Scobleizer - Latest Comments in The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

ris — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:33:14 -0000

ok...i hate either the iphone or update 2.0.2 or the reader.

right now they have the google reader that comes with the phone
---doesn't show the images automatically...which is what is cool about googles reader...
---and you have to click next to see the next set of 10 items...lame...
---and it only shows a small bit of content

then when i go to the actual google reader web page <> it is doing something funky...
---it only shows what can be seen in the safari window, i.e. it doesn't scroll anymore...suck suck suck
---you can't zoom in this window anymore either...what the flippin haystack is this shine-o-la?
---there are these strange red lines around each article, they almost look like old fashion type setting crop indicators...booo hiss.

quick question...if i back my phone up, it backs up the setting correct? i am going to take my phone back to factory settings and hopefully the original Software Version so i can see Google reader as i see it in a computer browser.

any help would be appreciated...

thanks in advance

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Murphy Mac — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:42:50 -0000

Today I don't see a feeds link at the top of the Google Reader page on my iPod Touch. It's at the bottom, but it's a long way down.

Thanks for the info in this post...

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Dylan Damian — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:26:51 -0000

I am still not clear if this is old news as I've been using the workaround URL, but I recently went again to http://reader.google.com and was surprised to find that it now works perfectly on the iPhone.

Visiting the regular Google URL still redirects the iPhone to the mobile link but now almost all the features from the desktop version are present, including “See original”, “Add/Remove star”, “Share” and “Keep unread”. News items fill the screen with no horizontal scrolling. At the top of a news item, a header has status icons for both Starred and Shared; and it does fit well within the Safari look and feel. The subscription list has live icons to the right indicating the number of unread items for that particular feed. Finally, the Tags link brings up a similar list of unread items per tag and links to both Starred and Shared items.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Taylor — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:37:26 -0000

I agree with many of the comments - the mobile reader sucks, but it could be pretty damn good if it only didn't force every link to be "mobified".

There's some really stupid things about it that require click upon click - if I mark all stories read in a particular page - take me back where I came from, don't force me to choose tags or subscriptions AGAIN.

The desktop view works, but the two-finger scroll (GREAT TIP!) is WAY too slow. There's no way I am going to use that it's DOG slow.

I could live with the 5 story thing if the links didn't force me to hit "original" and then scroll all the way to the bottom for the "HTML" version - this is the mobified version problem again but even that could be improved simply by moving the mobifier links to the top of the page.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Sam — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:46:07 -0000

"Oh, and I have verified. No Flash, no Java, no Silverlight, no Adobe PDF."

Why has no one tried interactive Quicktime? I know they're a rarity on the net, but of any platform, that's the one that's most likely going to work on the iPhone.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Niels van Eck — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:00:42 -0000

I was initially a bit pissed off about the full Google Reader view, since I could not get it to scroll.. previous and next buttons just don't do it for me..

but then I figured out that you can '2 finger scroll' on the iPhone! it works for the 'river of news' view in Google Reader as well as for large text fields. just put two fingers on the screen and swipe up or down.

iPhone is getting better and better!

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Robert Scoble — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:58:35 -0000

tapster: sorry about that. Thanks for reminding me to fix that.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

tapster — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:43:48 -0000

PDF's _are_ supported on the iPhone

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Brian — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:55:14 -0000

It was good to see you kept your feet on the ground. The iPhone is bound to have problems and annoyances, just like any other device. I was worried you'd been carried away by the hype and your launch experience in Palo Alto!

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

paulfabretti — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:08:54 -0000

Opera Mini 4 Beta.

On Nokia N80 (and even your N95) it does the job as well as any iPhone screeenshots I have seen!

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Diego — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:57:00 -0000

PDF? The iPhone can view PDFs. Silverlight? No big deal, it ain't no Flash-killer. Flash on the other hand would be a much higher priority for the iPhone.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Sam Jackson — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:07:47 -0000

WTF, no Adobe PDF? Even my WMSP 5.0 has that : \

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Robert Scoble — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:25:30 -0000

Lou: just go to http://www.google.com/reade... instead of http://reader.google.com

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Lou Paglia — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:24:27 -0000

Ah, there I went with header override and header detection completely missing the obvious method, give the user the option :). How did you get to the full reader by the way?

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Robert Scoble — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:22:18 -0000

Lou: I figured out how to get the full Reader on the iPhone. So it's all OK.

