Hi,
Is their a simple way - for a website to detect what hardware an end user is using then serve the optimized site for that device? Say if someone was using the ipad, the server would deliver my ipad version of my site? I know this exists but how do you do it?
Say if someone was using the ipad, the server would deliver my ipad version of my site?
If you look at Apple’s notes on this they suggest that an iPad site is no different from a normal site ie it shouldn’t be a Mobile type site. Obviously apart from Flash content.
Because the iPad display is 1024 x 768 it requires no special sizing requirements.
There are various methods for detecting hardware/browsers but apart from the iPhone support which is built in to FWP you should really just use best practice to serve content that can be viewed on as wide a range of devices as possible.
thanks but what if a site is pure flash - but needs an HTML version for the iphone?
Then you are making twice the work for yourself. If you build carefully you can do anything you want without using Flash and make a far more SEO friendly site.
Sure thing - In the ideal world you are of course right, but I didn’t build his site (and wouldn’t build a flash site), the client just wants his site to work on the iphone. I’d seen some really nice sites that where Iphone optimized sites - Have you seen the BBC’s on the iphone as of the last few weeks? Really sleek.
the client just wants his site to work on the iphone
Hindsight is a wonderful thing
To do this (and keep the existing site) then you will need a server side redirect for calls from iPhone browsers etc. As you didn’t create the original then FW cannot be used to do this unless you add a FW created index.html (in place of the existing) and use the iPhone redirect on it.
But of course this will not help anybody coming into the site when they don’t use the front door!
the client just wants his site to work on the iphone
Hindsight is a wonderful thing
To do this (and keep the existing site) then you will need a server side redirect for calls from iPhone browsers etc. As you didn’t create the original then FW cannot be used to do this unless you add a FW created index.html (in place of the existing) and use the iPhone redirect on it.
But of course this will not help anybody coming into the site when they don’t use the front door!