Facebook 2.0 for iPhone edges closer to web version
After being criticized for giving users a "light" version of its social network, Facebook on Tuesday launched its version 2.0 app (free, App Store) for iPhone and iPod touch.
The update adds many of the missing features from the web version to the native mobile app, including the complete news and mini feeds, the ability to find and approve new friends, and attachments with messages. It's now more feature-rich than the iPhone's web app, Facebook argues.
Photo management has also been given a boost and lets members post photos directly to friends' Walls as well as caption and tag shots.
The Palo Alto-based developer also claims much improved speed and crash resistance compared to 1.x builds.
The update adds many of the missing features from the web version to the native mobile app, including the complete news and mini feeds, the ability to find and approve new friends, and attachments with messages. It's now more feature-rich than the iPhone's web app, Facebook argues.
Photo management has also been given a boost and lets members post photos directly to friends' Walls as well as caption and tag shots.
The Palo Alto-based developer also claims much improved speed and crash resistance compared to 1.x builds.
Comments
It's one of the best apps on my phone. A+.
Isn't the whole idea of the Iphone that you can visit sites like this naively in the browser? Why do we need an app to do this for us?
Isn't the whole idea of the Iphone that you can visit sites like this naively in the browser? Why do we need an app to do this for us?
The same reason Apple didn't just put Mac OS X on the phone. It can be done but that doesn't mean it's the best solution.
Facebook is designed for a larger screen with a keyboard and a mouse. Facebook for iPhone is optimized to be easily used with the phones UI requirements.
The same reason Apple didn't just put Mac OS X on the phone. It can be done but that doesn't mean it's the best solution.
Facebook is designed for a larger screen with a keyboard and a mouse. Facebook for iPhone is optimized to be easily used with the phones UI requirements.
But when you visit Facebook with Safari on the iPhone, you get their iPhone version of Facebook, and that one is clearly designed for iPhone. I haven't compared the new application and the website, but to me it seems like they are pretty much the same thing.
It seems a bit redundant and hard to maintain both an application and a iPhone version of the same thing, but as long as I got access to Facebook via my iPhone, I'm happy! I have never used Facebook this much before I got it in my phone.
But when you visit Facebook with Safari on the iPhone, you get their iPhone version of Facebook, and that one is clearly designed for iPhone. I haven't compared the new application and the website, but to me it seems like they are pretty much the same thing.
It seems a bit redundant and hard to maintain both an application and a iPhone version of the same thing, but as long as I got access to Facebook via my iPhone, I'm happy! I have never used Facebook this much before I got it in my phone.
At the bottom their is the option to revert to the standard Faebook site if you choose.
I'm sure the mobile Facebook page can be used on any phone that runs full HTML. While the app can only be used on the iPhone.
If you look close enough you can revert to normal facebook ie as it would be displayed on your desktop machine. Up until now I have just done that as the app is as they say too 'lite' but I will definatley check this new version.
Th new version of the app is a huge improvement. In some ways though I could appreciate how lite the first version ways. It was very streamlined and easy to use.
But when you visit Facebook with Safari on the iPhone, you get their iPhone version of Facebook, and that one is clearly designed for iPhone. I haven't compared the new application and the website, but to me it seems like they are pretty much the same thing.
It seems a bit redundant and hard to maintain both an application and a iPhone version of the same thing, but as long as I got access to Facebook via my iPhone, I'm happy! I have never used Facebook this much before I got it in my phone.
Different interfaces demand different solutions to get at the backend offerings.
The Web Interface of an application like Quicken would be much different than the native client version which harnesses the power of the operating system it sits on top.
Don't even throw out the Javascript AJAX clients as being remotely comparable.