Android App for Tablets

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Its advertised in the magazine just received, and an advertisement for it appears on the home page – ut when I try to get the Model Engineer app for my android tablet, the web page is unknown. (and I checked the URL)

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

I tried it.

It works phone on an Iphone.

Not tried on an Android, my one has been sat inside a drawer since I bought it about 6 months ago.

I will dig mine out and test it.

Go to the Model Engineer website and click on the app advert on the left.

Then chen that page opens click on the app URL.

This popped up a window asking you to log onto the digital issues. Log on and it will offer to put it on your device.

regards David

[The Merry MillerParticipant @themerrymiller]

Works on the Ipad, can also read all the digital archive as well.

Len.

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

David,

I tried it.

It does not work on my Android pad.

Went to the Model Engineer website and clicked on the app advert on the left. (as before)

Then on the page that opened I clicked on the app URL.

This did not pop up a window asking me to log onto the digital issues. I received a message teling me that the web page was unavailable, along with a number of possible reasons (moved, busy, etc)

This was exactly what happened on the previous (many) attempts, after checking URLs, correct entry, etc. I'll try again, but probably will forget about it – life is too short for this.

Don't care about iPads. I have an Android tablet – which does not use an iPad OS

regards wotsit

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Wotsit.

I will charge the android up and find out what is going on.

regards david

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

David,

I also tried going directly to the site using my PC (ubuntu 12.10) – same result – Page not available. I also found in Google a reference to an MEW forum, which is apparently also discussing the same problem. (**LINK**)

Hope this is not another example of the dismal daftware that ME/MEW uses.

Regards, wotsit.

 

Edited By wotsit on 29/05/2012 16:36:56

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Wotsit

It won't work with a pc.

I can't get it to work with an Andriod tablet either.

What an awful thing an Android tablet is.

Will ask the office tomorrow.

Give me a PC anytime.

Wish I had never bought it, will probably never use it again.

regards David

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

David,

It should be possible to at least find the site with a PC – I know it will not download because it needs to identify the attached device – I was trying to find out why I was being told that the website was not available, not download it to my PC.

What an awful overpriced incompatible piece of poseurs junk an iPad is. You should have bought a decent Android tablet – to say 'What an awful thing an Android tablet is' is a lot like saying 'all cars are rubbish' when all you have driven is a knackered Trabant.

Your opinion is interesting, but more relevant is the fact that your bosses are again trying to push software which is not fit for purpose (and using up a full page in the latest ME to do it – what a waste!) – and how much does ME cost per page now?

Like you, I much prefer my laptop, but I find the tablet is useful for those occasions when it is either too much trouble or inappropriate to drag a laptop around – the tablet at least gives me access (if the software works!), and tablets will improve.

regards, wotsit.

[Fred HermanParticipant @fredherman67244]

I have followed the instructions on the web site’ and it works fine. This post is being generated on an Android Tablet. The digital back magazines also works. I use Android 4, which may be significant.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

No problem finding the site with a pc.

Where the problem is arising is that when you click the app page it puts a duplicate copy of the page into the URL, it basically doubles the URL.

It worked fine on an Iphone. I don't have an Ipad.

I don't like computers that don't use a mouse, I find it easier to use.

I bought the Android for one purpose only and sthat is to look at Kindle books in colour to

see how they appear on an Android. I hope they give that facility. That will be the only reason to buy an Ipad as well.

regards David

PS. I have emailed the office.

PPS. Might take a while to get an answer.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Fred

Did you install the app though?

regards David

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just tried it from the link on the left on my ipad and it works fine. Does not work from Android HTC phone or PC even if typed in so its not duplicated.

Looks like whoever set things up for the whole of MHS did not try on anything but apple as it does not work from other titles either.

J

[The Merry MillerParticipant @themerrymiller]

David, the latest Ipad3 is absolutely brilliant for reading books especially because it has a very high resolution screen.

Thats one of the reasons why it is touted as the best tablet in the world at the moment, knocks all the other tablets into a cocked hat!!

if you are going to get one (perhaps on expenses?) make sure it is Ipad 3 not Ipad 2, that has crap resolution like the other unmentionable tablets with the Android thingy.

Len

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Len

No chance on Expenses, no reason for one for work.

Need to win the lottery.

regards david

[Fred HermanParticipant @fredherman67244]

Hello DC1. Yes I downloaded your app from this site direct to the Android Tablet and it worked first time. Maybe I was just lucky, but up to now it works just great.

Fred

[David GParticipant @davidg]

Hi

the link is broken it should be **LINK**

on the app page it is doubled up as http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/www.model-engineer.co.uk/app

Dave

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

David G that still does not work, just takes you round in a circle on all but an Ipad (and assume iphone)

I also tried just typing in what looks tobe the correct link, but no joy.

