WAP! Urgh!
TradeMe. The iconic kiwi site that everybody loves to love. Despite some questionable changes to the desktop version of the site of late, TradeMe is a shining example of a site done right. eBay could well take some pointers from this home-spun online success story, but as far as mobile goes the opposite is true.
Nothing is more annoying than an auction that you really want to win being scheduled to close at the most inconvenient time like when at work or out shopping on a the road somewhere. Until last year, TradeMe users in this situation were pretty much stuck without any method of ensuring a win, but then a WAP version was released, and the world sighed with boredom.
Like any WAP site, there are severe limitations, like the fact that there are no pictures, everything is truncated to the very basics, and search results only yield a handful per page with the user having to endlessly click ‘more’. The experience is frustrating and 1990s to say the least.
Yes, we have a full web browser on our iPhones so we could just visit the real site, but the pinch-and-zoom panning and the page refresh times (particularly on pre-3GS models) doesn’t lend itself to the high-pressure and often darn-right stressful nature of being involved in auction that is about to close off.
eBay have an actual app on the App Store which makes life very easy for its users as it is perfectly geared to the iPhone and touch-screen input. No panning or zooming or messing around here. While it might be expecting a bit much to hope for something like this from TradeMe, it would be relatively easy for them come up with an optimised web-app version for iPhone’s Safari browser. After all, if we at iPhonewzealand can do it so can they! (If you haven’t already, visit us from your iPhone. The site will automatically switch to an iPhone-friendly version).
So, come on TradeMe! Embrace mobile safari, it’s not hard!
Got any other kiwi websites that grind your bones when you pay a visit from your iPhone? Let us know in the comments. If we all shout loud enough…. who knows!
I know its a long way from a full native client, but I do have an app out there ( MyTrades ) that at least lets you see the status of auctions. Its handy if you have a few things listed yourself you are wanting to monitor. http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=286575696&mt=8
If they did a full API into their auction engine, I’d be first to get busy with it. I’ve written and phoned them several times, but they don’t seem to recognise the level of interest out there.
Peter – Orsome Software.
(watling has made 3 comments)
Maxx.co.nz! Maxx.co.nz! Wherefore art thou, iPhone version of Maxx.co.nz?
Also, why isn’t there a super easy to use, iPhone formatted webpage that aggregates all the movie times in my city/suburb? Or an app even. I’d gladly pay a few dollars for something like that, and I’d probably see more movies because of it too. Movie times are facts and aren’t copyrightable or trademark-able but yet we don’t seem to have this very basic service in an easy to use form here in New Zealand.
(moviemichael has made 59 comments)
Hi Pedrogarcia — Have you applied our XT carrier bundle? If you have then you should find you have a ‘Your Telecom 3G’ bookmark in Safari. If you go to this bookmark over 3G (not wifi), you will get exactly what you are wishing for… a perfectly formatted screen showing you how much mobile data, texts and free minutes you have left in your billing cycle. If you haven’t installed our carrier bundle, do so. Look through the articles we’ve posted until you find it.
PS I’m with you with regards to the rest of the site though
Telecom.co.nz, especially the 'Your Telecom' section. It would be great to have an app that tells you how much mobile data, texts and free minutes you have left in your billing cycle.
(pedrogarcia has made 6 comments)
Thanks – I tried to install the bundle using my Vista laptop for a couple of weeks without success, then gave it a go with my XP Desktop and it worked straight away.
(pedrogarcia has made 6 comments)