The post I wrote early this morning was published using the new Blogger app for iPhone. I wanted to try it and I imagine if a popo watched me walk to work this morning the cop would most likely stop me to check if I’m drunk. Coding at 3 AM while walking in streets lit by a handful of streetlights is something I won’t attempt any time soon.

The good news though is it works. The bad news is it’s not fully functional especially if you’re like me who is anal about aesthetics. Here are some of the features and challenges I had noticed and experienced when I was using it:

• Posts are not arranged on a consecutive order. Perhaps it was based on the date when the app was launched that’s why I notice the dates were all “11-09-09”. Yet even the entries were not arranged from most recent to oldest but a mishmash of very old, very new, and some in between.
• When writing a post and publishing, it will use the generic Times New Roman 12 font in black. To publish on your preferred font, size, and color you need to know a bit of HTML coding. If you want tabs, alignment, create a list, use any italicization you got to code it. Writing a post is like writing the simplest form of email without any embelishments.
• Pictures can be uploaded using your camera or existing photos in your library. I’m not certain though if you can use either/or the front and back camera of the iPhone 4 as I am using a 3GS.
• Unlike the full site, you can’t schedule when you want the post to be publish. You only have three options: 1.) save as a draft; 2.) publish it now; or 3.) delete it permanently.

• It takes an average of a minute for you to save a draft and then see your draft in the full site. That’s not bad.
• Tapping the nifty “B” at the bottom center of the app will bring you to another page where you can see your blog in mobile format. However, it will only display your post entries and any extra columns you have will not show up besides the “About Me” section. There is an option though to go to view the web version without having to open a Safari browser.
• Any post written/embedded in Java will not show (this is an iPhone limitation).
• If you use any java against plagiarism it will be disabled. Meaning if people can’t right click on your blog if they use a browser, using this app they can. But no need to be paranoid. They won’t be able to access your iPhone Blogger app anyway unless for some reason you leave your phone lying around unlocked.
• You can include your location in your post. I don’t use this particular features but it is included.
• Key features not available are: Posting videos, stats, blog settings management, comments moderation, page management. changing template, and layout editing.

Over all, I’d give them a Needs Improvement but would give a B+ on speed. Hopefully the feedback I submitted would be accounted for. Can’t gripe about it though as the app is only 2 days old. 

Finally, Blogger has developed an iOS!

Ever since I started using an iPhone I have been wanting an app that will let me be able to blog. Almost three years ago when I acquired my phone one of the first apps I checked was Blogger to make it much more convenient for me to start an entry and finish it and save drafts to finish when I have more time in my hands. Unfortunately no app can be found. I’ve tried numerous alternative apps but having so many accounts online makes it cumbersome to maintain and even keep up with. Eventually I decided I’ll just wait for the Blogger app optimistic that it won’t take too long of a wait since Blogger is a branch of Gmail.

As I waited my posts started to dwindle. After all, having a job that is tedious and physically draining the least I want to do at the end of my shift is recall what was that idea that popped in my head a few hours ago. My Journler is full of ill composed posts that would probably make my highschool English teacher scratch his head and wonder where he had gone wrong. Sorry! Having an attention span of a five year old, there are numerous posts I start composing on my phone but do not end up finishing.

I’ve just finished downloading the app now. I’ve checked on it and it does not (of course) have the same interface as the full site but it should do for now. Some posts do not reflect in consecutive order. This app has a long way to go. But it will do for now.