Facebook Rolls Out Mobile Initiative, Updates iPhone App With Groups and Places, Says

[sigma8]

I usually don't agree with anything Facebook says or does, but saying "Facebook says iPad is not a mobile device" is a bit sensationalist. Sure, they "said" that, but what they really meant was it's not a phone that people will have with them every minute of every day...and that it's not designed around micro-usages (like checking it for the time, or using it frequently in very short bursts).

iPad is more like a super portable laptop. I'm not going to pull out my ipad every time I want to send a short SMS (if I could...or a really short email). The iPad sees more extended use sessions: reading, browsing, drawing, or gaming. The iPad is also big enough that simply using the website makes perfect sense to me. I don't see a huge point in having an app. Especially since the iPad doesn't have a camera yet--it's not like you could use it to upload a picture you just took... Unless you were using the camera connection kit and an external camera. Plus, it works with the iPhone app if you need a particular feature, like photo uploads.

 

[tripjammer]

I am familiar with it. But I also know that the subset of people who have an iPad, camera connection kit are few. And you do know that you can email photos and videos to facebook to upload right?

Dude there are photo\video transfer apps for the ipad\iphone and they work. You don't need a camera connection kit or a camera to get video\photos on the ipad.

One of the best apps is Photo Transfer
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-transfer-app/id365152940?mt=8

 

[tripjammer]

I'll second that. The Facebook website works great on the iPad.
On a related note, I was happy and surprised by how few mobile sites I am forced to see on my iPad. I expected it to be similar to the iPhone. I dislike many mobile sites and am happy not to see them.

They need to make the app universal...and make it so cool and different...they need to make a statement. Facebook need to stay on the cutting edge.

 

[iWonderwhy]

Lost respect for Facecrook after seeing what this Firesheep extension can do.

 

[spazzcat]

right, you have photos in the photos app, but where did they come from? You upload to facebook before you put them on your iPad. You sync your iPad with your desktop, you HAVE TO. So the thinking is that you have the photos on your primary computer as well.

I see no reason why it's a no brainer. Clearly, Facebook agrees with me.

I have several photos on my iPad were transferred from my camera. I've been in meetings where I have taken a photo transferred it my ipad and emailed it out, while still in the meeting.

 

[buckers]

iPad isn't 'mobile'

Of course they wouldn't call it 'mobile'. It has the same footprint as a netbook, and a netbook wouldn't be considered 'mobile'. My feeling is that they are concentrating on touch-screen cellphones; a touch-screen tablet is a different kind of device they're just beginning to tap into.

 

[mikejd1]

Apparently Zuckerberg doesn't get the trend of what people use their iPads for. Most people don't want to use Safari to load Facebook because of a lack of certain functions, such as a photo/video upload, a lack of Chat, buggy poke/dialogue boxes, and a bunch of other problems. I don't understand why the FB dev team can't just take the iPhone app (which is currently on my iPad) and iPad-ize the graphics. That's all that's really needed.

It's called friendly Facebook and it rocks

 

[j-a-x]

Why would you need to upload video or photo from iPad to Facebook. You can't take any video or photos with the iPad.

The website is fine.

Zuck said that Facebook is going to focus on how to optimize the website for those tablet devices like the iPad and Android tablets.

That may be true, but with a $25 SD card reader you can import digital photos and you may want to post them on Facebook.

I was just in Vegas and I didn't feel like brining my MacBook so I just brought my iPad with Keynote and a PDF reader/annotator on it (so I could do a bit of work) and I imported all of my photo to my iPad using the card reader, however I could not post any on Facebook except via email. Facebook upload through safari would be nice.

 

[TonyC28]

Hopefully they don't try to force their stalker feature (Places) onto people in the new version. That should be opt-in, not opt-out. Zuckerberg is becoming almost as creepy as Eric Schmidt.

I think I must be a little confused. Don't you have to "check in" for anyone to see where you are? It was my understanding that the only way for other people to see where you are is for you to manually check in and post your location.

 

[Don Kosak]

Zuckerberg must have only seen the iPad back in February, before it was released. (The iPad in the dark room, chained to a table. )

No wonder he thinks it's not mobile!

 

[reactions]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

Apparently Zuckerberg doesn't get the trend of what people use their iPads for. Most people don't want to use Safari to load Facebook because of a lack of certain functions, such as a photo/video upload, a lack of Chat, buggy poke/dialogue boxes, and a bunch of other problems. I don't understand why the FB dev team can't just take the iPhone app (which is currently on my iPad) and iPad-ize the graphics. That's all that's really needed.

