Thread: How important is mobile app vs mobile friendly BroncosForums?

I'm posting this here for visibility rather than in Town Hall.

vBulletin as a company is in a tailspin. If I upgrade to the vB5, I think most users will hate it (that's what's happened on most sites that have converted) and things like the high five and MHS will go away. At the same time, It's getting harder and harder to stay on the old version. Their mobile apps aren't very good and hard to work with. Forum Runner will not get any future updates (it was bought by vBulletin's parent company, and then development was killed on it).

One option is Xenforo, which was created by some of the original vBulletin designers. They don't have mobile apps, but they designed it to be responsive, so it works very well on mobile phones. Check out their support forum here, and you can even easily login to it using Facebook, Twitter or Google (or register an account) to see how posting, thanks (what would be come a high five) and the like will work.

Please visit https://xenforo.com/community/ from your phone/tablet and see what you think, and if this would be a reasonable alternative to a mobile app.

Based on playing around, I think Xenforo has done such a good job with their reponsive design (making it work equally well on PC, tablet or phone) that I don't think a mobile app is necessary.

Please take a look and give me your feedback or any other thoughts on the subject of vBulletin, moving and the like.

Thanks

T

Originally Posted by Tned

I'm posting this here for visibility rather than in Town Hall.

vBulletin as a company is in a tailspin. If I upgrade to the vB5, I think most users will hate it (that's what's happened on most sites that have converted) and things like the high five and MHS will go away. At the same time, It's getting harder and harder to stay on the old version. Their mobile apps aren't very good and hard to work with. Forum Runner will not get any future updates (it was bought by vBulletin's parent company, and then development was killed on it).

One option is Xenforo, which was created by some of the original vBulletin designers. They don't have mobile apps, but they designed it to be responsive, so it works very well on mobile phones. Check out their support forum here, and you can even easily login to it using Facebook, Twitter or Google (or register an account) to see how posting, thanks (what would be come a high five) and the like will work.

Please visit https://xenforo.com/community/ from your phone/tablet and see what you think, and if this would be a reasonable alternative to a mobile app.

Based on playing around, I think Xenforo has done such a good job with their reponsive design (making it work equally well on PC, tablet or phone) that I don't think a mobile app is necessary.

Please take a look and give me your feedback or any other thoughts on the subject of vBulletin, moving and the like.

Thanks

T

I checked it out on both my tablet and my phone and found it to work great on both. I downloaded the app, used it for a bit, then just used the full site when mobile after that. I see no need for an application.

The old mobile app here is no great shakes. That site works better on my galaxy for sure. Just do the conversion. It should be mobile friendly enough, and mobile friendly is better anyway. App support can go fast, or get broken easily, and like you said, vbulletin is sliding into the gutter. No need for us to follow.

That mobile friendly thing looks good

In other, slightly related news

I just got an iPhone and it kept crashing, I thought forum runner might by the cause, so I went to the App Store but could not find the bf app I used to use pre forum runner, has that app been cancelled?

I think it totally depends on whether or not you want to pay for it. Xenforo is attractive because it has strong support (since you pay for it) and is aesthetically pleasing. However, if you are willing to put time over money, there is a lot that can be done with open source software such as phbBB.

Here's what ars technical has done with phbBB, it looks pretty good (although color scheme is definitely not broncos) and I'm not sure what support you'd have for MHS and High five etc. I know there is reputation support, but I'm not sure how robust it is. Again, it'd likely be a fairly steep learning curve unless you do this lots. Which of course, Tned, you do, right?

http://arstechnica.com/civis/

Originally Posted by wayninja

I think it totally depends on whether or not you want to pay for it. Xenforo is attractive because it has strong support (since you pay for it) and is aesthetically pleasing. However, if you are willing to put time over money, there is a lot that can be done with open source software such as phbBB.

Here's what ars technical has done with phbBB, it looks pretty good (although color scheme is definitely not broncos) and I'm not sure what support you'd have for MHS and High five etc. I know there is reputation support, but I'm not sure how robust it is. Again, it'd likely be a fairly steep learning curve unless you do this lots. Which of course, Tned, you do, right?

http://arstechnica.com/civis/

I played with phpbb many years ago, before BroncosForums was around. These days, I have no time. I don't even have time to come on and post (hoping that changes soon). So, I'm only looking at the the main paid forums, Xenforo, IPB or sticking with VB.

I say stick with vb until you absolutely have to switch. Checked out the site too and agree with Davii.

I'd prefer a mobile friendly site to an app, takes up less space on my phone. I've always just used the website on my phone from chrome and it works great.

I have no idea but the app i have for Broncosforums sucks. Very unfriendly.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I'd prefer a mobile friendly site to an app, takes up less space on my phone. I've always just used the website on my phone from chrome and it works great.

This.

Accessing the site Tned linked to on my phone is very similar to the mobile view option here. The PC/main view would take some getting used to, but do what you need to do T.

I've never used the app and just get on normally through chrome on my phone and I have no problems. Apps are for babies.

Yeah, the mobile app here sucks and links don't expire correctly on the board, so I'm in favor of an upgrade.

I also just log in through the site on my phone.

yea, i've never used the app-- i just log in to the site directly from my phone. . . honestly though, i really never use the site from my phone anyway, so i don't care if it's phone-friendly or not. . . how it works on a PC is my only concern. . .