS users (only) save about 50 pixels of space on their screen? It's not worth the trade offs.
I hadn't decided. I was thinking of making the quotes next to posts be multiquote only and the user having to click the Reply button to begin a new reply. However, I might use your mockup instead.
I want to know your opinion also. It's your website, after all.
This is very clever. I will definately look into this technique. Also, I don't think it would download the low res images. The iOS specific CSS comes after the default, so it would override them.
^Quadruple post! This is what happens when we don't have multi-quote on our phones. 
assuming your posting from the web app, lol
These are very good points. Don't think it's anywhere near worth it.
If it doesn't all fit in nicely (having two buttons) I think that'll be the only way. Hopefully two buttons will work well enough to have it that way, though.
well since people seem to be taking my 5 minute photoshop seriously I decided to clean it up.
The point I was trying to make wasn't to make it looks like Windows Phone or whatever it was more to just to make it look like gaf and less like an iPhone.
(click to embiggen)
and here's an example of how it might look with an ad (that I found on Google images)
edit: lol used the old logo. oops. well you get the idea.
Wanna throw my hat into the ring to say this design is by far my favorite. Seems platform neutral and easy on the eyes.
Houston3000
Member
I am having the same issue. The site no longer works in Opera Mobile for me (same issue as you)...
It's a real bummer because the default Android browser is shit in comparison. Especially annoying since Opera's set as my default so everytime I click a link in the Android browser it asks which browser it wants me to loas :-/
Treefingers
Member
I think Evilore has said he doesn't want to charge people so ads are not going away.
true. I use it on more non-ios devices than ios ones.
While I'm here - can we have slightly bigger buttons on Vita? They're so small and close to the edges of the screen they make interacting with them difficult. Otherwise the large landscape page makes reading a pleasure.
I like this a lot. Might be a bit finicky, and I prefer big buttons rather than close smaller ones, but I like.Forgot to ask this earlier, but ckohler, how will you be implementing multi-quote functionality? I assume there'll be two buttons (one for multi-quote and one for reply/quote?).
Also, I realize that there currently is no way to link to a users single post. You can click on the post # for a view of a single post here (top right), but there's no way to view or link to that in the mobile version.
I had done this mockup earlier (when using the angled gaf design) as a way to separate the Post# from the post date, so it could be a tappable area. I think it's really a necessary function to view single-posts.
Diprosalic
Banned
somebody should change the title of this thread since this works with pretty much all mobile devices. might make more non iphone users to check this out.
thanks for the app, good work.
thanks for the app, good work.
There will be no version without ads, unfortunately.
I think the only way this would be possible is if someone like Juice is contracted to go and make an iPhone/Android application for $1-5 bucks that would be a separate thing from the web app, and ad-free.
I don't see that happening soon, unfortunately. I'd still love an iOS app to be made some time, there's just so much more you can do in terms of functionality and visual design, but oh well.
Good point.
My post right above yours sort of answers that question. Juice made one for iOS a few years back which never got approved by Apple, but eventually it just died out.
The web app came along and seemed to provide a good enough experience across every type of mobile device, along with the big OS's, so the OS centric application idea kinda got nipped.
Like I said though, if someone like Juice (or you, if I didn't misunderstand) was willing to make android/iOS app versions, I don't see why not.
The issue is just that enough people are satisfied with the web app to avoid time investment and development into an iOS/android app. I'd love to see a GAF GOLD app for Android and iOS later down the line without ads, for a fee of a few dollars. Evil is pretty against the idea, but once this web app is all done and goes official, that topic could be given light again and open for re-discussion.
Sorry for the DP, but does anyone know if there's a way to apply custom icon thumbs when pinning a site to your home screen? I want to have it look something like this;
(rather than this)
Anyone know of a safari trick or something to do this? I'm jailbroken, too, if that helps. Just don't like how the grey BG ball logo is gelling with the rest of home screen.
(rather than this)
Anyone know of a safari trick or something to do this? I'm jailbroken, too, if that helps. Just don't like how the grey BG ball logo is gelling with the rest of home screen.
Treefingers
Member
Change /var/mobile/Library/WebClips/*some random numbers*/icon.png, that's where the icon is saved.
Mind sharing the icon btw? Looks much nicer imo.
Edit: For future reference Sentry found that the above doesn't work since iOS will update the icon when you launch the web app. Don't think there's a solution unfortunately.
That worked, thanks! It's kinda rough but here you go;
[EDIT] Damnit, OCD got to the best of me and I redid it, this version looks better imo;
Download here if you want it.
Yup.. So you didn't find a solution either, eh? It's too bad, thanks again though.
I'm still sporting it though, and just not opening it from that icon, :lol. Looks nice enough, maybe ckohler could replace the current default icon to this, if enough people dig it over the other one.
The Lamonster
Member
What is the advantage of having an application instead of the mobile site? Seems like the same thing to me except we have to look at ugly ads.
Huh? There is no application. This is a mobile version of the site.
Here you go.
You can actually;
Code:
<head>
<title>NeoGAF</title>
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="http://cl.ly/EE9x/icon.png"/>
</head>Might be wrong, but I think that's how you do it.
There is no app version, what you see in my screenshot is a feature in Safari where you can pin any website to the home screen, so you tap on the icon and it opens up that link. Basically bookmarks on the springboard.
Treefingers
Member
That's exactly the control he has over the home screen icon.
(Except, as Sentry pointed out, it's different from a favicon)I think he means what would an app offer over a web app? The main advantages would be performance and OS integration, the obvious big disadvantage is that it would be specific to only one OS.
Treefingers
Member
Great news (both of them)! Very excited.
There are other disadvantages that have already mentioned (updates, for example). The biggest reason is so it works on any mobile device, though.
Hot diggity dawg!
Also I think you should use ellipsis instead of a 9 point pattern for the options menu. The 9 points reminds me of the app drawer in android.
there's this one webapp i have that doesn't even appear to open in safari (there's no url bar, etc. and safari runs as a separate app). it's like it is an actual app. how do people do that? i think it would be really awesome to have the neogaf one do that. the webapp that does this also has a cool icon. it's almost like an app that bypasses the app store and uses the safari engine to render itself.
Good Job Bob
Member
Awesome news.
Awesome! Glad you're using D4's style, If you're going to go with a toolbar approach D4's is definitely more streamlined/simple imo. Good stuff!
Yup, it would have to be its totally own thing, as everything from controls to UI would need to be different to tai advantage of touch and gesture features that can't be done in a web app.
Juice or someone else may eventually start something like that up, a price gaf gold app or something, but that's a long ways off imo.
Let's just get this all nice and done first, the web app is great for its universal accessibility.
No, I actually did this by messing with the .plst file to make it open without all that, but there are several problems (as ckohler already covered).
Off the top of my head though, when I used it first hand, there's no ability to open new tabs or open threads in background (you have to jump to safari for anything), and no way to refresh page making it almost unusable.
I was thinking he meant this one. (and he said ALMSOT zero imagesYou mean this one?
How would you do the menu icons with no images? Just curious.
)ah, i forgot about tabs and stuff. i guess those would have to incorporated into the webapp itself so that would require some work.
I'm tinkering with having iPad like popover menu buttons instead of a toolbar of icons. No images needed. It'll make sense when you see it.
Sounds cool. Anything that will speed up loading on my slow 3G connection is fine by me.
Ahhh, sounds neat!
hey, cool. I look forward to seeing the final app.
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