iPad/iPhone apps?

[Doctordestiny]

I'm guessing that there are some apps that can be downloaded for one but not the other?? If so, why not? If you're making an app for one, why not make it for both? Or can all apps be downloaded for both? I've seen a app that appears made only for the iPad.

[theonlywhiteout]

some apps made for ipad arent made for iphone because the screen is too small

[KTrain]

Some apps are not worth it to developers to make them useable on both iPads and iPhones. It's more work than it might seem. How people interact with their phones is much different than how they use their iPads.

Something like the Facebook app makes sense on an iPhone because it is difficult to navigate Facebook on a browser on an iPhone. The iPad's screen size is fine for using Facebook within the browser.

Our game is mobile based. It would work on the iPad for some things but not for how it should be played. It's also not worth the money we would make from the iPad version to create a version for the device.

Some apps make sense but some don't. Why force an app to work for both if it's not necessarily the right platform for the app?

[Russic]

I haven't seen an app for iphone not work on the ipad, but I have definitely seen ipad apps that don't go the other way (the main local streaming tv apps Global and CityTV come to mind). My thinking is that it's harder to downscale an app than upscale it. For instance some iphone apps upscale with comically large buttons. Not the prettiest belle at the ball, but it works. On the other hand finger-tip-sized buttons on an ipad app would get very small if put on an iphone. As KTrain mentioned, man hours would need to be spent to change that, and if you're worked to your max already it's not happening.

[Doctordestiny]

I was thinking about apps for daily newspapers like the Herald. I've seen them for iPad but not the iPhone. Maybe it's because of the small screen. Ktrain says it may not be worth the money to make one for the other device, but if you've made one wouldn't it be simple to convert it to the other device? I have no idea.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Russic

I haven't seen an app for iphone not work on the ipad

XM Radio app.

No idea why, no idea if they've fixed it, but it was broken from when the iPad shipped to about when 4.2 became available for the iPad.

That's the only one I've found so far that hasn't worked on the iPad as an iPhone app.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by Doctordestiny

I was thinking about apps for daily newspapers like the Herald. I've seen them for iPad but not the iPhone. Maybe it's because of the small screen. Ktrain says it may not be worth the money to make one for the other device, but if you've made one wouldn't it be simple to convert it to the other device? I have no idea.

It is less costly than the initial development, but not free. They may not feel it's worth it, or it could already be in the plans. The herald app only came out recently, it's possible an iPhone version will be optimized by the end of the month.

Think of designing a website for 800x600 and 1080p, but add in completely different usage environments as well and you'll get an idea of why you can't just straight port from one to the other.

And then do you develop for Android + Windows as well or just iOS? There's a lot of fragmentation which makes for difficult development work.

It's a big question for developers right now. Facebook, for example, has decided that they don't have the resources to dedicate to developing multiple apps which is why they're going to work to develop an improved mobile website experience for something like iPad (where you can't use chat right now).

[Regulator75]

Yeah, we need another istuff thread.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

Yeah, we need another istuff thread.

Bump for complaining.

[kermitology]

nm