Joe Hewitt › Comments

I was amazed by Buzz's support for map pinch-zoom and dragging in the iPhone's web browser. I didn't know mobile safari supported that so well. - Kevin Fox

i've always felt that 1024x768 was a good baseline page size, but then again i'm a fluid design guy - Chris Heath

I've never touched an iPad, but there are um, other ways to experience it? - Joe Hewitt

Am I dreaming... or were you really there? - τorƍue

It's pretty damn usable on a netbook too, you know, with a mouse. - Mr. Gunn

600 pixels of height just isn't enough for me... gotta have at least 768 -- i will only compromise on a device that fits in my pocket (but it would be nice if i didn't have to make that exception) - Chris Heath

Sounds like Joe is using the emulator. - Evan Parker

Oh right the emulator the iPad mini, Glen's got one too and his makes phone calls! - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Joe, the iPhone Simulator version of the iPad seems solid, but that's the closest I have gotten to it. - Louis Gray

I agree - this will make for an interesting additional use-case. I'd love to see native gestures worked into the normal browsing experience though. - Jesse Stay

Arguing on principle is one thing, but I think the point Hewitt is making, and something I've personally noticed in just my own personal work, is that there's still a heck of a lot Apple lets you do to be innovative or make cool and exciting things. Using the web is a great way to get around Apple's policies, and that's what development is all about: solving problems. - Mark Trapp

If windows had been run the same way as the iPad, there would have been no firefox because it was contrary to the microsoft app store policy. We'd all be using IE6, and there would be no html5 to take advantage of on the iPad. Do you honestly think you're "safe" from apple's policies if you build web apps? It's their browser, their device, their remote lockdown ability. If you hurt their bottom-line, they can and will kick you out of their device. - Joeri Sebrechts

+1 to Joeri's comment. - Piaw Na

+1 to Piaw's +1. ;-) - Michael R. Bernstein

It's more than a little paranoid to fear Apple will block any particular URL in Safari for any reason. Their refusal to allow alternative browsers, on the other hand, is something to fear. However, it's not a reason not to write web apps for the iPad. - Joe Hewitt

"My only problem with Apple is the fact that they insist on pre-approving every app on the App Store." Completely agreed, and I'm also in agreement that the restrictions at the platform level (i.e., I can't easily deploy an app that mucks around with the anything it's not supposed) are generally a good thing. My biggest fear, though, is that Apple may drag their heels a bit when it... more... - Joel Webber

we will still buy em - Mark

It's not paranoid, Joe, they've indicated exactly that by the refusal to list some things in the App Store. More than that, who the hell do they think they are telling me what I can and can't run on a device I could, but won't because of this, purchase. - Mr. Gunn

The iPad <> the Internet. It's a toaster. But it does run Safari, which supports every conceivable open web standard. From a security and privacy perspective, many consumers will appreciate that it is a toaster. - Tinfoil 2.0

There is a world of difference between the App Store and the web. If you can't see that, I'm not sure what to say. - Joe Hewitt

Well they are killing Flash which is a significant chunk of the web and the browser at the moment, for better or worse. Though I totally understand they have a case for killing Flash, in particular to replace it with a more open standard. But in pushing H.264 they are pushing a standard that is extremely problematic for the open source world. - Ed Millard

Joe, I'm not sure if your comment was directed to me, but yes clearly Apps and the web are worlds apart (by design). I do wish the app store approval criteria and process had more transparency (though it seems to have improved somewhat), knowing what to expect is half the battle. - Tinfoil 2.0

You're right that apple is not likely to block web apps, but they don't have to. Take google voice. If that had been a small outfit, trying to launch a breakthrough iphone app, and apple said no, that would have been it. They would not have had the resources to turn it into a web app with enough users to hit critical mass, and they definitely couldn't have bankrolled it when we all know... more... - Joeri Sebrechts

