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retroneo

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 22, 2005
769
140
This is a real shame:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/15/apple_ios_throttles_web_apps_on_home_screen/

There's now no offline HTML5 app support outside of the browser in 4.3, and HTML5 apps don't get to use Nitro unlike running in the browser. Apple reportedly is saying they aren't interested in fixing this.

It would be a shame Apple is deprecating web apps, as these provided a truly open way to create real apps for iOS without any censorship or restrictions.
 
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Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
So on the one side we have Apple, for the last 4 years, saying that they're in favor of open web standards. This talk is backed up with example after example after example in products they put out. They have pushed to make mobile Safari the best home for mobile apps every chance they got.

On the other side we have some flaws in the most recent update that could be there for any number of reasons, none of which we know yet.

Ok...so I guess the logical thing to assume is that those flaws are intentional and totally outweigh everything else we've seen from Apple. Great call, Register. :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong, this certainly could be the start of Apple changing its mind. But even if they are doing that the Register deserves a freakin' huge 'Jump to Conclusions' award for calling it before everyone else based on some very weak evidence.

I mean, good for them if that does end up being true. That's, like, real supernatural mind-reading powers they've got if this is indeed the start of a total shift in Apple policy.
 
Aug 26, 2008
1,339
1
So on the one side we have Apple, for the last 4 years, saying that they're in favor of open web standards. This talk is backed up with example after example after example in products they put out. They have pushed to make mobile Safari the best home for mobile apps every chance they got.

On the other side we have some flaws in the most recent update that could be there for any number of reasons, none of which we know yet.

Ok...so I guess the logical thing to assume is that those flaws are intentional and totally outweigh everything else we've seen from Apple. Great call, Register. :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong, this certainly could be the start of Apple changing its mind. But even if they are doing that the Register deserves a freakin' huge 'Jump to Conclusions' award for calling it before everyone else based on some very weak evidence.

I mean, good for them if that does end up being true. That's, like, real supernatural mind-reading powers they've got if this is indeed the start of a total shift in Apple policy.

Apparently you missed the part where the Safari dev team said it won't be changed.
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
I don't expect Apple to be anything less than hypocritical. Face it, Apple is worse than Microsoft ever was. Microsoft actually allowed you to use any browser you wanted.
 

milani

macrumors 68000
Aug 8, 2008
1,666
0
I'm going to give Apple the benefit of the doubt on this one. Every bug report I've submitted regarding web app issues have been fixed in short order. The article points out some legitimate shortfalls (bugs and other shortfalls), but it makes a pretty big jump to assume that Apple is actively undermining web apps in order to promote native app development. That said, these bugs need to be fixed.
 

Lotso

macrumors 6502
Jul 21, 2010
341
0
OC, California
I don't expect Apple to be anything less than hypocritical. Face it, Apple is worse than Microsoft ever was. Microsoft actually allowed you to use any browser you wanted.

Woah woah woah, wait a minute! So your telling me I can't use other browsers other than Safari on my Mac and iOS devices!? I could swear I was using Atomic Browser but I guess Apple just tricked me into falling for they're eveil diabolical plan to make Steve jobs the supreme overlord of the world. :rolleyes:
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
Woah woah woah, wait a minute! So your telling me I can't use other browsers other than Safari on my Mac and iOS devices!? I could swear I was using Atomic Browser but I guess Apple just tricked me into falling for they're eveil diabolical plan to make Steve jobs the supreme overlord of the world. :rolleyes:

All browsers on iOS devices are actually Safari running, just with a different front end. The rendering and backend is still Safari since Apple won't allow anything else.

Only after being threatened by the EU! :eek:

You have always been able to use any browser in Microsoft Windows, the EU didn't change a thing. Unlike draconian Apple. :rolleyes:
 

Lotso

macrumors 6502
Jul 21, 2010
341
0
OC, California
All browsers on iOS devices are actually Safari running, just with a different front end. The rendering and backend is still Safari since Apple won't allow anything else.



You have always been able to use any browser in Microsoft Windows, the EU didn't change a thing. Unlike draconian Apple. :rolleyes:

So what about Opera web browser that sends the web page to they're servers and optimizes it for mobile use? Last time I checked Safari didn't do that. And what about the plethora of browsers for Mac OSX?
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Lotso said:
All browsers on iOS devices are actually Safari running, just with a different front end. The rendering and backend is still Safari since Apple won't allow anything else.