Apparently steve jobs doesn't get it if safari on the ipad doesn't work like safari on the desktop to view fb properly.

I agreee with zuck - ipad isn't in the same realm as mobile devices. Not sure what's the argue here?

 

[Takeo]

So aggravating having Zuck tell you just to use facebook.com. Facebook.com is broken on the iPad:

• You can't upload photos or video
• You can't view inline video
• You can't use chat
• You can't scroll in any scrolling modal windows
• You can't invite selected friend to event as a result of the above
• You can't edit friend lists as a result of the above
• You can't view friend lists as a result of the above
• You can't tag photos
• etc. etc. etc.

So don't tell people to use facebook.com. And touch.facebook.com is a joke. It's meant for a phone, not a 1024x768 tablet. Make an app or fix your site. It's not like it's a site for some local plumber. You're Facebook! Surely you have the resources. And the iPad has been out now for 8 months now. So fix your website or build an app.

As for people going on about how horrible Facebook is... whatever. I use it maybe 3-4 times a month to respond to events or reply to weeks old messages. But when I DO use the site I'd like it to actually work! And as a business owner, I don't have time to play with Facebook on my desktop machine at my office during the day. 100% of my downtime casual surfing is done at home, on the couch, with the iPad.

 

[ziggyonice]

This is such a rip off of foursquare. It's not even funny.

I actually like Facebook, but now I'm afraid for foursquare.

 

[reactions]

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Lol seriously

consider him blocked!

 

[silentnite]

Hear far to many complaints about Facebook Privacy not sure if this is a good thing.

 

[Loge]

I would have thought the solution is that Facebook should fix the web-site so that it does work fully on the iPad. I don't want to install a special apps just because of shortcomings on the main site. The iPhone on the other hand needs an app because the small screen size would make the site hard to use even if it was fully functional.

 

[ingramLee]

Lost respect for Facecrook after seeing what this Firesheep extension can do.

This is the most AMAZING thing I have ever seen!!!!! I cant wait to get my Air friday and hit starbucks with this and try it out!!

 

[twoodcc]

well the updates just seem okay to me. but i'll install it and try it out. i'm disappointed they aren't supporting the iPad at this time though

 

[nidserz]

Why can't I upload pics to specific albums anymore on my iPhone 4?
I click on "Photos" and the album and I can't add pictures....
I can create a new album... but can't add pictures to that either.. what is the point?
ANybody help?

 

[macrumors12345]

No iPad Facebook App?

Translation: Facebook is lazy and doesn't want to develop for more than one form factor. You should be glad that they even bothered making a crappy Android app to accompany their iOS app. Yet another reason why I rarely bother to log in to that sorry site.

 

[John.B]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

Apparently steve jobs doesn't get it if safari on the ipad doesn't work like safari on the desktop to view fb properly.

Do you even know what WebKit is? Do you know that you posted the above from Mobile Safari?

 

[eye]

I really really try to care about facebook...but I can't.

 

[pvmacguy]

I want to be able to tag friends in my facebook status' is that so hard to ask for that functionality in the app?? I would rather have that than getting a stupid coupon from a business when I walk by.

 

[4nNtt]

The iPad does not have the instant availability of the iPhone, which you can always grab from your pocket.

iPads are really just lighter laptops without a keyboard, and has the limits of it, such as requiring separate carrying cases.

No one carries laptops around on the subway out in the open, they have to keep them in backpacks or cases. Same with iPads.

iPhones, on the other hand, have a completely different accessibility, and are much more readily available.

That availability makes all the difference!

(Remember when MP3 players before the iPod had tons of buttons and menus?)

You sound like someone who doesn't own an iPad or you wouldn't be comparing it to a laptop. If you are commuting you probably have a bag or briefcase with you (like you said). Is it really that unreasonable to pull it out of your bag and start using it? Is it so much harder to pull a device out of your bag instead of out of your pocket? I use my iPad on the subway. Why wouldn't I? My iPhone costs more and I use it. People wear diamond rings worth thousands. Besides, this is the number one couch device. Seems like the ideal time to pull up Facebook. I want to use AirPlay to push video and photos to my TV too.

(Remember when people used a computer to surf the net?)

 

[4nNtt]

I'm starting to see Facebook's new business model though. Unified login to other services that have corporate sponsorship. They want to tie your profile and login to these services without polluting the actual Facebook site too much.