Web Design for the Apple iPad

Apple has recently released it’s highly anticipated iPad. The new device is very similar to the iPhone and iPod touch, but much larger. The new device allows users to browse the web on a large touch screen through Safari – Apple’s web browser.

It is important to address the features and limitations of the iPad, and how web developers can make the most of this device.

Flash is not supported on the iPad, nor is it supported on the iPhone. While most web pages have moved away from full flash, most continue to offer flash movies to capture their audience.

The solution is to move forward with HTML 5, which is promising to offer all of the features of Adobe Flash. YouTube is currently beta testing HTML 5 and replacing it’s Flash movies with the new standard.

Web designers must ensure their sites will cater to the proper audience and platform, and investigate the usage of Flash and HTML 5. Apple has released a guide for web developers here.

Will HTML 5 eventually replace Flash?

Adobe responded to HTML 5, with it’s CTO making this statement:

Some point to HTML as eventually supplanting the need for Flash, particularly with the more-recent developments coming in HTML with version 5. I don’t see this as one replacing the other, certainly not today nor even in the foreseeable future. Adobe supports HTML and its evolution, and we look forward to adding more capabilities to our software around HTML as it evolves. If HTML could reliably do everything Flash does, that would certainly save us a lot of effort, but that does not appear to be coming to pass.

A number of critics to HTML 5 point out that it is slow to make advancements in standards and that Flash has moved to quickly offer these features.