I hate mobile versions of web sites!

[Bruce Beard]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

 

[David P2]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

I guess they detect a mobile string in the browser ID so serve up the mobile version, regardless of what you choose.

 

[crav4speed]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

Yes!! It's really stupid how website developers force us to use their mobile version. You are right that this website is the perfect example of how we are forced to use the mobile version. I don't want to use the mobile version. I have IE set to desktop mode and there is no reason for web developers to think they know better than I do!

WPCentral was perfect before. I would type www..wpcentral..com and it took me there. Now it forces me to m..wpcentral..com and it sucks. The Verge is another website that does this and I stopped going there for this reason. Many other websites do this and it really is getting annoying.

With the announcement of WP8.1 GDR1 and having the IE user agent being changed, hopefully this nonsense gets fixed.

 

[Ma Rio]

Yes, I wanted to report this as well.
No matter what I choese, it's mobile.
And it's for EVERY website. Not a single one has been loaded in desktop mode.
I think it's not the website, but the IE problem. Usually, if you request the desktop version they give it to you, there's no hard browser sniffing going on.

 

[eortizr]

I have a galaxy s5 with the browser set to desktop and wpcentral loads in desktop as it should. So I guess is an ie issue

 

[Maitrikkataria]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

Yes, a lot experts have been puzzled by people bypassing Mobile optimized websites for desktop websites. Specially within the mCommerce sector. A lot of people think that M-optimized websites are cool, and are loved by each and every user, that's why they are forcing their mobile websites upon you. I recently read a research based article on this, done by Systems Research LLC shows that it is better to ask a user "if he wants to go to mobile website instead". But, instead most of the companies directly force their m-sites on us.

 

[Bruce Beard]

Well now,
At least I am not alone!
My answer, as I said earlier, is to avoid those sights. It is too bad as one of my reasons for switching to the Lumina in the first place was to take advantage of the linking of favorites in the IE browser. Seems silly, but I have a method of scanning my favorite websites that I like to be able to apply with whatever device I am using. If I find that a website is making my experience "less than pleasant" I simply remove it from my favorites,,,,
Bruce

 

[Maitrikkataria]

Well now,
At least I am not alone!
Bruce

No, not at all alone. :smile:

 

[Shinigami910]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

I am on WP8 IE10 and i can go to the desktop version of this website. Looks like it may be an IE11 problem either with the settings are the way it is implemented. Although in saying that i have had problems like this with other sites on my phone the bbc home page is a classic for this i type in www. Version of the webpage and it redirects me to the m. Version it is a tad annoying

 

[mjperry51]

Depends on how the "mobile" version is being instantiated.

If your phone browser is set to Desktop and you load a site that utilizes responsive design, the site restyles because of the reported viewport size of the browser. The User Agent isn't taken into account.

Web developers will NEVER be able to keep everyone happy.

:unhappy:

 

[badr0b0t]

I like the real thing. I have my Lumia 1520 updated to 8.1/Cyan and I have the browser set to ask for the "desktop" version of a web site. I notice more and more sites forcing me to accept their mobile version and I hate it! This site is s perfect example. The mobile sites tend to be only partially featured and are basically annoying. My answer is to avoid the site. The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.
Am I missing something?
I haven't used IOS or Android in six months now. Anyone else notice this?

Basically, the mobile version of websites are for users benefit. Running a full site version of any websites will eat a lot of bandwidth that will be taken from your data allocation. It wll be very costly to run on desktop mode if you are on the go. Of course if you are on wifi it wouldn't matter. So, don't curse the site developers for being considerate for your data usage.

No pinch-zoom is required for mobile sites as they are supposed to be re-formatted to suit your mobile phone's screen size.

Cheers!

 

[Jan Tomsic]

...But, instead most of the companies directly force their m-sites on us.

I wouldn't mind that, the problem is that I click on Google I click on: www .site .com/really-interesting-article-i-want-to-read#post201342&reply1235, and it automatically redirects me to m. site.com/index.
How am I supposed to find that article now? The answer? I don't. I leave the site and never return. If you are in a position to decide whether to force the mobile version of the site, be aware that unless you deliver the jada jada jada behind the .com in the mobile optimized form and just transfer me to the front page, I'll leave.
Another way to make me leave is to offer the mobile app (which is really just a mobile website wrapped in the apk with no ability to zoom or landscape), on every single click I make (it has happened on a couple of sites), I will leave. I won't check out the app, I will leave.

 

[Bruce Beard]

Basically, the mobile version of websites are for users benefit. Running a full site version of any websites will eat a lot of bandwidth that will be taken from your data allocation. It wll be very costly to run on desktop mode if you are on the go. Of course if you are on wifi it wouldn't matter. So, don't curse the site developers for being considerate for your data usage.

No pinch-zoom is required for mobile sites as they are supposed to be re-formatted to suit your mobile phone's screen size.

Cheers!

Shame on me for thinking that I might exercise some control on my own data usage! I don't always want someone else making decisions for me...
As to mobile sites being reformatted for my phones screen size sometimes it all works and sometimes...
I still "vote" by simply refusing those sites that annoy me.
I read somewhere that the next beta release will have some impact on how pages display in IE11.
Guess I will wait it out and see.
Bruce

 

[badr0b0t]

Shame on me for thinking that I might exercise some control on my own data usage! I don't always want someone else making decisions for me...
As to mobile sites being reformatted for my phones screen size sometimes it all works and sometimes...
I still "vote" by simply refusing those sites that annoy me.
I read somewhere that the next beta release will have some impact on how pages display in IE11.
Guess I will wait it out and see.
Bruce

The decision is always yours to make. You simply just need to manually decline using mobile sites.

 

[Bruce Beard]

The decision is always yours to make. You simply just need to manually decline using mobile sites.

Have you tried to view this sire using WP 8.1? Go ahead, try... let me know how to view the site in desktop mode. It knows better than I do what it thinks I want...

 

[Rem97]

The other thing I am finding is web sites were you can not pinch to zoom! Westmarine.com is a good example.

Settings> ease of access> toggle on 'Allow zooming on all web content'.

 

[Jonnie LasVegas]

I've only had the problem on a few sites. Some have actually done the opposite to me, loading desktop sites while I've got IE set for mobile! So I overstand your frustration, just on the opposite end. But both are frustrating!

But I also have the same problem with my android tablet, so it's just one of those things.

 

[Etios]

Hopefully new user-agent optimisations in IE in 8.1 update 1 will fix this issue.

 

[jsooney]

Yeah I agree. With UC Browser I get the desktop site though.

 

[badr0b0t]

Have you tried to view this sire using WP 8.1? Go ahead, try... let me know how to view the site in desktop mode. It knows better than I do what it thinks I want...

What's wrong with this site?