Google Chrome now works on iOS • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#51

Post by SoftwareMaven » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:08 PM UTC

mtgx wrote: post #45

mbrubeck wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Vivian Li Cromwell from the Chrome team confirms that it uses the system rendering engine (presumably via UIWebView) and does not include the V8 JIT: https://twitter.com/viviancromwell/status/218402587760795648

Well that's unfortunate. And didn't we learn last year that Apple left WebView twice as slow as the browser? Or did they fix that?

UIWebView is slower for security reasons. (Non-Apple) Apps aren't allowed to mark memory as an executable code space, which JITs require. Perhaps there would be some way for Apple to solve that for Nitro without introducing security concerns for all apps, but I'm not convinced.

I much prefer knowing apps can't surreptitiously create new executable parts of themselves.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#52

Post by Synaesthesia » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:12 PM UTC

tubbo wrote: post #47

Synaesthesia wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apps on the store have to use UIWebView, which of course doesn't get the Nitro JavaScript engine.

They "have to"? I was under the impression that you had a choice of UIWebView and your own custom implementation. Are they really going to block sales of an app if it has an alternative JS engine?

You might be able to do your own JavaScript implementation, not sure, but I think actually not. (I stand corrected on this). But V8 definitely won't be permitted under the current laws, as it uses executable blocks of code in memory, which are not permitted, for security reasons under iOS.

Don't see that rule changing. Let's hope Apple let other browsers be the default though.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#53

Post by Synaesthesia » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:15 PM UTC

SlimHop wrote: post #2

Does Chrome on iOS support WebGL?

Safari doesn't even officially support it yet, on iOS.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#54

Post by wavephorm » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:15 PM UTC

speg wrote: post #9

ajross wrote: post #5

Can someone clarify? I thought replacing the browser (actually even stronger: rendering web content using anything but the browser) was one of the items forbidden by the app store guidelines?

While Chrome for iOS will include a number of key features, including incognito mode and tab syncing across devices, the browser will still use Apple's WebKit-based engine required by the App Store developer guidelines. It also will lack the Nitro JavaScript engine that Apple uses to speed Safari's performance.

  still use Apple's WebKit-based engine required by the App Store developer guidelines

This is pretty retarded, and should really be looked at by the DoJ. To hobble all web browsers like this is something that even Microsoft, at the height of their dominance, didn't even attempt.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#55

Post by emehrkay » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:16 PM UTC

So does this browser not automatically block third party cookies like the default Safari does?

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#56

Post by mbrubeck » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:23 PM UTC

recoiledsnake wrote: post #38

thechut wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What a bunch of walled-garden bullshit. It's not even clear that having a full featured Chrome would hurt Apple in anyway

>It's not even clear that having a full featured Chrome would hurt Apple in anyway Perhaps this is how Apple sees it: The browser might create a SDK that makes web apps work more like native apps thus resulting in reducing Apple's control over apps. Also, look at things like NaCl and how plugins like Flash might be enabled by browsers with rendering engines.

I think this is exactly how Apple sees it. Look at the specific language from the SDK agreement:

"Interpreted code may only be used in an Application if all scripts, code and interpreters are packaged in the Application and not downloaded. The only exception to the foregoing is scripts and code downloaded and run by Apple’s built-in WebKit framework."

This doesn't forbid third-party interpreters; what it really does is control distribution of code. All code that is run on an iOS device must be downloaded either through the App Store or through Apple's WebKit.

This means there are no distribution channels on iOS that use their own non-Apple mechanisms to obtain and run software -- no Flash Player, no Chrome Web Store with NaCL, not even MIT's Scratch programming environment for kids (whose runtime was banned from the App Store in 2010 [1]). Web apps on iOS are less controlled than native apps, but Apple still gets to decide which capabilities to expose to them. This is one of the major things that gives Apple such tight control over the user experience, security, and evolution of the platform.

[1]: http://computinged.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/apple-removes-sc...

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#57

Post by kylebrown » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:24 PM UTC

ComputerGuru wrote: post #22

pcwalton wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't see how it can, as it's just a UIWebView.

UIWebViews can be configured to run WebGL, though this is not officially supported/sanctioned by Apple.

Another workaround is to use JavascriptCore with openGL

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#58

Post by mbrubeck » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:33 PM UTC

tedunangst wrote: post #44

recoiledsnake wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no WebGL and other HTML5 features that Chrome has. Also, not only there is no V8 JS Engine support, but I suspect that Apple's NitroJS engine won't work in Chrome because it probably uses UIWebView to render sites.

Well, WebGL doesn't work in Chrome on Android either.

True, though that may change soon. And other features like SPDY are already working on Android but presumably not in Chrome for iOS.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#59

Post by bilinqal » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:35 PM UTC

cooldeal wrote: post #16

mistercow wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's pretty nauseating about it is that it's exactly the kind of anti-competitive crap that Microsoft pulled in the first browser war, only more so.

And while Mozilla made really loud noises with threats of complaints and legal action about Windows RT and Microsoft, they completely ignored Apple and made Firefox Sync which just syncs bookmarks etc.

Well, they are google strawman and only complain when it benefits google.

Re: Google Chrome now works on iOS

#60

Post by patrickaljord » Thu, Jun 28, 2012, 7:43 PM UTC

AlexandrB wrote: post #46

recoiledsnake wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It's not even clear that having a full featured Chrome would hurt Apple in anyway Perhaps this is how Apple sees it: The browser might create a SDK that makes web apps work more like native apps thus resulting in reducing Apple's control over apps. Also, look at things like NaCl and how plugins like Flash might be enabled by browsers with rendering engines.

> The browser might create a SDK that makes web apps work more like native apps thus resulting in reducing Apple's control over apps. This claim come up occasionally. It always seems silly because web apps were the ONLY apps in the original iOS. Native apps came later and only with pressure from the development community.

> It always seems silly because web apps were the ONLY apps in the original iOS. Native apps came later and only with pressure from the development community.

I think that is a silly claim, web apps were pretty useless at the time, there were almost no html5 features at the time so web apps were no threats at all while Apple was adding support for apps.