There is no such thing as drag and drop in a browser. It is emulated using various existing events like onClick, onMoveOver, onFocus, onBlur. With the actual manipulation done behind the scenes in the DOM.

You'll find various drag and drop engines around the web, these are probably going to fail with some browsers.

If the iPad did not support drag and drop in the core OS then you would not be able to rearrange icons on the home screens.

This says it is possible:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1619790/drag-and-...

So it is obviously the BBC devs who are lame not Apple.

Thanks to both you AEP and James (jchamier). Some logical and sensible posts from you both leading up to me getting a bit of clarity about my initial questions.

Our super-duper website designer contributor seems from what I've seen by looking at the two posts in the thread he just linked to in supposed support of his opinion, (it's a bit late to delve deeper into there tonight), to have given us a link to it being down to a default (maybe fixed) setting in the iPad implementation of Mobile Safari. Thus at first glance looking as though it completely destroys his argument.

The two of you seem to be adding considerable weight to something I heard one of the John Lewis bods saying to a couple, as I walked past, that it wasn't a computer, you still need a computer.

There is a feature on the N900 that temporarily disables the screen dragging, so enabling icon positioning. That doesn't apply within the Firefox browser though. So perhaps the iPad is a bit better than that.

I think I shall go into a different Apple Store soon, and not mention the BBC website. Just ask if drag'n'drop is possible. My webmail example for instance - where you can need to play with folders. And by webmail, I mean that I log into on my mail-host's site, not necessarily the iPad App or MobileMe. Though maybe they won't be aware such things exist .

Maybe also how you upload jpegs from a memory card to a website, or even from the iPad's own storage.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The two of you seem to be adding considerable weight to something I heard one of the John Lewis bods saying to a couple, as I walked past, that it wasn't a computer, you still need a computer.

Yes - I have an iPad (1) and its pretty much an enlarged iPhone or iPod Touch - that said its extremely good as a content consumer device. Its not as good at creating content, but there are some really clever apps on the store - and the new iPad 2 is so much faster.

There is a feature on the N900 that temporarily disables the screen dragging, so enabling icon positioning. That doesn't apply within the Firefox browser though. So perhaps the iPad is a bit better than that.

Its possible another browser can do what you're after; but its not a gesture that you actually use very often.

You can drag icons (apps and web shortcuts) on the home screen anywhere else you like, you hold and then they start wiggling, in that mode they're draggable and sit where you put them in a grid. Then you press the home button and they lock.

I think I shall go into a different Apple Store soon, and not mention the BBC website. Just ask if drag'n'drop is possible. My webmail example for instance - where you can need to play with folders. And by webmail, I mean that I log into on my mail-host's site, not necessarily the iPad App or MobileMe. Though maybe they won't be aware such things exist .

I really don't think the iPad is very good with drag/drop websites. I can't use my OWA on Safari as its not IE, and that's the only drag/drop email website I have. GMail and Yahoo don't seem to use drag/drop in my desktop experience in Firefox.

That said most people would use the iPad's own email client via IMAP or POP to check their email. Its a lot better than using the web browser. Even better is GMail (free) or Exchange ActiveSync (available from lots of providers, from £6/month) which sync contacts/calendars/mail between multiple devices.

Maybe also how you upload jpegs from a memory card to a website, or even from the iPad's own storage.

Simple you can't. The iPad camera connection kit which provides a USB plug and SD card reader is extra cost. All this does is copy the photos from the camera or SD card into the iPads "photo roll".

This is part of the photos app where any pictures you save from a web page (or take with the camera on the iPad 2) are stored. When you connect to a PC using the apple USB cable then you can access these photos as JPG or PNG (if screenshot) and copy off / delete using Windows Explorer or similar. You cannot copy TO this storage area.

iTunes is how you manage the iPad in the same way as an iPhone or iPod Touch, and iTunes can be told to pick up folders full of pictures and sync them to the pad for viewing. It does a seriously good job and the iPad screen is stunning.

However if you're looking for the ultimate flexibility that a laptop would give you, the iPad is not for you - maybe worth reading the Motorola Zoom reviews or the Asus eeePad Transformer? (see www.modaco.com for a UK android forum site).

If you know anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch then the iPad basically is the same, with the benefit of a much larger screen - the web browser for example shows desktop sites, not mobile sites.

(Edit - fix broken quotes)

Edited by jchamier (Mon 16-May-11 20:42:07)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Is it possible?

No - not in Safari on the iPad 1. Each box highlights as you touch it, but there is no way to move it. Even with 2 or more fingers nothing moves.

I can hit the edit and X links and customise or remove "portlets" but I cannot reorganise the order of the "portlets".

I've also tried the alternative browser on the App Store called Atomic Web and it can't do it either.

A very good summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the iPad. I agree that it is a very useful tool in it's own right, but it certainly cannot replace a computer.

In reply to a post by AEP:

it certainly cannot replace a computer.

Exactly - you need a Windows or Mac (not Linux) computer to activate and sync it with (ie, back up) and upgrade firmware. This machine needs to run iTunes and have a USB 2 port.

Possibly a better idea is to wait for the Blackberry Playbook.

In reply to a post by orly:

Possibly a better idea is to wait for the Blackberry Playbook.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaahhaahaa

Have you used one?