Filed under: Software, Tips and tricks, TUAW Tips, iPhone
iPhone Tip: Don't even bother with the .com button
While typing on the iPhone is an arguably difficult / easy process depending on who you are, I figured out a handy tip for saving at least one button press - as long as you're going to a .com site. Just like a real browser, it appears that the iPhone will allow you to type in most .com URLs without having to type the actual .com or pressing the button. Simply press Go after typing the site name and MobileSafari should automatically insert the .com for you. It's worked in every site I've tried so far at least. A mere savings of one button press to be sure, but in my opinion, shaving off even one repeated key press can amount to a lot of saved time after a while.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Luigi193 said 9:45PM on 7-26-2007
Wait...you only do this on the iphone? I do the same on Sites I visit often in safari.
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eric said 10:04PM on 7-26-2007
seriously, is this post the online blog equivalent of a slow news day?
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mark said 10:04PM on 7-26-2007
hmm.
i wonder if the german/french/uk (translated) version of the iphone will have .de .fr and .co.uk instead of the .com button...
also, afaik this "tip" only works for .com websites... doesn't work for .net, .org...
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David Chartier said 10:12PM on 7-26-2007
This post is the equivalent of trying to find useful ways of saving people time and making things easier to use.
If you don't like it, I honestly weep. Truly. I'm crying right now. I'm going to insert a line break to symbolize my efforts to put down my MacBook Pro, get up and go find a tissue.
Line break inserted. Seriously: if you don't like the tip, great. Other people found it useful, so I felt it worthy of posting.
And just like that... life goes on. Amazing.
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Michael Hodges said 10:17PM on 7-26-2007
hey you know what would be cool, just thought of another feature wish-list - that you could tap that .com button more than once to cycle between other TLDs like .net .org etc. the same way you double-tap the shift for caps lock.
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milkmage said 10:20PM on 7-26-2007
seems to work with regualr safari too. typed apple, digg, cnn, tuaw - safari completed the URL - added the http://, and .com
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Alex said 10:39PM on 7-26-2007
doesn't work for me, i get a page saying "the web site address you entered could not be found. You entered http://apple/
Same thing both on my computer (safari) and iPhone. Some earthlink page, i think it has to do with the ISP and not the actual browser.
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JeffDM said 10:41PM on 7-26-2007
Typing the site name without the protocol and TLD is apparently only useful if you've been there before. I never went to Digg on Safari and it just had a DNS error. In the same case, Firefox goes to Google to try to figure out where you wanted to go.
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Theo said 10:43PM on 7-26-2007
I think what it does on a computer is take the first page that comes up if it was a Google search.
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Gillian said 10:48PM on 7-26-2007
Pretty darn sure he mentioned "as long as you're going to a .com site" so I don't understand what the griping is about. Did you not READ the post that you're bitching about? I personally find it to be a handy shortcut to know about.
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mando said 10:50PM on 7-26-2007
this has been possible on a mac since i started surfing on one back in the netscape days. it works accross the board on any mac web browser. you dont type www or .com (assumng its a .com), just the domain. i still see most people type www and .com, especially PC converts...
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Alex said 10:53PM on 7-26-2007
@ JeffDM
That doesnt even work for me. I'll type http://www.apple.com, hit enter, it loads.
Deleted the entire URL, type "apple," hit enter, goes to the error page. :(
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lgc90 said 11:02PM on 7-26-2007
Well Safari has always done this on the computer, why shouldn't it to it on the iPhone too?
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Michael B. said 11:06PM on 7-26-2007
it's weird. This usually does and should work - and exactly like hitting enter does in Safari.
However sometimes (only Steve know why) when you hit enter in Safari this doesn't work as expected.
Oh and "Just like a real browser" needs to be rewritten because IE isn't like this. If you type in a site name in IE it brings up a search. Don't ask why M$ hasn't figured out how do do things right. Though even typing just costco - which bring up a google search is still faster than typing the whole www. .com
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David Chartier said 11:10PM on 7-26-2007
#16 Michael B: You might be right, although I would propose a debate around whether IE should or even could be considered a real browser. :)
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smqt said 11:14PM on 7-26-2007
I didn't read the whole comment section, but Safari on the comp has always done this.
It adds .com, and if that doesn't work it adds www. as well.
Whether you'll see a site also depends on server settings: many sites have not been configured to be shown (correctly) without www.
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senninha said 11:51PM on 7-26-2007
never post on this site, HOWEVER, even tho i'm all about mac's, i learned an extremely nice feature of windows... to add www. and .com to any phrase, simply press control when you hit enter. voila!
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Drupa said 12:01AM on 7-27-2007
Remember when Apple used to make computers? I'm getting sick of all this iPhone reporting. As long as the iPhone uses EDGE, it is not usefull to me. Could we get back to Mac reporting and move on from this iPhone stuff, PLEASE?!
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David Chartier said 12:24AM on 7-27-2007
#21: Drupa, I hate to say it bud, but the iPhone is a major, major milestone product from Apple and something the entire industry is incredibly interested in right now. We're sorry you aren't interested in it, but we have a solution for you!
A while ago we created an iPhone-free TUAW RSS feed. If it's about the iPhone, it probably won't end up in here, so this might work out for you:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/22/iphone-free-tuaw-feed/
Again, we can understand being sick of hearing about something, but the iPhone is just too hot for so many other people for us to drop it.
I hope that feed helps!
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djscott said 12:30AM on 7-27-2007
9 & 14: YMMV: I just put in "apple" and was taken to http://www.apple.com right away.
10: Again, it worked for me. Never been to Digg, but just entering that took me to the site.
Not an earth-shattering bit of advice, but useful for some. In any event, fanboys have to recognize that all this attention on a new device is going to bring out the haters. Can't be helped; best ignored.
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