You have always been able to use any browser in Microsoft Windows, the EU didn't change a thing. Unlike draconian Apple. :rolleyes:

So what about Opera web browser that sends the web page to they're servers and optimizes it for mobile use? Last time I checked Safari didn't do that. And what about the plethora of browsers for Mac OSX?

Oh yeah, like as if you can run anything scripted with iOS Opera. It's crippled to the point of being unusable for anything more than news reading. HTTPS doesn't even work properly since you have to send everything to Opera. Apple's draconian restrictions make iOS Opera as useful as an RSS reader.

And what makes you think Apple won't make OSX into iOS restricted like? They are heading down that path right now. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple disallowed other browser in iOS in the next couple of years. The only thing keeping Apple from being that draconian is that Microsoft is giving the big competition in the desktop arena with Windows 7.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Apparently you missed the part where the Safari dev team said it won't be changed.

Yeah, I DID miss that part where they said that. I saw this:

Register said:
This developer reiterates that if Apple didn't specifically introduce these problems in iOS, it's aware of them now. And he says that the Mobile Safari team has indicated the issues will not be fixed.

...where an anonymous person says some other anonymous people "indicated" something to him. Apparently they didn't actually say something, because then they wouldn't have used the word 'indicated.'

So we're left to guess who, exactly, did what to someone else we don't know.

Yeah...sounds like breaking news to me!
 

Lotso

macrumors 6502
Jul 21, 2010
341
0
OC, California
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)



Oh yeah, like as if you can run anything scripted with iOS Opera. It's crippled to the point of being unusable for anything more than news reading. HTTPS doesn't even work properly since you have to send everything to Opera. Apple's draconian restrictions make iOS Opera as useful as an RSS reader.

And what makes you think Apple won't make OSX into iOS restricted like? They are heading down that path right now. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple disallowed other browser in iOS in the next couple of years. The only thing keeping Apple from being that draconian is that Microsoft is giving the big competition in the desktop arena with Windows 7.

Doesn't change the fact that opera does things differently than Safari and Apple allowed it. I don't ever see Apple doing what you are suggesting with Mac OSX. I see the GUI's melding, that's all.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,415
43,304
So on the one side we have Apple, for the last 4 years, saying that they're in favor of open web standards.
They're in favor of open standards as long as those standards don't impact their income. They embrace them only as it helps promote their business.
 

VulchR

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,358
14,217
Scotland
Apparently you missed the part where the Safari dev team said it won't be changed.

I certainly missed it - the post in The Register currently says nothing of the kind. To what source are you referring? :confused:

EDIT: Oops. Found the relevant section in the post. Move on - nothing to see here....:eek:
 
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camelsnot

macrumors 6502
Jan 31, 2011
293
0
lol, web apps

yeah those pesky things that Apple can't skim 30% of. those pesky things that corporations use frequently as an easy way to code applications that are web-aware. Those pesky things that don't need Apple's approval, or $teve Job$ blessing.

Yeah.. those things.


:apple: <- bang
 

camelsnot

macrumors 6502
Jan 31, 2011
293
0
I certainly missed it - the post in The Register currently says nothing of the kind. To what source are you referring? :confused:

read again.. towards the bottom.


If it's a "bug" and they're not going to fix it, it means it's a "feature" they mean to keep or it's just not that important to them to fix it.

Either they are hypocrites or fat, dumb and lazy at Apple. Judging by their tone and the way they're handling their Mac business, I'd say a bit of both.
 

mrblack927

macrumors 6502a
Aug 19, 2008
841
34
Hey here's an idea: Instead of speculating and perpetuating unfounded rumors that apple introduced these bugs on purpose and doesn't intend to fix any of them, why don't we wait a few weeks and see if they fix it? I mean, that would be proof right? They know about the bugs now, but we can't know if they knew about the bugs before now. If 4.3.1 comes out and the bugs aren't fixed. Then you've got your proof (well, strong evidence anyway). When that happens, then you can complain.

My money says it ends up getting fixed. ;)
 

VulchR

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,358
14,217
Scotland
read again.. towards the bottom.


