Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

gmailblog.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 118 posts

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#91

Post by xtacy »

pilif wrote: post #13
coob wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because Safari gets to JIT-compile JavaScript and UIWebView embedded into apps can't I'm not sure this is still the case in iOS5.

it is. They could only fix it for the homescreen links which also didn't get the JIT before iOS5 Having a JIT requires you to execute writable memory which is a privilege given on a per-process level. So for an embedded webview to be able to do it, your app would need it, but third party apps are never allowed this. It's possible that they changed UIWebView to spawn a background process for the actual rendering, but…

Would you need executable and writable at the same time? The JIT generates code into a writable+non-executable memory, and then makes it readonly+executable.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#93

Post by pilif »

xtacy wrote: post #91
pilif wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it is. They could only fix it for the homescreen links which also didn't get the JIT before iOS5 Having a JIT requires you to execute writable memory which is a privilege given on a per-process level. So for an embedded webview to be able to do it, your app would need it, but third party apps are never allowed this. It's possible that they changed UIWebView to spawn a background process for the actual rendering, but…

Would you need executable and writable at the same time? The JIT generates code into a writable+non-executable memory, and then makes it readonly+executable.

That's the point. You don't get segments that you can mark as executable if you are a third-party app. The only code that's executable is the code segment of the compiled binary (that's signed by apple and won't be executed if it has changed since it has been signed).

Trying to mark memory as executable will cause your app to be terminated. Jumping into non-executable memory will also cause your app to be terminated.

Aside of protecting you (as a user or as a developer) from a big class of security issues, this also ensures that nobody ever gets to run code that's not loaded from the App Store (and thus would generate revenue without giving a share to Apple).

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#94

Post by Kylekramer »

sbuk wrote: post #90
smackfu wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OTOH The first two items on the list of app store review guidelines: 2.1 Apps that crash will be rejected 2.2 Apps that exhibit bugs will be rejected

What would have happened had Apple rejected this app? Politically, Apple are between a rock and a hard place here. Ultimately the culpability lies with the Gmail app team and they have acknowledged this and pulled the app. https://plus.google.com/100940716892313727285/posts/4aPVQTj9...

There is an world of difference from rejecting an app for "duplicating functionality" and for bugs. If Apple rejected it and said they would take it once it was fixed, the only blowback would be from those who thought Apple was lying. No reason to cater to those folks. More likely, we wouldn't hear about it at all.

It is indicative of a larger problem I have with the App Store. I am not a fan of requiring a review process. But once you crossed that bridge, make it a damn good and tough review process. The amount of crap that gets through is amazing. You already pissed off people who don't like apps getting Apple's approval, you might as well crack skulls and make sure there is real quality in every app.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#95

Post by MaysonL »

pflats wrote: post #85
ctide wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you used the Google Voice app for the iPhone? It's literally the worst app I've ever seen in my life. Crashed constantly, won't refresh from the server, will close your text box randomly while typing a message (clearing your message), will fail to make calls frequently, and since I upgraded to iOS5 now has signed me out and crashes immediately when trying to sign back in so it's been rendered completely unusable…

> I can only assume that there's some desire within Google to make sure the iPhone versions of their products are complete dogshit to try and encourage Android adoption. I find it interesting that Google is intentionally using its own icons for pre-existing iOS conventions (Floppy disk for save, weird action menu, nonstandard trash can, buttons without borders, etc.) I can understand being in love with your own syste…

The weirdest Google-ism I found was when running the desktop version of Reader on my iPad: single-finger scrolling was turned off! I had to use two fingers as if I was using a Mac trackpad.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#96

Post by kyleslattery »

Lewisham wrote: post #26

I'll echo other comments here that this looks like it needs a bit more work. * Notification error on startup: ridiculous * Laggy scrolling (how?) * No support for Send As, which is actually what is really missing from the iPhone Mail app. It's almost there. It needs a bit more love.

The laggy scrolling is likely because they're not using native scrolling, but rather using the same JS based scrolling they use in the web app to overcome issues with iOS 4's support for fixed CSS positioning. However, since the toolbar is native in the app, they should just use native scrolling.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#97

Post by frou_dh »

martingordon wrote: post #11

The app is so bad it sounds like they're saying: "If you really want a great native Gmail experience, switch to Android." Like Gruber said on The Talk Show recently (and I'll probably be downvoted given how unpopular he is here): Apple gets people to upgrade their phones by making them love their current one; Android makers get people to upgrade their phones by making them hate their current one. Seems like the strat…

That love thing is typically gushing and odd.

I like my iPhone 3G, but it's annoyance at no longer receiving security updates, and lack of iCloud support, that would make me spend money to upgrade. Not love.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#98

Post by MaysonL »

thenduks wrote: post #89
robk wrote: post #83

All those that ridicule Google's product quality on iOS have never tried to use iTunes on Windows! And given that lots of Googlers have iPhones, it's hard to ascribe malice when just incompetence will suffice.

All those that ridicule iTunes on Windows have never tried to use a Google product on iOS! :)

But hey: the current mobile version of Reader looks and runs much nicer on a Mac than the desktop vertsion.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#99

Post by ry0ohki »

jad wrote: post #75
ctide wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you used the Google Voice app for the iPhone? It's literally the worst app I've ever seen in my life. Crashed constantly, won't refresh from the server, will close your text box randomly while typing a message (clearing your message), will fail to make calls frequently, and since I upgraded to iOS5 now has signed me out and crashes immediately when trying to sign back in so it's been rendered completely unusable…

> I can only assume that there's some desire within Google to make sure the iPhone versions of their products are complete dogshit to try and encourage Android adoption. Do people think companies really behave this way? "Hey guys, how can we make our products crappier? Surely if people think our iPhone apps stink, they'll be motivated to go out and buy a whole phone from us!" There are a whole host of mundane reasons…

I bet it's the same reason Apple products suck on Windows... the devs themselves just don't use the platform.
Post reply on HN