Fifty Plus (50+) - OT: BikeForums app?

I was out of town for three days on business, with only my iPhone to connect to the interwebs. I have to say: reading any of these threads on a smart phone screen is pretty hard - the font is about 2 point. :lol:

I wish there was an app, like the Huff Post app, for example, for Bike Forums. Each individual forum would be a click away, and the text for a given post could be larger. Yes, I can swipe and increase the text on the intertube browser, but then a single line won't fit on the screen.

Surely some tech-savvy whippersnapper could create such an app for iPhones and Androids.

I agree. Using an internet browser on an iPhone is next to impossible.

Tapatalk is a forum plug-in used by many other forums that I frequent. Tapatalk has a free app that supports iPhone, Android, etc. You can see more informtion here: Tapatalk (http://www.tapatalk.com). If you frequent other forums, try the app out, those forums may support tapatalk.

I wish Bike Forums supported it, because it works very well.

The question of tapatalk support comes up every once in a while in the support forum. The latest plan ffrom the forum gods can be read at this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/798256-Any-thought-of-activating-Tapatalk).

The Tapatalk website states that it supports vBulletin which is what Bike Forums is powered by. Has anyone tried this to see if it actually works with BF?

Click on the thread I linked above. In order for tapatalk to work with BF, the admins have to install a tapatalk plugin, which they are not going to do.

Dang i-Phone weenies :)

And thus the reason for an Android phone(with a large screen :) ). Try turning the phone sideways(if i-phones switch the view), then pinch the screen to enlarge.
Below are screen shots of the website:
1) Normal view. How it comes up on the phone:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-2.png

2)Pinched screen to enlarge in portrait:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-4.png

3)After opening a thread, phone turned to landscape(sideways) and then pinched to enlarge.:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-3.png


There are websites that have their own app that makes them more mobile-friendly. Android forums has it's own "Phandroid" app that makes the process easier but basically you get the same thing without all the pinching, etc. . And yes Tapatalk does the same thing with sites that allow you to use Tapatalk.

And thus the reason for an Android phone(with a large screen :) ). Try turning the phone sideways(if i-phones switch the view), then pinch the screen to enlarge.
.

I have the Droid Razr and that's exactly what I do to read the forum on my phone. It seems to work great.

When you think about it, this is the reason for the whole i-Pad craze. Because Apple was smart enough to make their phones with a small screen, making it tough to see websites :). Now a whole new business for them has emerged. Android users are still using.......................... their phones ;) . Me, I'm a one-device-do-everything person. My phone is my phone, GPS directions, camera, flashlight, radio, mp3 player, video camera, computer, etc, etc. I'm an Alton Brown( Food Network guy) kind of guy. A device has to multi-task.

If those are shown actual size, you have an enormous phone!


Dang i-Phone weenies :)

And thus the reason for an Android phone(with a large screen :) ). Try turning the phone sideways(if i-phones switch the view), then pinch the screen to enlarge.
Below are screen shots of the website:
1) Normal view. How it comes up on the phone:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-2.png

2)Pinched screen to enlarge in portrait:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-4.png

3)After opening a thread, phone turned to landscape(sideways) and then pinched to enlarge.:
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/ScreenShot-3.png


There are websites that have their own app that makes them more mobile-friendly. Android forums has it's own "Phandroid" app that makes the process easier but basically you get the same thing without all the pinching, etc. . And yes Tapatalk does the same thing with sites that allow you to use Tapatalk.

Close but not really ;) Much larger screen than an i-phone though. And much larger than a "Droid"(original Droid of that name), Droid Incredible and phones of that size.
Advantage of i-phone: All the same size. Makes accessories easier to make and get.
Advantage of Android: You can get the size of phone that suits you. Makes getting accessories harder though.
Pluses and minuses to them all.

Size comparison. Droid X to i-Phone:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/droidx-vs-iphone4-front.jpg
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/droidx-vs-iphone4-side-2.jpg

In the first picture it looks a LOT bigger. When in reality(2nd picture), not that much.

vBulletin has software that the admins could purchase at pretty low cost. But it takes time and effort to set it up.

I am in the process of converting a large music discussion forum over to vBulletin, and as soon as it settles in, I'll be pushing out the mobile app as well.

I read the forums on my phone all the time and it works great, but I use Opera as my browser and set it to use mobile view. I don't own an iPhone though. I have no idea if you could do that on one.

I occasionally browse with my iPhone. It's not that big a deal. Nothing beats the iPad, though.