Someone with an iDevice download this: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter/id388857173?mt=8 and let us all know if you can play WG games on it without a problem ... or buy me an ipad and I'll test it out !

Whoa! Haven't been able to play because it's not my turn, but it appears to be working.  ..and I haven't even bought the "Flash Web Browser" for $4.99.

If it's not working as is, I'll buy the browser and give it a try.

Ok, the deal is that you get the Flash Browser free for the first 30 minutes.  So I used my "designer/testing" account to start a few unranked games so I could get in some moves. 

Here's a quick down and dirty review: 4 1/2 stars out of 5

Boards load quickly and play is smooth. Played "Fall of Rome" and "Pong".  The Fall board, which is bigger, fits almost completely in the screen.  Zooming doesn't feel all that controlled. A little pinch goes a long way, but it is serviceable.  But overall, I really like it.

I purchased the Browser.

The zoom doesn't seem to work for the flash player, just the browser.  I.e., you can't zoom in on the map, but you can zoom in on the in-game messages and menus, but this isn't a deal-breaker.  The screen shows a good amount of the board and I've been able to select very small territories with ease.  Nonetheless, downgrading to 4 stars.

It's stlll very serviceable and I'm glad I bought the app.

Other considerations:

At least on the iPad, it only works in Wi-Fi mode.  No 3G connectivity.  Not a problem for me.  My iPad is Wi-Fi only.

The Browser works in Landscape mode only.  I'll bet this is because a "screen" image is being converted in the cloud. The vast majority of WG boards are wider than longer so this shouldn't be a concern.

Just took a few turns involving multiple attacks with a cup of coffee while sitting on the couch and watching the news on TV.  Hmm.. This could be the beginning of the end.

Maybe it's a good thing there's no 3-G.   Imagine taking a turn while driving with a cup of coffee.  They might have to shut the site down!

Great reports, M! Glad to see there is a decent app out there for mobile devices...

we've got an ipad at home (granted it's my wife's 'work' one they're making her try things out on); i'll see if i can convince her to let me try things out here!

That's what I've got; a "work" iPad.  They actually encourage us to put our lives on them, so mine has a personal account. If your wife's situation is not similar, you could simply have her wipe it clean (all of her stuff will be saved on itunes at work), and then start a new personal account on it.

M57 wrote:

That's what I've got; a "work" iPad.  They actually encourage us to put our lives on them, so mine has a personal account. If your wife's situation is not similar, you could simply have her wipe it clean (all of her stuff will be saved on itunes at work), and then start a new personal account on it.

Try convincing her of that... no really honey you won't lose anything!!!!

So are people using iSWIFTER now for mobile WG?  If so, anybody having issues with iPhone 4?  My old RazR is on it's last legs so I'm thinking of hopping on the iPhone bandwagon...in memory of good ol' Mr. Jobs.

I've been using it on my IPAD 1 (which is running IOS 4) and had no problems with it.
If you're going to buy the newly announced Iphone 4S, then you'll be running IOS 5, and I think you can be confident that it will work.

Android might have the advantage of sheer numbers of people who are willing/able to write apps on it (and the quantity of apps is quickly catching Apple), but if you want something that you KNOW is gonna work, then Apple is where you should be looking.  If the app exists...it'll run.

Correction:  "If the app exists, and it has been stamped by Apple....it'll run.

Thanks for the advice.  I saw the announcement on the iPhone 4S, looks pretty slick. You have experience with the Android and the iPhone?  What are the pros and cons in your opinion?

I'm a technophile, and my Blackberry has run its course now, so now I'm battling through the same decision of what to go to next.  As such, I certainly understand the difficulty of the decision.  If you have other questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Major decision factors:

1) Hardware - There's no real difference.  Someone is probably going to sharp shoot me with specs, but as far as the layperson is concerned: they're both fast.

