You can switch between search results, Gmail, Calendar, Reader and Google Docs by clicking on the big menu from the top of the page. Google uses AJAX to make the switch almost instantly, as if you were using a desktop application.
"Our guiding principles were fast and fluid. We think we've achieved both, thanks to some AJAX magic made possible by the iPhone's Safari browser," tells us Google Mobile blog, where you can find screenshots from an iPhone.
If you have an iPhone, you can see the new interface by going to google.com. Otherwise, iPhone's user-agent is the only helpful alternative. [Update. Garett Rogers found an URL for the new interface: http://www.google.com/m/gp, but it doesn't work well in any important browser.]
{ The first screenshot has been licensed as Creative Commons Attribution by Duncan Rawlinson. }
That first screenshot is on the rogers network!! here's hoping...
ReplyDeleteOh joy - yet more stuff for the whyPhone. How about supporting probably the most popular mobile browser out there - Opera Mini.
ReplyDeleteOpera Mini has a pretty poor JavaScript/AJAX support as it's more like an interface to Opera Mobile running in a server. Most of the scripts are processed server-side so the user experience is pretty bad.
ReplyDeleteJavaScript support in Opera Mini 4
I hope Google does the same for Palm based phones.
ReplyDelete'm aware of how carptastic its JS support is, but just because Apple releases a hyped up gadget, doesn't mean they should suddenly pool resources into it, when the desktop versions are suffering (where's this integration on the desktop?)
ReplyDeleteThis is terrible! My windows mobile 5 phone's pocket internet explorer was displaying all the iPhone specific formatting just fine with a simple user agent tweak - but now the new ajax-ified version totally breaks it - just a blank page!
ReplyDeleteAnyone know if the older iPhone interfaces are still available via a different url?
A lot has be made of Google's efforts here but I am not terribly impressed. I think Google won't do much more the iPhone past this, because now I think they are in competition with Apple.
ReplyDelete@kenbw2
ReplyDeleteIn which way suffers the desktop version through the development of an iPhone version?
You should know that developing SOMETHING for a product that has NO good site at all is way easier than developing something NEW for a product that has already a working site.
@cgull
Not likely, unless Palm releases a way better browser.
@kathy green
Google is opportunistic. If having an iPhone version helps them make money, they'll do it.
Also: The Google web properties aren't what makes the iPhone cool. So NOT offering specialized Google-sites for the iPhone won't turn away a single customer from the iPhone itself.
The Google page on iPhone has reverted to the "old" version. Also, the calendar function is off line. I wonder what it will look like in the morning?
ReplyDelete