Like the Apple Store? :) - Ray Cromwell

Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery - Charles Ying

You would be amazed how many large corporations still do this. - dthree

I'm not ignoring the fact that corporations go through a lengthy process to ensure the quality of their products. Of course Facebook does this too, and so do I personally. The point is, we are the ones who are qualified to determine when the app is ready. Apple is just a middleman, and they have a very limited ability to test the quality of our app. - Joe Hewitt

A couple times Apple has caught bugs in our app and notified me of it, but they have also missed huge bugs that went through. The app on the store right now is orders of magnitude more buggy than the one sitting in the review queue. - Joe Hewitt

I can only assume the review process is there for Apple to test compliance with their terms of service, and any bugs they find along the way are incidental. Thank goodness the web doesn't have a terms of service and a review queue. - Joe Hewitt

With 40 apps per day per reviewer, I'm surprised the approval process works as well as it does. - PXLated

Has any other company ever been faced with as many apps in such a short period as Apple - Just curious - PXLated

If we developers always programmed everything to be perfect before releasing it, nothing would ever get released. ; ) - John Wang

it would look like an MMO they release half broken stuff every two weeks like clockwork - Robert Higgins

Sorry, Glen, the context in almost all of my tweets relates to iPhone development :) - Joe Hewitt

Of course, Apple can do whatever they want, and I can go elsewhere. I am making suggestions on how they can improve their flea market and prevent people from going elsewhere. I believe the web has set the precedent that big platforms like the iPhone can thrive even without a centralized quality control bottleneck. - Joe Hewitt

But Joe, the iPhone isn't like the web as a whole - it's more like gaming platforms and probably more open then they are. Will be interesting to see what happens on Android and if in fact it is more open, and if so what kind of chaos may ensue. - PXLated

Are you serious - "prevent people from going elsewhere" - Where? And pass up the iPhone audience/marketplace? Even if Android is a success, developers won't leave iPhone in spite of all the bitching. - PXLated

The iPhone is not a "gaming platform" until they tell me I can't develop anything but a game for it. A significant chunk of iPhone apps, mine included, are basically iPhone-optimized websites written in Objective-C. I admit that I don't see anyone, myself including, abandoning Apple over this issue, but I do believe that the quality of apps on the platform is being hurt by it. Just because other platforms are even more restrictive, like Playstation or some mobile platforms, is not an excuse. - Joe Hewitt

It's not an excuse but none is needed, Apple developed a platform and set the rules just as the gaming platforms did/do. I'm personally not sure the (overall) quality is being hurt either. - PXLated

In fact, maybe Apple should be a lot more restrictive - 65K apps probably confuses the hell out of many users. Maybe they need a rating system and then start eliminating the poorly performing apps. Get it down to a reasonable (best of breed) 5K ;-) - PXLated

"Apple developed a platform and set the rules" - well there's a news flash. I don't think anyone needed to be informed of that. I think Joe's just trying to make the point that centralized control isn't necessary for the good apps to rise to the top. Would you consider the web to be a success if there were 65k sites (please don't get pedantic and point out that sites aren't apps; the argument holds for any reasonable multiplier)? - Joel Webber

"Get it down to a reasonable (best of breed) 5K" - And exactly from what larger pool would you take that best of breed? If the breed's too small, you can't *have* a best-of-breed. The web's an unholy mess, but its size and chaos are precisely what makes it successful. People still manage to find the good stuff. - Joel Webber

It would look like the website where I work.... - Don Schuetze

What would the web look like if a developer could be shut down for an alleged ToS violation? Like FaceBook? - Kevin Marks

That's a lot better than how web applications ship. Please allow a few months before we change it. - Burcu Dogan

Apple is famous to put limitations at the beginning and then drop them ( remember drm?) I am pretty confident that the approval process will be easier and quicker in the near future. - funkyboy from iPhone

You would have [insert any corporate review process here]. For significant changes, this is understandishable. However, it gets insidious when everything looks like a nail ... even if it isn't. - Joe D'Andrea