Facebook For iPad Is Here, But Bug-Ridden

The long-awaited Facebook app for iPad is finally being rolled out across the iOS App Store. In July there was a version that leaked, and at first glance the official release looks to be much the same. Apparently the app was designed primarily for consumption, which explains the emphasis on  photos.

If we’re very cynical, it’s essentially the iPhone or iPod app but just on a larger screen. Ok, there is a left-hand navigation bar for accessing the usual suspects, including the News Feed, photos, messages, Groups and settings, as well as notifications, chat, status updates and the search function being included. However looking a little closer there are some new features, such as being able to play Facebook games in full-screen mode, and games EA and Zynga (among others) will be able to support features like Facebook Credits. There is also support for HD video and Airplay, allowing users can stream Facebook videos through Apple TVs or other Apple devices.

***OH DEAR***

Just as I’m writing this, a colleague has informed me that Facebook for iPad has bugs. And apparently it is riddled with them.

One user, Michael Clawson wrote on Twitter about how he couldn’t see his Facebook Pages when clicking on the left hand navigation bar. Journalist Mark Coyle also discovered that the app came with a glaring bug: “I have an Apple dock/keyboard, and if you put the iPad on the dock then try to comment on a post, the ‘Send’ button doesn’t appear,” he said. “Take it off the dock – it appears. Poor testing by FB.” Another Twitter user posted the update: “Facebook App first impression: decoding images on the main thread cause stutter when scrolling, even on iPad 2”.

Not great news for something that has spent so long in production. Whilst it is a free app, people still aren’t happy that it has a) taken this long to materialise; and b) the fact that it clearly hasn’t been tested properly.