J

[David GParticipant @davidg]

JasonB what Android device are you testing it on ?

the page has been coded so that:

if you view the link from a browser on a PC or MAC it will just show you the "Introducing the ….." page

if you view the link from a genuine IPhone, IPad, Android Phone, or Android Tablet it will take you to a digital subscriber logon page.

just tested the link I my post above on my Android phone and it goes straight to the web app.

Dave

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Beginning to wish I hadn't started this.

I think its agreed that Ipad works – but thats not the problem – the problem is that it is not (always) possible to get to the app using an Android device (and there is a thread on MEW discussing the problem exactly as it is being discussed here). This appears to me to more of a problem with the link functioning.

David G is not completely correct – as I and other users have found out, the link simply takes us to the 'Introducing the …' page. Clicking on the URL from there produces a 'Website not available' page, and various reasons why. (as described at length above) It also does this from my PC (Ubuntu). Your amended link above does exactly the same thing.

Fred Herman may have a point, that Android 4 works. My tablet is Android 2.3.1. – but so are millions of other devices, so does that mean they are all shut out?

JasonB has a good point – I also think that the software was only tested on apple OSs.

I'll wait and see what David comes up with in the next few days, ' cos these discussions take us nowhere. I find it non-productive when Apple users seem to believe that because it works on their overpriced boxes, it should work on everything – rather the opposite should be the case.

regards, wotsit.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By wotsit on 29/05/2012 21:16:49

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

David G as I said in my first post in this thread I did not work on my HTC Android phone (WildfireS)

Also just been trying to look at the latest ME on the ipad3, the viewer displays the mag as a two page spread but when I use the zoom button it only zooms to the page on the left and I can't get the right hand page up?

Also is this really an App? Seems to me it's just a shortcut from the desktop to the digital viewer

J

[David GParticipant @davidg]

 

Apologies JasonB, I hadn't read the all the posts between the first and the last.

 

 

You're right that it's not "really an App", not in the sense of downloading it from the App store or whatever Google have called it this week.

 

 

I believe that the "http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/app" page is checking what OS/Browser you are using and then forwarding you to a special part of the ME site that is tailored to mobile devices (i.e. No Adverts). If your device isn't sending the relevant info(headers) then the page wont redirect you. HTC are normally very good, I have the HTC Sensation, so I'm a little surprised that it wont work on your WildfireS. Are you using the in-built browser or have you downloaded a different browser (Firefox on Android)?

 

 

Not wanting to start an Apple / Android war but, Apple iOS is only on Apple iPhone and Apple iPad(*), Android is on HTC, Samsung, Sony, Acer, no name brand from Taiwan, etc and each bundled with their own tweaked version of Android.

 

 

Apologies again, I promise to read top to bottom next time

 

 

Dave

 

 

(*) ok I'm sure someone has spent/wasted many hours to get iOS running on non Apple hardware

Edited By David G on 29/05/2012 22:28:34

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by wotsit on 29/05/2012 21:13:45:
David G is not completely correct – as I and other users have found out, the link simply takes us to the 'Introducing the …' page. Clicking on the URL from there produces a 'Website not available' page, and various reasons why. (as described at length above) It also does this from my PC (Ubuntu). Your amended link above does exactly the same thing.

(Geez I wish this editor would let you insert inline comments)

(Edit: come to think of it it probably does you are prepared to quote-and-edit multiple times)

Fair enough on that first link but I don't see why you would expect to get anything sensible from the onward link from there with a PC. It's obviously designed and encoded for tablets and if you try with anything else you're detected as "not tablet" and shunted off to a "page unavailable" screen. No surprise there.

More problematic is the fact that, as you say, it won't work for Android 2 (2.6.32.9 in my case). I tried it and got the same result as you. It would appear not to be set to recognise that Android flavour and therefore detects it as "not tablet" with the expected result. It should either (preferably) be made to work for all releases of Android or the exceptions should be clearly stated to avoid wasting people's time.

I know it works (or did some weeks ago) for iPad (2) because I tried that on mine.

(First time I've used the Android in ages …. I'm with David C on that one )

Edited By Sid Herbage on 29/05/2012 22:33:15

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

David G, it's whatever browser came on the phone.

Now anyone else tried that Zoom problem out?

J

[David GParticipant @davidg]

Just tried the zoom, it looks like it on zooms one page at a time. Zoom the left page, close zoom and the zoom the right page.

Dave

Although that’s on Android, there’s no guarantee that this it the case on iPad/iPhone

Edited By David G on 29/05/2012 22:56:34

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