We now have an official Mobile style

[Scott Tichenor]

Our forum is now available in a true mobile style app. When you access with your mobile device, unless you're using an older one, you will automatically be redirected to the mobile style. For now we'll live with the blue that came with the default style (unless I decide to get in and hack that which they don't recommend). That will change with a future release for those of you that get lonely for my boring shades of gray and yellow.

Below some screen shots. Note that some areas are not yet supported like the Social Groups but as we move forward we'll work towards opening up all areas. I've been really pleased how easy it is to read posts, reply, etc. Most of the functions you're already using stripped down more appropriately for mobile devices.

A few of you are used to browsing in full web mode. I'd ask you take some time to become acquainted with the mobile style and reserve your judgement and comments. This is a major enhancement and we realize not everyone likes change.

Tips for using: The "Mandolin Cafe" banner at the top of every page is also a link that takes you to the Forum home page. To the right of that logo are two image links. The first takes you to the second screen shot below which is a page with all of the main forum links, and the icon on the far right is a link to a search area.

Forum front page:




Forum options page:

[Mark Robertson-Tessi]

Already way better than pinching and squinting! Thx

[Miked]

I guess "older one" would include a Palm Pre?

[Phil Vinyard]

It works! Much nicer. Thanks, Scott!

[Markus]

Great! I rarely browse on my desktop anymore.

That said, the reply button does not seem to work on my HTC Android phone. I can subscribe to the thread, but Reply To Thread highlights but does not select.

It would appear I'm running Android 2.1-update 1. Browser is default browser version 7, in phone settings says WebKit 3.1.

If there's a way I can be of help testing, let me know.

Thanks for moving this forward. It'll be fun to watch this develop.

[Scott Tichenor]

You'll want to make sure you're logged in of course and I'll assume you were. I only have an iPhone to test. Hopefully we'll hear frome others. I posted this from my iPhone.

[Markus]

Scott, apparently it works sometimes. I have had unresponsive buttons, but I am posting this via my mobile device.

I will patiently work with it. Everything I have seen at MC suggests that it will consistently improve. Mandolins aren't built in a day.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Nice and clean look on my Android. Easy to navigate, etc. Nice work Scott!

[bfriedman]

Thanks! Seems to work great on my iPhone.

[Elliot Luber]

I'm using the old Iphone Mandolin Cafe app. How do I upgrade?

[Scott Tichenor]

I'm using the old Iphone Mandolin Cafe app. How do I upgrade?

The app is a separate way to access the forum, not really related. There's no upgrade here. When you access the forum on your mobile device with a web browser it will detect and present it in a more compact manner than a normal web page.

[Gerry Cassidy]

Chalk up another +1 from a 'Droid user.

[pjlama]

I noticed it this morning, good show, thank you Scott!

[Markus]

Chalk up another +1 from a 'Droid user.

It's a huge, huge plus for us Android users.

[j-hill]

This may be obvious to some but to access the newest posts, it looks like you go to the Forum Options Page (it's the screen shot Scott shows above; the one with all the icons) and then click on 'What's New.'

Great work, Scott. Thanks for doing it.

[blacktoe]

Looks and works great! Droid X2.

[GRW3]

iPhone 3GS no joy.

[otterly2k]

I just tried this on my G2X (Android 2.3.3) and am just getting a page that looks like it does on my desktop, only smaller (of course)
Is there anything I can do to be able to access this mobile version?
KE

[mando.player]

Are you running the latest version of iOS on that iPhones 3GS? If not an update should get you to the latest version of Safari, which should get you the new skin.

[Scott Tichenor]

I have read but not experienced this: they suggest if you don't get the mobile style that you log out and back in on your mobile device. Somehow I don't think this is really an issue but if they say so, best to attempt it. Here's a list of platforms they say are supported.

Some of this information is more than many of you want to read I expect:

We use a 3-level graded platform support system: A (full), B (full minus Ajax), C (basic HTML). The visual fidelity of the experience and smoothness of page transitions are highly dependent on the CSS rendering capabilities of the device and platform so not all A grade experience will be pixel-perfect but that's the nature of the web.

