It's still not a
true Gmail app (sigh), but it's a step in the right direction, we suppose.
Google has today announced that it has released an experimental user interface for the iPad built on the
Gmail for mobile HTML5 web app, but unlike the iPhone and Android versions, this one has been retooled a bit to best take advantage of those extra pixels. iPad Gmailers will find a two-pane view with their conversations on the left and messages on the right, and while it's not exactly revolutionary, it's certainly better than what we're being forced to use on existing smartphones (and their comparatively minuscule displays). The company's openly asking for feedback once your iPad
lands, and we couldn't help but notice that it pointed to the fact that Google is still the default search engine embedded into Safari. Who knows -- maybe Steve and Eric really
were talking about butterflies and buttercups the other day.
posted April 2nd 2010 3:03PM
Man, a dedicated Gmail app for iPad/iPhone would be sweet. I honestly don't understand how that could turn out to negative for Apple in any way.
@huntmol if only apple would approve it
@huntmol only mr Jobs knows
@huntmol Apple has its own mobile advertising platform now. Allowing people to use a Google app for mail would be ceding all of that juicy targetable information to Google.
Once again, the end consumer is just a pawn in a big money game among corporate titans...
@huntmol Is there not 3rd party gmail apps? I could be wrong
@inertone How apple can ban it? its web page.
@inertone did you not read the article? It's gmail web app so they aren't even putting it through the app store for rejection.
@huntmol in all reality they may not just be "retooling" the gmail web app just for the iPad. There are hundred (literally) of tablet based computers that are on their way to production including a bunch running android. They could just be getting Gmail in general ready for the tablet revolution. Kinda giving the iPad to much credit. Just my opinion. If they really wanted to make Gmail for the ipad they would make an app (don't know if apple would even accept it tho) man I hate the apple "walled garden" that I am happy to say I no longer live in.
Ahh! That's what Schmit and Jobs were talking about in that coffee shop... XD
Ok, what the hell? This is just an app of the mobile version.
So now we have apps, that take us to websites. Aren't these called bookmarks?
I'm no one to complain, bitch, moan, or groan, as I didn't develop this app, but I'm sure they could of done better. Way better.
@AlexSanchez Did you read the article?
@AlexSanchez It's not an app though, it's on the web. You can not download it from the App store; you simply go to gmail.com.
@HighestRanked2
I'm not an ignorant troll, I swear it.
Instantly thought Microsoft Outlook after seeing it.
@Leindurstit The moment you search for mail and it appears instantly, that feeling will go away!
@Leindurstit outlook has like, 5 different panes. This dual paned look is probably the beginning of an app display trend that we'll be seeing for a while.
"It's still not a true Gmail app (sigh), but it's a step in the right direction,"
And here I thought a step in the right direction was a device that could do everything with 1 browser without resorting to the world of fragmented apps. Sigh.
@DirtyVegas
This is run through Safari, not an app.
@DirtyVegas Fragmented hardware/platform = good. "Fragmented Apps" = bad. Got ya...
@CoreyMac Yes. But it appears engadget staff are pining for a gmail app. I would prefer if my device/browser could handle the net as is, without resorting to apps.
@mrt2 I meant a "fragmented" device that resorted to apps and not a contiguous experience. Which I dont like. Or want. Want me to spell it out you any further?
@DirtyVegas agreed. Mobile internet it just fragmented not because of any one company but because of companies like apple that want to control everything. I don't want a mobile internet controlled by apple (or any one company for that matter) I want choices like we have with the internet now. OPEN!
@angermeans .. you are such a ignorant troll. How does Apple control the mobile internet ? Seriously, how ?
All they do is not support Flash because it is a buggy heap of crap on the Mac which led Apple to believe it would be the same on the iPhone/iPad. Blame Adobe. Apple gave them a chance to fix their code, they decided to do nothing.
That is it. They do not "restrict" you in any way, shape or form.
@CoreyMac
It is however a Web-Application rather than a native Cocoa Application. Some of the advantages of Native is alleviated when HTML5 allows for offline storage of data, so that GMail should work even if the device is offline. I hardly ever use the Web Application on my Mac or iPhone since I get on fine with the Native Mail application. I doubt there is really any need to make a native gmail application when the Mail application and GMail web app do not have any significant disadvantages, not to mention the fragmentation of separate native mail applications
Too bad there's no way to get new email alerts from this...making it utterly useless.
@mobilehavoc
Yea! except for all those push notifications that can let you know when you have new mail! totally bro.
@mobilehavoc This is a /web page/ not an app, so no push notifications.
@PhoenixFox
There is a push notify GMail application for .99$ .
Problem solved.
Is there a way of doing something similar on the desktop-web version? That is, in the same window, I know you can pop messages out in their own window.
@lookitsron You can in Safari:
http://developer.apple.com/safari/library/technotes/tn2010/tn2262.html
Go to develop > user agent > other and paste this in:
Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; U; CPU OS 3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/531.21.10 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.4 Mobile/7B334b Safari/531.21.10
Viola!
@dbagchee I just tried it. Way cool. Thanks. I'm sick of the iPad news already - it's making me anxious. Tomorrow is going to be the longest day of my life. Well, until the UPS guy knocks on my door.
So Chris wants to get Matt a car Radio for his birthday.
/spying on peoples email
@AlienSix What's even more hilarious is that they can buy him a car if they all chip in 20 dollars...
@MattsZ They want to get him a car radio actually. Yet could you imagine what a car a 20 bucks a piece would be like
More and more tablets appear to be the ultimate throne device.
I think the Courier will be more my speed but I have to say the iPad sure looks polished in the demos.
His birthday is no longer a suprise now.
@blazevxi Hey you wanna chip in 20 bucks for the car radio?
@AlienSix sure why not
Also the first step for Chrome OS webapps?
so this is what eric and steve were discussing over coffee
oh, God, why google? why?
@milklee
Google is an advertising company. They're not going to turn anyone away. They're whole business model is based on getting the most ad views. If people want to use an iPad to look at Google's ads they'll be more than happy to oblige.
@milklee If you hate Apple, as your icon suggests, why the **** are you commenting? Go read your non-Apple feed, troll!
Lifehacker posted a guide on how to use this interface on your regular ol' web browser, like Firefox, by some user agent tweaking:
http://lifehacker.com/5508260/
Why is there a web app for Andriod? It comes with a built in Gmail application which works very well.
I love my new Nexus One! Way better than any iPhone.
@Peter F
Probably because not all Android devices ship as "Google Experience" devices with the GMail application installed.
So, what would be expected of a native app that just using the standard iPad mail application wouldn't do? Even now I never use my gmail account via the web, but from IMAP clients.
Would be nice to be able to use this without a user agent hack. Sure would be handy on my netbook. Add a setting to gmail google plzkthnx.
I wish there was a way to get this on a regular computer without changing your user agent... this could be handy on netbooks! I know it's not hard to change user agents (I do it all the time), but I don't want iPad versions of all sites.
@AckbarsFist Just set up your non primary browser with the user agent change and use it as your "iPad"
Apple overload.. Kill me