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facebook_logo-150x56.jpg
The New York Times reports that Facebook is finally set to release a free iPad app "in coming weeks", remedying a curious omission for the social networking service that touts over 600 million users worldwide.
People briefed on Facebook's plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet.

The app has been in production at Facebook for almost a year, going through several design iterations, and is now in the final stages of testing, according to these people, who declined to be named because they were discussing confidential product plans.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who along with other company executives noted last November that the company was still been trying to decide how best to handle the iPad, is said to have been "heavily involved" in the app's development.
People who have seen the application said it has a slick design that has been tailored for the iPad and its touchscreen interface. Facebook developers and designers have also overhauled the Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features for the application. And the app will go beyond the features available on the Facebook Web site by allowing users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad's built-in cameras.
Facebook's iPad app comes just as TechCrunch reports that the company is preparing to launch a new HTML5-based mobile platform codenamed "Project Spartan" that would take on iOS on its home turf by running within the mobile Safari browser.
As of right now, there are believed to be 80 or so outside developers working with Facebook on Project Spartan. These teams are working on apps for the platform that range from games to news-reading apps. Some of the names should be familiar: Zynga and Huffington Post (owned by our parent AOL), for example. The goal is to have these apps ready to roll in the next few weeks for a formal unveiling shortly thereafter.
Facebook's vision for Project Spartan reportedly includes integration of its Facebook Credits payment system that would allow developers to offer paid apps and in app purchases directly through the web-based platform.

Article Link: Facebook to Launch iPad App, Preparing Web-Based Mobile Platform
 

The Phazer

macrumors 68030
Oct 31, 2007
2,997
929
London, UK
It's good that you'll be able to upload photos.

The most fundamental issue, of course, is that Mobile Safari doesn't support file uploads of your own photographs in the first place, which would render this app mostly redundant.

Hopefully this app will allow you to copy the text inside it, unlike Facebook's crummy iPhone app.

Phazer
 

d2LiL

macrumors newbie
Oct 1, 2008
8
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/534.32 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

It's about freakin' time.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
We already have MyPad And MyPad+, Friendly, etc. And these work very well.

What will change now? I suppose we'll finally get an "official" app . . .
 

chaosconan

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2008
658
0
"slick design"

Is that all you can say about the new facebook app for iPad?
All they're going to do is take the existing facebook website and port it to iPad like for like.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
"slick design"

Is that all you can say about the new facebook app for iPad?
All they're going to do is take the existing facebook website and port it to iPad like for like.

We already have Friends With Benefits for that (yes, it's an app.)


why? another means to track and gather data on its users. the sheeple will no doubt download this app in droves.

ZZzzzz . . . we'll be fine. Most of us aren't secret agents.
 

BLACKFRIDAY

macrumors regular
May 23, 2011
224
0
Looks like the new Facebook app will be an HTML5 app for all mobile platforms.
This would highlight the new Web-based Mobile Platform to be launched by Facebook in the coming months.

Maybe that's why it's taken so long?
 

adwebinc

macrumors member
Dec 3, 2009
47
0
Great on the iPad app.

But... really??? another fragmented mobile platform w/o the security and support like Apple provides. No thanks. :confused:
 

iScott428

macrumors regular
Feb 23, 2011
230
0
Orlando, FL
Wow this should be amazing if it has taken a damn year!!! I have always used safari on my ipad for facebook as it works just fine on there. I dont need to be playing ***** farmville in safari...Upgraded chat and photos will be nice in the app though. I have to admit I use the facebook app on my iphone, but only due to the small screen and the fact I am on a 3Gs obviously with no retina display. It will be nice see this app when it comes.

Kind of surprised that the worlds youngest public company took so long to roll out an app for the ipad...I have been waiting since last may (2010)...
 

darbus69

macrumors regular
Mar 3, 2009
228
36
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Zuckerberg is a thief and you won't catch me using anything he and his team ever produces. FB is also the most annoying and personally invasive app ever written and I would encourage 599 million people world wide to quit using-that Z guy deserves to lose it all.
 

jimi78

macrumors regular
Jun 15, 2010
216
39
Carlsbad, CA
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I second this. How is the app so buggy? Do they not have engineers that work on this on a daily basis or they just forget about it after the development stage? The popularity of this site would make you think their app would be scrutinized ho hum
 

WiiDSmoker

Suspended
Sep 15, 2009
1,882
7,236
Dallas, TX
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Zuckerberg is a thief and you won't catch me using anything he and his team ever produces. FB is also the most annoying and personally invasive app ever written and I would encourage 599 million people world wide to quit using-that Z guy deserves to lose it all.

Sort of like how Steve Jobs copied Xerox?
 

Journojulz

macrumors 65816
Oct 6, 2008
1,077
4
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

iPhone app does indeed suck.

If I want to upload a pic I have had to email to the mobile address.

Mind you, the whole Fb server is flakey as heck. Zuckerberg needs to spend some of his billions upgrading his servers.
 
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