Apple iOS 3.2-5.0 - Tested on the original iPad (4.3 / 5.0), iPad 2 (4.3), original iPhone (3.1), iPhone 3 (3.2), 3GS (4.3), 4 (4.3 / 5.0), and 4S (5.0)
Android 2.1-2.3 - Tested on the HTC Incredible (2.2), original Droid (2.2), HTC Aria (2.1), Google Nexus S (2.3). Functional on 1.5 & 1.6 but performance may be sluggish, tested on Google G1 (1.5)
Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) - Tested on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Motorola XOOM
Android 4.0 (ICS) - Tested on a Galaxy Nexus. Note: transition performance can be poor on upgraded devices
Windows Phone 7-7.5 - Tested on the HTC Surround (7.0) HTC Trophy (7.5), LG-E900 (7.5), Nokia Lumia 800
Blackberry 6.0 - Tested on the Torch 9800 and Style 9670
Blackberry 7 - Tested on BlackBerry® Torch 9810
Blackberry Playbook (1.0-2.0) - Tested on PlayBook
Palm WebOS (1.4-2.0) - Tested on the Palm Pixi (1.4), Pre (1.4), Pre 2 (2.0)
Palm WebOS 3.0 - Tested on HP TouchPad
Firebox Mobile (10 Beta) - Tested on Android 2.3 device
Chrome for Android (Beta) - Tested on Android 4.0 device
Skyfire 4.1 - Tested on Android 2.3 device
Opera Mobile 11.5: Tested on Android 2.3
Meego 1.2 - Tested on Nokia 950 and N9
Samsung bada 2.0 - Tested on a Samsung Wave 3, Dolphin browser
UC Browser - Tested on Android 2.3 device
Kindle 3 and Fire - Tested on the built-in WebKit browser for each
Nook Color 1.4.1 - Tested on original Nook Color, not Nook Tablet
Chrome Desktop 11-17 - Tested on OS X 10.7 and Windows 7
Safari Desktop 4-5 - Tested on OS X 10.7 and Windows 7
Firefox Desktop 4-9 - Tested on OS X 10.7 and Windows 7
Internet Explorer 7-9 - Tested on Windows XP, Vista and 7
Opera Desktop 10-11 - Tested on OS X 10.7 and Windows 7

B-grade - Enhanced experience except without Ajax navigation features.

Blackberry 5.0: Tested on the Storm 2 9550, Bold 9770
Opera Mini (5.0-6.5) - Tested on iOS 3.2/4.3 and Android 2.3
Nokia Symbian^3 - Tested on Nokia N8 (Symbian^3), C7 (Symbian^3), also works on N97 (Symbian^1)

C-grade - Basic, non-enhanced HTML experience that is still functional

Blackberry 4.x - Tested on the Curve 8330
Windows Mobile - Tested on the HTC Leo (WinMo 5.2)
All older smartphone platforms and featurephones - Any device that doesn't support media queries will receive the basic, C grade experience

[Larry S Sherman]

In general I prefer to surf the web on my iPhone via the non-mobile version of webpages. As long as I can opt out of the mobile somehow and get to the regular page I'm happy.

This is not a criticism of the cafe mobile app, but most mobile apps out there are scaled back in functionality, and modern smart phones on wifi can handle the full pages.

So far via my iPhone I've avoided being flagged as mobile, so quite happy.

Larry

[Scott Tichenor]

Are you running the latest version of iOS on that iPhones 3GS? If not an update should get you to the latest version of Safari, which should get you the new skin.

Agree. As a side note, I think it's almost always best practice to be running the latest software version/updates. The web moves very quickly and leaves behind old devices quickly.

[Scott Tichenor]

Also, since some of you will want to continue using the regular full web version I've made an opt-out link at the bottom of the mobile page just now.

[Larry S Sherman]

Also, since some of you will want to continue using the regular full web version I've made an opt-out link at the bottom of the mobile page just now.

Thank you Scott, much appreciated.

Larry

[otterly2k]

That worked, thanks Scott!