2) Number of Apps - Android has less apps currently available, because it's a newer technology and people are just behind on writing them.  However, since Apple requires that all apps be vetted by Apple engineers for compatibility, Apple's number of is growing slower, so Android is catching up.

3) Quality of Apps - (a for instance is the best explanation)
Apple:  Person X produces an app that does something (but isn't perfect) and gets it through the Apple stamping process.  6 months later, Person Y writes his own app that does everything that X does, but does it better/faster/with better features, but his might not get a stamp of approval because Apple says "we've already got an app that does that."
Android:  Person Y's app would get released (because anyone can release one), so it's not uncommon to find 5-10 different apps that all do the same thing, just a little differently.  However, if the one that you happen to download is buggy, there's less guarantee that it won't crash your phone.

4) Speed - Android can run on the fastest network protocol  (4G).  Apple runs on one step down for speed (3G).   As a rough approximation, 4G will be about x10 faster than 3G, but both are head and shoulders above old wireless technology.
Note:  Since the 4 major wireless carriers are still rolling out (albeit slowly) the infrastructure to handle the 4G network, you might live in an area without 4G coverage.  So if speed is your need, make sure your network will handle it before you jump onto Android for this feature.

5) Battery - 4G = high speed = higher drain on battery.  So you're trading speed of an Android, for less battery life.  But know that with Android, you can turn off 4G when you're not using it (and unlike Apple, you can put a widget on the desktop so it's just one button press, as opposed to hunting through menus for it), which will give you better battery performance.

6) Customization - Andriod has very customizable interface, giving you more widgets, backgrounds, and tweaks that you can add to your liking.  But with customization comes decreased performance, so Apple's is generally seen as cleaner, and more smooth running.

7) (As you probably know...)  Flash - Android allows for flash integration into its standard browser.  Apple:  You need to use a secondary browser, so though it does work (and it does on the IPad), you will be using a different browser to run flash media, and you will have to pay for the app to get it to run.

BorisTheFrugal wrote:

I'm a technophile, and my Blackberry has run its c...

I'm in the technology world...that is put so well.  Way to go BTF!

Ooooh, I'm starting to jump on the smartphone bandwagon too, that's a helpful write-up Boris! Thanks!

Great comments Boris.  Any opinion on the iPhone 4S vs. 4 vs. 3GS?

Just saw in the paper that the 3GS is being offered free with a 2-yr. contract, with the 4 selling for $99 and the 4S going for $199 at the 16 GB model.

Glad that all appreciate it, happy to help when I can:

ATH: First and foremost, you won't go wrong with any of the 3 phones, all three will run like champs and be great quality items.
But you didn't ask that question, you wanted to know the difference between them...

3GS was definitely a good phone for its day, but it's old, so in comparison it's just not what the 4/4S offer.
It works on the same network (speed) as the other 2, but it's battery life is definitely lackluster in comparison (say, maybe 60% the run time at 3G)
It's about half the megapixel camera, and only records VGA video.
But as far as a free phone goes: it's probably one of the best on the market.
On the other hand, this is your cell phone, so my opinion is it's worth put some money into something you're going to carry with you every day for the next 18-24 months.

Now to differentiate the 4 and 4S - The extra $100 of the 4S buys you:
Twice as much storage (16GB vs 8GB)
Another 10-20% on battery life
+3 extra MP on the camera
1080P movies (up from 720P)
(most importantly) a MUCH better processor (Dual vs single core chip)
(2nd most important) IOS 5 (as opposed to IOS 4) which has many new features.

For me: the same adage applies to the 4 vs 4S - Since I'm gonna be carrying it everyday, I personally would splurge for the 4S.
$100 isn't couch change, but for my dollars, I'd buy the 4S.

This is a timely topic for me. I currently have the iPhone 3G (yes, there was no 'S' on the end), and I'm due for an upgrade at the end of the month.

I'm debating between the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2.

I really like the way my iPhone handles email and allows you to containerize apps. I really don't like that WiFi no longer works on it  . . .

Anyone have any thoughts on which way I should go?