But, even if I couldn't, it should have an option somewhere on the page.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Lou Paglia — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:17:33 -0000

Hate to be singled out here but I really have no problem with the web mobile version of Google reader. It is fast and easy to use. Is it like using the desktop, no but I haven't seen one that it is.

Robert, what is your alternative to the experience you are having on the iPhone. All they are doing is looking at the header to see if it is a mobile browser and routing you to the mobile version. I guess they could look for an iPhone specific header to give you the full web version. But I don't think it would be user sensitive to give all mobile users the full version. The full version would be unbearable on my Treo as an example.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

mike3k — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:43:35 -0000

I've gone back to using NetNewsWire, since GReader can't subscribe to feeds that require authentication (such as Daring Fireball's premium feeds). I never liked NewsGator online, although it's starting to improve. Unfortunately it sucks much worse than GReader on an iPhone.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Roger — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:10:42 -0000

The N800 presents the same issue with Greader (my most used site). The full one doesn't work well - can't remember the problem - and the mobile version from Google is rubbish (how do they manage this when the Gmail Java app is WONDERFUL?).

Anyhow, someone got really worked up about it and produced reader-mini (https://readermini.com/) which uses the Greader API and renders really nicely on the N800. I don't know whether it will work on the iPhone but it's worth a try.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Mel — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:07:45 -0000

I am putting some thoughts and reasons for the mobile Google Reader version at the bottom. I think the iPhone might need something different. Loading the full version on the iPhone can be hard on the performance maybe too. What do you think Robert?

I guess the only reason for the Google Reader mobile version to go in steps of 10 is purely bandwidth , so that the minimum is loaded and you can decide to go on, but that is not something that concerns iPhone users, but more the usual mobile phone surfers.

For example here in Europe bandwidth has to be paid in hard cash, which is far more expensive than actually taking a phonecall.
So for bandwidth savvy users this is still a good and in fact fast loading view. stepping forward with "#" key is fast and simple. On my not iPhone Nokia 6280 it behaves nicely. No Desktop experience of course, but nice to read when on my way to work

iPhone deserves something more fluent though.

But i don't think the iPhone deserves that. Certainly calls for a specific tailored version.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

JimCanuck — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:01:21 -0000

Interesting because I was reading Scobelizer -- the posts written when you were in a certain line up earlier this week -- two days ago via Google RSS Reader on a Nokia N95 with no problem. However, it appeared to be a version formatted especially for the N95. Went to mobile.google.com and received back a list of "Google Services for your N95". One of those services is the "Reader" (under "Google Lab services for your N95"). And the Reader gives you a list of several hundred RSS feeds -- including Scobelizer (but I could not find a way to add a feed, such as Skype Journal, to the list).

If I go to the same URL on my Blackberry I have a different experience for the Blackberry 8700 in that it gives me the opportunity to download separate clients for Search, Maps, GMail, News, and GTalk. And it acknowledges that I am on a Blackberry 8700. No sign of Google Reader in this case.

It seems Google has made responses to the mobile.google.com URL adapted to each mobile device. Would be interesting to know what you get when you go to this URL on the iPhone.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Robert Scoble — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:54:22 -0000

Chris: ahh, that works! Sort of. But now new items don't come in. UPDATED: you gotta click "next item." OK, this is very nice and workable.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Chris Kelly — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:49:29 -0000

sans comma in the last url, of course :)

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

Chris Kelly — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:49:02 -0000

change your bookmark to go to http://www.google.com/reade..., and it'll show you the non-mobile page. It's not great, but it works. I'd rather see Google roll out a more full featured, iphone-friendly version of the mobile app

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

jwills — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:43:26 -0000

I hear you on Google Reader sucking, and I'm also mad that I can't update status from home.php in Facebook on the iPhone and the mobile Facebook (m.facebook.com) doesn't work on the iPhone, either.

I need to aggregate all of my feeds into a single RSS feed that I can read from the Safari RSS reader, which is actually pretty decent-- throw in a little Javascript so that I can share/save items, and I'll be a MUCH happier feed reader.

Re: The worst iPhone Web page: Google Reader (UPDATED)

anon — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 17:40:48 -0000

I hate Google reader on any phone primarily because of the 10 story limit. I'd rather wait a bit longer and get 50 links, decide which ones to read or skip as opposed to keep having to click "mark as read" and wait to jump to the next page.

It's so freaking annoying to wait over EDGE.