Can you make it possible to upload pictures from the iPad? I have Dropbox and iDisc if that helps...or is there another workaround? Maybe when Apple releases the Cloud in the fall? I find I'm rarely on the PC anymore, posting has become a big pain-in-the-neck.

That would make a huuuuuge difference to me!

Thanks,

Pam

Can you not upload photos by clickingon the "Upload an image" button?

I must admit to not owning an ipad so I'm not even sure that its limitations are.

No...I click on it, it highlights, but nothing happens. If I keep trying, it lets me copy the words upload an image. On DG, it's greyed out. It's worth a shot, lots of DG-ers have iPads already, and it would be a great convenience to have the option here.

Pam

The web upload form control is not supported in Safari on the iPad. There are ways around it using custom applications, and possibly other browsers, but nothing simple that Dave could do to just make it work for us. I've been looking into this problem for my own sites, as I use the iPad heavily and miss this functionality.

I blame Apple for making their systems so proprietary.

The web was designed originally as an open platform that any device should be able to access. Designing apps specifically for one platform is the opposite of what the web is meant for. I get so aggravated by Apple sometimes.

Personally, I think they're miles ahead of the dominant force (Microsoft) in that respect. Their browser has always had better standards support and they contributed the code back to (the originally quite limited) Khtml project so that it is used in many other browsers now.

It's not that they have a proprietary way to do it. They don't have a way at all. Possibly in a future version (iOS 5 is due out soon). I'm not saying it's not a major limitation, but they haven't made any attempt to fragment the web or make people do it some special way, like other companies.

When they don't even allow flash apps to run on their system, and you have zero control over your own device, you can't access the filesystem directly and a website's ajax apps don't even work, that's more proprietary than I can stomach.

I can certainly understand that. I run ubuntu on my main desktop and FreeBSD and OpenBSD on my servers, so I'm no Apple apologist. I just spend far more time working around proprietary Microsoft issues than Apple ones.

Adobe is my second biggest problem. Flash has never run properly on any platform other than MS windows, and it's actively disallowed in emulation on the BSDs. From persistent cookies to constant security holes and performance problems, it is the major driver behind browser developers' push for process isolation. Adobe's attempts to take back PDF and postscript through the years have also been causing grief for a decade.

Yes, we could go back and forth on the evils of Microsoft and Adobe for a long time. If you've ever googled my name you know that I have been an active anti-Microsoft activist since the mid 90's.

I was raised by my father to hate proprietary software and I'm continuing to do him proud.

Dave, I expect we have more in common than in differences. And your accomplishments and record do speak for themselves.

psa said:Dave, I expect we have more in common than in differences.

Quite clearly!

Sigh...I guess there's no quick solution. I just keep thinking that the tablet will wipe out the home computer eventually- the iPad was such a huge success and we've just begun to see the competition. Someday we'll be able to do everything 'lite,' even if it takes technology that doesn't exist yet.

Pam

Pam, iPad has it's own limitations there, too. There's no hard drive space where you can store photos or documents. So you can't post from the ipad if you can't store anything there. You could post pics from a photo hosting site (like photobucket, webshots, picasa, etc), but Dave's sites don't support their use.

You can post to other websites using the photo hosting sites, though. I use photobucket. But the ipad app for it is clumsy at best, at least for me.

Karen

I have dropbox, idisc and an app called Always On PC, which works but is also clumsy at best. I just came from the Apple store (for a different issue) and was talking about the problem with a technician- not specific to these sites, but in general. His suggestion was that the developer of the site ...listening, Dave?...have someone write an app for the iPad/iPhone. That would take care of it. Even though the site is free, there could be a fee for downloading the app. Or not, depending on general finances, I guess.

Still hoping...

Pam

Developing apps for the ipad is a completely different animal than writing apps for the web.

It may happen with me, but not anytime soon.

The Ajax widget Dave is currently using may be amenable to a third party upload app, but I wouldn't want to work on anything like that without Dave being comfortable with it.

What about all the smart phones and androids that aren't Apple? Is there an app for that?

Karen looks like the industry is trying to get us to subscribe to cloud. Not too tech savvy but I think if they get everything on cloud (pictures, documents, music, data) we won't need all that space on our computers. I get a free one year subscription but frankly I think it will take me that long to get everything figured out on my Asus EEE Pad Transformer. I learn something new everyday. It didn't come with what I needed most, a teenager☺

and what happens when the cloud deflates?? We are so reliant on technology that if the terrorists figure out how to take it down, we're in a world of hurt.

Wow, what interesting talk going on here.

I am not program savvy, have no iPad, no Apple, no fancyphone, etc. It sure sounds like the M-soft/Apple war continues though. And trying to figure out ways around it all seem similar to putting a Volkswagen on the back of an elephant to get from point A to B, then saying you "came by auto". Mercy.

Dave, surely this is why you love Linux so much!

Shoe (just barging in, trying to get an education)

Dear Dave and Paul, that is very informative to me even though I am not a programmer or have an iPad/iPhone.
I do have quite a lot of Apples though. I was interested in them when they first came out and have stuck with them ever since. I am anti Microsoft and so is my wife and she works with them!
My wife started as a computer engineer, then after a lot of training became a computer analyst, but now works with companies that develop Apps. specific to her company especially now for Windows 7.
Her company although having its main base in London has offices all over the world. In most countries Microsoft rules, however in the far east Apple rules! So they have to have two different help-desks.
I am in no way getting into a Microsoft/Apple war here. Most people just simply want something that is easy and reliable, and suits there needs.
Apple are not Angels and neither are Microsoft. Recently my wife's internal Hard drive went down on her 21" iMac which is nearly 5 years old. Apple wanted a fortune to change a Hard drive in it.
Quick look on the internet and there were lots of people showing you, with full instructions how to do it. Apple use special tools on their computers, but an American man produces these at a very cheap price.
It took us ages to take it apart, but once inside my wife was astonished at the build quality of a five year old machine. Yes a lot of the parts are Japanese, but the quality inside has to be seen to be believed, compared to what my wife had to put together with office Microsoft machines! Instead of the 500GB Hard drive that Apple recommended to us, another look on the internet and it can take a a 1TB Hard drive. Quick look on Amazon got one very cheaply, job done, works fine! Total saving in your money $803.437.
I have a 27" iMac with everything on it and it does everything I want it to do. It is secure, stable and reliable. It does not crash, and updates itself when needed.
My friend has a Design Business, and they swear by Apples for that particular use. My best friend uses Apples in his Business and Linux at home.
I agree with what is said above, but what is the normal consumer to do when pressed with a computer salesperson in a shop, shown a glittering array of Microsoft products and bombarded with constant adverts on TV?
In an ideal world, there may be an answer, but nobody has found one yet!
Regards.
Neil.