What mobile devices do you want to use with this site.

[SteveColes]

Have you considered an app that works with vBulletin, like Forum Runner. This is the app that they use as a companion to the AAW site.

I don't know much about Forum Runner and can't comment for or against it, I have only used it 2 times. I know there are also other apps of this kind that may be worth looking into.

I am not trying to direct you down a different path, I just wanted you to be aware that these options are out there.

I just thought one of these off the shelf apps may save you some headaches... or who knows they may cause more.

Forum runner and Tapatalk are of the same kind. We change our site to meet their requirements and then they sell the apps that work on the mobile device. Nothing wrong with that, but not necessarily the best way for our site.

Vbullitin now has all the hooks built-in and they supply the necessary interface so that we can build our own mobile apps. So at some point the will be able to get an android or IOS custom app built expressly for our site. I feel more comfortable doing it that way (with vBulletin's built-in hooks). While it might take a bit longer, we will have something supported directly by our software.

 

[ashley_phil]

Same here....both.

I do as well and recently started with tapatalk would really like to see this installed

 

[manfre]

Are native apps really necessary? I was out of town for the past 5 days and only had my droid. The full version of the site was usable with both the included browser and mobile firefox. It would be much better by stripping down some of the UI bloat; too many horizontal nav bars at the top, too many icons on the input field, debug output at the bottom, and the many collapsible areas between the navigation and the content.

I picked android phone because that is what I have and frequently use to check the site, but would prefer the new option of "Provide a theme with cleaner HTML/CSS". (I'll volunteer my time to help make that happen)

 

[SteveColes]

Are native apps really necessary? I was out of town for the past 5 days and only had my droid. The full version of the site was usable with both the included browser and mobile firefox. It would be much better by stripping down some of the UI bloat; too many horizontal nav bars at the top, too many icons on the input field, debug output at the bottom, and the many collapsible areas between the navigation and the content.

I picked android phone because that is what I have and frequently use to check the site, but would prefer the new option of "Provide a theme with cleaner HTML/CSS". (I'll volunteer my time to help make that happen)

No, native apps are not "really" necessary but they can really help because we can tune the presentation to the device and our site. As for the cleaning up the UI, there will be some changes in that area soon, but will you "approve" of them I don't know.

And just in case people have forgotten, there is already a NCWW Cordless style that works very well for many things.

I don't know what you know of vBulletin and its customization processes. But we have learned the hard way that it is absolutely necessary to limit almost all customizations to the UI to be consistent with the methods that vBulletin provides. That creates certain limits that we have to live within.

 

[CarvedTones]

Don't know what apps are needed for the android pad as I can view and reply well on this one.

Go

True for me as well. I usually use a PC, but have accessed the forum a few times on my Cruz eReader, which is a 2.1 Android 7" tablet. The site works fine in the default Android browser on that machine, "fine" being relative and totally subjective. That tablet is 800x600, which we used to think was high resolution on a PC... :rolf:

 

[SteveColes]

Before anyone jumps to a conclusion, yes the announced upgrade will give us the capability to create the ncww specific mobile apps. NO they will not be available when the update is done. That is a future item. No I don't know when

 

[SteveColes]

True for me as well. I usually use a PC, but have accessed the forum a few times on my Cruz eReader, which is a 2.1 Android 7" tablet. The site works fine in the default Android browser on that machine, "fine" being relative and totally subjective. That tablet is 800x600, which we used to think was high resolution on a PC... :rolf:

Well it is clear from the poll results that more people are concerned phones than tablets. And since i have an iPad and Kindle fire, I agree that the pads do pretty well without a native app.

Though, personally the relatively small screen both in size 7" and 800 x 600 still don't make me very happy. But I am spoiled. I have 2 flat panels 30" 2560 x 1600 and a 24" 1920 x 1200.

And yes 800 x 600 was big and so was the 132 char line of the teletype that was avail around 1970:gar-La;

 

[Rob]

What really screws me up on navigation with my ipad is the site navigation bar on the side, it moves around and gets in the way. I don't bother with this site on my droid, as it's not conducive to reading on it.

 

[SteveColes]

What really screws me up on navigation with my ipad is the site navigation bar on the side, it moves around and gets in the way. I don't bother with this site on my droid, as it's not conducive to reading on it.

I think you mean the "floating menu" which can be turned off. It is going away with the update. You can turn it off in your options/ User Settings-> edit options

 

[Rob]

Did not know that.