Web framework for iPad and common desktop browsers?

Question

We are developing a web-based, commercial point-of-sale application. We'd like the same web site to work well on an Ipad as well a desktop browsers. We're looking for a web framework that makes the site look good on an iPad, but also makes the site work well in a desktop browser such as Chrome, IE, or Firefox on Windows or a Mac.

I found quite a few at 18 mobile frameworks and development tools for creating iPhone Apps

Most of them, such as jQTouch, help a web site look and act more like a native iPhone application but they don't emphasize the cross platform/browser experience.

The exception seems to be Sproutcore, which seems to be a full-fledged JavaScript MVC application framework. I did have trouble getting some of the demos to work under Chrome, but what did work looks good.

What framework(s) have you actually used to develop web sites to work on an iPad and desktop browser? If you didn't use a framework, how did you get it to work well under both environments?

Answer 1

The IPad has a pretty large screen; any website created in the conventional ways for desktop computers should work just fine on the IPad.

In fact, many websites (this one, for example) actually seem to work better on the IPad, because the IPad can automatically eliminate the empty screen real-estate you see on the left and right.

Answer 2

Here is your answer: Appcelerator Titanium.

It works with web technology (javascript + ruby + python + php + html + css), and you can compile your web applications into native code (iOS, Android, WebOS, PC, Linux, Mac). If you are making a PoS, perhaps you will also be interested in the desktop app feature.

It includes APIs for both mobile and desktop applications, and that is theoretically the only place where your mobile application would differentiate from a web app, regardless of the web/javascript frameworks you choose (Mootools, jQuery, Ext...).