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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
I've said that using a phone to interact on the forum wasn't a problem. A few days ago, I went from an inexpensive ZTE android to a Samsung Galaxy, and now understand the complaints. My ZTE framed the text perfectly, no need to zoom, voice recognition, and no issues whatsoever. The Samsung is a nightmare. Not advertising or endorsing a product, but I think I'm gifting this phone to one of my kids and getting another ZTE.

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
I found the site usable on my phone, but I do have to zoom in and out and move the screen around to navigate. It's not that big of a deal but it is tedious. Not long ago, however, I purchased an Amazon Fire HD8 (formerly called Kindle Fire... but not to be confused with a regular Kindle) tablet. I had originally planned to use it mainly just for reading books and comic books, but really it's so much more than that. It's a great tablet. But I'm rambling..... Now it's what I use for just about everything when I'm out and about and away from my computer at home. And it's perfect for Pipesmagazine. I turn it sideways when I'm on the forum and I see everything just as I would on my computer screen at home. I do still Zoom in and out a little if needed, but it's not as bad as when using a phone. I like it so much I'm seriously contemplating upgrading to the HD10.
Edit to add: Only drawback to the Fire is you have to use it somewhere there's a wifi connection.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
The ZTE would fit to screen, and had multiple text size adjustments that my new phone doesn't offer. Had it better than I thought with the other phone.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,070
Maryland
postimg.cc
Before you ditch your phone, try a different browser. I don't use my phone much for forum use, but when I do, it can be frustrating. I've been using Chrome, which does odd formatting things to the reply box font, so that you can't really see all that you have typed.
I did a google search and two, new to me, browsers came up - Dolphin and Samsung Internet. Samsung was about the same as Chrome, same reply box issue.
But, Dolphin really worked much better. As you type, it resizes the reply box, so you can see all of your reply. I'll definitely keep testing it.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.mgeek.TunnyBrowser&hl=en

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
<p>I just noticed the Samsung does work better sideways, but didn't have to do that with the ZTE.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
Thanks Al, I'll look into that. The Samsung has great features otherwise, but forum use is a pain.

 

jazz

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 17, 2014
813
65
UK
I don't wish to sound harsh because I love this place but visiting this forum on a phone is a fiddly, frustrating pain in the arse and nothing like the experience it should be in 2018. The experience is compounded if you are in a moving vehicle and I'm sorry but it's the truth. All other websites and forums I visit detect the fact I'm on a phone and render appropriately for such a device. You shouldn't have to rotate sideways and change browsers.
I simply won't visit this place on my phone anymore. The mobile experience is better elsewhere.

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
Somehow it's the fault of this site that mobile browsers are retarded?
Al has the most helpful comment, in my view: some browsers work better with non-mobile sites than others.
Google of course wants all of us on mobile all of the time, using Google products, so they want to force sites to have a mobile version and their browser reflects this.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,070
Maryland
postimg.cc
Pipe smokers got to do what pipe smokers do, be happy, right?
Some of those other forums have pretty slick interfaces. Unfortunately, they're all prone to crashing occasionally, and in some cases, losing all the forum info. To my knowledge, this one has crashed, never. I'll take stable over bells & whistles.
To be honest, I really don't have any inclination to viewing any forum on my phone, that format is just too tedious, never mind the type of forum (cars, watches, sports). I'll stick to my laptop. By the same token, I'd never watch a tv show, movie or sporting event on my phone, I can think about a million things more interesting to do. I know...old fart syndrome....

 

jazz

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 17, 2014
813
65
UK
Pipe smokers got to do what pipe smokers do, be happy, right?
Happy? Never knew what the word meant until I got the hang of Full Virgina Flake.
Some of those other forums have pretty slick interfaces. Unfortunately, they're all prone to crashing occasionally, and in some cases, losing all the forum info. To my knowledge, this one has crashed, never. I'll take stable over bells & whistles.
I believe I have only experienced this once on a flight sim forum.
To be honest, I really don't have any inclination to viewing any forum on my phone, that format is just too tedious, never mind the type of forum (cars, watches, sports). I'll stick to my laptop. By the same token, I'd never watch a tv show, movie or sporting event on my phone, I can think about a million things more interesting to do. I know...old fart syndrome....
I wouldn't call it old fart syndrome buddy and I would agree with you but I know some have lines of work which require long periods on the road and away from home. As a result, they rely on mobile devices as a source of entertainment on the long and lonely days and nights. I see forums as a great way to waste some time such as when on the motorway for 8 straight hours, lying in a truck waiting for hours and hours on end or even when your dentist's receptionist has naused up your appointment causing you to sit in a waiting room for an hour and the only magazines are Women's Own and Cosmopolitan. I know this because until recently I was that man and shall be again soon enough. Unfortunately, In these situations, there aren't a million more interesting things to do. You either read, watch or listen. And as you have had to travel light you have a phone, one book and perhaps a tablet. There are, of course, millions of other websites, forums, books and films to occupy oneself with instead of visiting here and indeed I have, do and will use those but sometimes I would like to have a look whats going on here and don't because of the mobile user experience. Invariably, I ponder picking my nose, light a pipe and read a book instead.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,070
Maryland
postimg.cc
I get it, but I still avoid phone use. This coming from a guy who has driven over a million miles since 2001.

I even tried a Kindle Fire tablet, just couldn't do it. My Kindle Paperwhite, pipe and pillow are my three constant traveling companions.

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
Thank you, Jazz, that was very well explained. A lot of us are always on the run and can’t break out a laptop anytime we want to. A phone or a tablet is a great way to kill time reading and participating in the forums. I actually wonder how many people are posting while they’re on the toilet, I imagine there are quite a few of us sitting on the can right now. :rofl:

 
Jun 27, 2016
1,273
117
Oddly enough, another forum just upgraded to provide a mobile format, and when you are on the phone, you can't just click onto the last page of a thread anymore. Now you have to click onto the first page and wait for it to load, then select the last page number from a counter, wait to load that page (hopefully you put in the right page number), and then you can scroll down to the final post. So basically I don't bother going there anymore on the phone.
Here I just click onto the final page number and it loads once, and I can scroll right down.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
Not really complaining about all phones for this forum, just my new phone. My old ZTE framed everything perfectly. At $45 for unlimited internet, and most service providers not providing service in my area, the phone's all I have. Not knocking the forum, just complaining about a more expensive phone being less useful than a cheap one.

 
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