If it's a "bug" and they're not going to fix it, it means it's a "feature" they mean to keep or it's just not that important to them to fix it.

Either they are hypocrites or fat, dumb and lazy at Apple. Judging by their tone and the way they're handling their Mac business, I'd say a bit of both.

Ah - found it now. Thanks, and apologies. If Apple doesn't correct this, then as a user I would not be amused.
 

milani

macrumors 68000
Aug 8, 2008
1,666
0
Hey here's an idea: Instead of speculating and perpetuating unfounded rumors that apple introduced these bugs on purpose and doesn't intend to fix any of them, why don't we wait a few weeks and see if they fix it? I mean, that would be proof right? They know about the bugs now, but we can't know if they knew about the bugs before now. If 4.3.1 comes out and the bugs aren't fixed. Then you've got your proof (well, strong evidence anyway). When that happens, then you can complain.

My money says it ends up getting fixed. ;)

Exactly! Here's a perfect example as a bug being mistaken for a crippled "feature" (or anti-feature).

I was doing an experiment with HTML5 and JS embedded audio in a web app. I found that, when run in Safari, the audio playback would integrate with the iPhone's audio playcontrols and could be played in the background (in other words, you could leave Safari and launch mail or whatever, and the audio would still play).

However, if you clipped said web app to the homescreen and ran the app full screen the audio would not integrate. Now you might be thinking "Apple obviously did that so the music player web apps can't compete with iPod and iTunes". Except that isn't the case.

I took the liberty of writing a bug report (something that 99% of people never do) and, within a day, I had a response from Apple saying that it was a known issue and that it was in the proces of being fixed. Everyone tends to assume the worse - but in reality Apple doesn't have the time nor, I'm sure, the interest in crippling web apps.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
They're in favor of open standards as long as those standards don't impact their income. They embrace them only as it helps promote their business.

I just don't see them trading in lost iPhone sales for more app-store sales.

Not only is the profit on iPhones higher, when they start selling less phones the sale in the store will weaken.

I just don't see them making that trade-off. If this really is on purpose Apple's either way stupider or way smarter than I am, because I don't see how it works out well for them.
 

thetexan

macrumors 6502a
May 11, 2009
720
0
Web apps cut into the profits of Apple.

Imagine when Apple boots Netflix from the app store this summer since Netfix isn't willing to play by Apples forced subscription shenanigans. Netflix could just create a HTML5 web based app to allow subscribers to view their movies in Safari. As long as Apple hampers HTML5 then that won't even be an option.
 

Krevnik

macrumors 601
Sep 8, 2003
4,100
1,308
Hey here's an idea: Instead of speculating and perpetuating unfounded rumors that apple introduced these bugs on purpose and doesn't intend to fix any of them, why don't we wait a few weeks and see if they fix it? I mean, that would be proof right? They know about the bugs now, but we can't know if they knew about the bugs before now. If 4.3.1 comes out and the bugs aren't fixed. Then you've got your proof (well, strong evidence anyway). When that happens, then you can complain.

My money says it ends up getting fixed. ;)

So when a bug like this is found, the timing is everything. The devs are already in the middle of 4.3.1 or whatever it winds up being called. They have some Verizon bugs and reunification of the code base for the iPhone on their plate already. Perhaps they just shut down development on that to go into testing.

They also have iOS 5 in progress, nearly ready for a public preview in April, and a launch in late June or early July.

Now, when the guy claimed it won't be fixed, perhaps we are getting treated to the lie of omission. There isn't a ton of time left where Apple will supply iOS 4 updates. If the fix can't be squeezed into the next bug fix release, odds are good that it won't be fixed in iOS 4. So that would make the article true. Now, that doesn't mean they won't fix it during iOS 5 development or in 5.0.1. Maybe some iOS 5 work already fixes this as a byproduct. In that case, the article would have left out a little bit of information that made the alleged Apple answer logical.

The speed bug is not a regression from 4.2, performance is the same, it just didn't pick up the speed boost. The offline data issue is a regression. This information is gonna determine if they fix it in the 4.x codebase, or do it where they have more breathing room in 5.x. I've worked on products where we pushed bugs into the next major release simply because there wasn't a regression in behavior, so it wouldn't surprise me.
 
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