I saw Blocs App released a iPad version yesterday. Does this mean it’s now more possible for Sparkle two more years later, they are a small company also? That would be great! 
Still think it’s a bad investment in terms of software development effort. The possibilities haven’t changed in terms of coding effort. We still think the market wouldn’t sustain the development.
1 Like
I agree with Duncan, I’d rather design websites properly on my desktop computer with the additional space on the screen and access to other desktop software like PhotoShop etc plus assets on external hard drives etc.
Well I would love to see, if not the full app, a companion app to just change some texts, duplicate some layout blocks to add more info, … Now with Final Cut, Logic, Davinci and all the pro apps that the iPad has, the one I still miss is Sparkle to go full iPad hahaha, but I understand that for a small team this is something big.
Been said that, I’ve just tried the app and I think it is clever designed and has a very intuitive interface and editing does not feel small in any way.
1 Like
My personal opinion is for the Sparkle Dev 's to put all their effort in the macOS version.
3 Likes
Ha ha… I knew this would raise its head now that the iOS app is out for Blocs!
I still don’t think developing a website in Sparkle on iOS would be a fun experience, but I do see a lot of advantages of having something on iOS that can help with the design/client workflow, like…
- Being able to share my project over iOS with a client (especially if they only have an iPad) where we can annotate allowing for a better feedback experience.
- Being able to edit existing text (not add extra text boxes) and swap out images (not add extra images) which can allow clients to make simple edits if they live on Windows but have an iPad. The Sparkle app would connect to a Sparkle file in a shared iCloud environment so not to involve a server.
Anyways just my 2 cents worth! 
1 Like
Oh I actually do think it might be cool. While only a handful of people on the planet might enjoy entering HTML or CSS on an iPad, actual freeform visual website building does feel like it would be cool. The vision is potentially there.
The problem is business and technical. I have detailed a bit about both in earlier posts, but to recap:
- Apple’s iPad revenue is below Mac revenue
- there are more iPads than Macs, but they’re overwhelmingly used as consumption devices – we have information suggesting global iPad app revenue is around a fourth of Mac app revenue
- it’s been debated over the years, yes you can create content on the iPad, but the use cases revolve around anything that’s not detail/pixel oriented and that’s not text based (so say music, painting, and the like)
- text is annoying on the iPad: yes you can use a keyboard (which is in of itself an annoyance) but text editing isn’t just about the typing, you use a mix of keyboard an mouse, the fake iPad mouse cursor isn’t as fluid as a Mac mouse cursor, touch-based copy/paste is severely broken, so unless you are keyboard only (in the emacs/vi sense) it’s never as good as a Mac
- going below finger-sized UI targets limits the screen density more than the screen size itself, say a 13" laptop has maybe 1440x900 points on screen, clickable things are rarely smaller than say 10x10 so you can fit 144x90 things to interact with on screen, an iPad tap target is conventionally 44x44 pixels, a 12.9" iPad Pro is 1366x1024 (2732x2048 points at 2x density), so even making an absolutely tiny 20x20 tap target you have at most 70x52 things to interact with – this is a real deal breaker if the UI shouldn’t require a pencil, which on an iPad it shouldn’t – and this is ignoring the 24-27" screens that many Mac users prefer
- iOS limits how much memory your app can use and how much background work it can do, we are very skeptical about a complex app with user images and video being transformed and published being able to run entirely on device, which means 1) splitting the app in an iPad frontend and server backend, 2) an app subscription to keep the server running
- having two devices where you edit in my mind implies synchronization and simultaneous editing, it’s kind of a minimum requirement, something that is definitely a lot of work to build in and more so to retrofit in an existing app
So all in all it’s not like we haven’t thought about it. But on balance still not something that we’re ready to do.
6 Likes
Agree with all of this Duncan. And just to add, personally I wouldn’t open Sparkle on an iPad if I also had a Mac. I’d go straight to the Mac and use the app on that.
I could imagine someone making a very simple, less technical site on an iPad but then they’re possibly more the kind of person who might just sign up for a templated website from somewhere like Wix etc.
Maybe a Vision Pro app? Just joking haha
2 Likes
Thanks for the update / detailed info @duncan , maybe someday then.
Blocs App mentioned on twitter and announced on their forum that Blocs will be available for Apple Vision on launch day! 
Some crazy times ahead with AI, AR, VR, etc. in tech.
Have to agree with Duncan on this one, Affinity has released iPad versions and it’s extremely constraining. The publishing program isn’t that bad, but once your into the photo app just imagine Adobe photoshop on an iPad, on a screen half the size of an apple laptop.
Congratulations on version 5 Duncan. This product gets better with every version.
I would find it fantastic if there were an iPad version. I’ve been mobile with just the iPad for years now. The limitation of RAM shouldn’t be a problem anymore. Also, the absence of a mouse and keyboard, since you can connect and use them natively.
The Stage Manager in conjunction with an external 4K display, for example.
You can also see it in apps like LumaFusion. A very complex video app, with which I do a lot of editing, for example.
I would love to be able to quickly make changes to the website while on the go.
It looks like Blocs never released a Vision Pro version on its lauch day as they said they would. Maybe they decided too many people were returning the Vision Pro for full refunds. 
Though interestingly they just announced an iPhone version of Blocs (regarding finger sized UI) 
Yesterday I saw they are going to launch an iPhone version. I don’t see the point haha. But maybe for some quick editing? Idk really.
I tried the iPhone beta, its interesting. Yes perhaps for quick edits, CMS, prototyping on the go, quick client reviews, etc., when you don’t have laptop, iPad ?? I don’t really know either, but its interesting. 
Looked further, guess the Vision Pro is presently found under the Designed for iPad apps, I suspect they are waiting for Apple to allow countries outside the US to have access and can’t develop / test directly on the device yet. 
I also got the email from Blocs (still get emails even i have signed out of theirs newsletter couple times) releasing a iPhone version.
My instant thought was “how ridiculous is that, web editing on an phone”, well that maybe is something for the young girls and boys in the high school while professionals using Sparkle on a proper device.
Crazy world we are living in.
I wonder if Blocs on iPhone is taking the mobile-first approach? I guess that could work awkwardly, but if it is creating a desktop website on a small device with your fingers - Wow what a delightful experience, NOT!
But then Blocs is mostly pre-fabricated blocks that is added to the page canvas.
Anyways all and all said that has to be some serious engineering to get it to work for the fingers!
1 Like