Why isn't my local MLS compatible with Iphone or Apple products?

The I Phone may be popular but it is a small drop in the bucket.  It takes some serious work and of course money to get the web sites to be compatible and even then the MLS don't always get it right.  The real question is why doesn't Apple make their machines play well with the rest of the world.

This is the same reason Macs are pretty much safe from the viruses that plaque the Windows world.  There aren't enough of them to make it worth their while.

I agree with Nogul.  It's simply an urban legend that hackers don't care about Macs.  It's the platform and operating system that make it so secure.  (This is why so many universities STILL use UNIX-based servers rather than Windows.

I have to disagree with Denise, who didn't do her homework.  When there are problems with websites not working on certain machines, or certain browsers...it's NOT the machine or browser's fault.  It's the fault of the website developer!  There are worldwide standards for websites set by the Worldwide Web Consortium, and when a site doesn't work on everyone's machines...it's because the developer decided not to follow the rules.

From what I'e heard from RISCO representatives at GE, most MLS systems are designed specifically for Internet Explorer and will not work on Iphone, and will maybe work on your Mac.  In a nutshell, the MLS needs to hire developers that understand the benefit of writing code that works for everybody.  

After all, that's what the internet is all about.  ;-) 

There are several reasons why Macs don't always work with an MLS. I have been battling this problem for almost 20 years since I first started using a Mac in 1989.

First - Understand that there are only a handful of companies that even want to touch providing the back-end to an MLS at all. So when the local people in charge of finding a new MLS vendor at your REALTOR Association put out the Request For Proposals, since virtually all the brokers and agents on that committee were Windows users, it never dawned on them to require the MLS software to be cross-platform.

Second - Even if you access your MLS in a web browser, again, most of these providers were never compelled or required to build their web solution to display in all Web Standards Compliant browsers. They only built it to display in Microsoft IE (as Tony stated above). Gee, sounds like Top Producer 7i or 8i, doesn't it? Of all of the browsers, IE is the least compliant. When I build my clients' web sites, I test them in at least 5 different browsers for both platforms - Firefox of Windows and Mac, Safari for Mac, Netscape Communicator for Windows and Mac (now no longer available), and IE 6.x and 7.x. But most of these MLS vendors have never thought of that idea. "Doesn't everyone use Internet Explorer?" (Not anymore, as IE is losing more and more market share!) Even if they are building their solution in .NET - a popular coding software program put out by Microsoft - few of these vendors even know that right now they can buy a book in the computer section at Borders or Barnes & Noble on how to build cross-platform solutions in .NET! Ha!

There is something you can do! Stomp your feet and DEMAND that your MLS, if access is available in a web browser, work in ALL "modern" web browsers. Remind them that the Web doesn't belong to Microsoft or Apple. There is no excuse for not being able to write HTML to display properly in virtually all browsers. And if they don't know how to do it, then outsource it to web designers who do! I and other Mac users here in the Washington/Baltimore area have done just this over the years with our MLS - MRIS - and it works just fine in Firefox or Safari on a Mac!

So stop accepting your 2nd class citizen status. You pay your dues to your MLS for access just like everybody else! You should be able to expect that any Web solution will work in any popular web browser on any computer with Internet access. Lastly, remember that the "sqeaky wheel sometimes gets the grease". So "sqeak up" out there! ;-)

I agree w/ the above....complain to your boards to support other platforms....I'm using a windows mobile based phone solely to search listings on the mobile MLS

Hello Nogui

Though I'm still fairly new to AR, I'm brand new to this group. I'm happy to have found other Mac Users! Though I've yet to purchase an iPhone, I did want to share something what some others have shared regarding MLS and Mac's OS system.  About a month or so ago, I started using an application from VM Software, called Fusion.  It's amazing. It allows me to interchange the two operating systems.  I am no guru when it comes to computers --which, of course, is why I love Apple so much...always user-friendly ;-)  My husband installed Fusion with no trouble at all and I've been able to access my MLS with ease.

That being said, I agree with Win, that we should be able to expect any Web solution in any popular web browser from our local Board of Realtors!  Have you had any luck with your iPhone since you posted this on the forum? 

I'm new to MAC (wished I had discovered them sooner) oh well, my loss.

My MLS only runs on Internet Explorer as well. What about Northstar at www.northstaraccess.net for running windows simply for MLS (or my Point 2 website)? Anyone familiar with Northstar?

NorthStarAccess is a waste of money and should not be used was my experience. Nice idea with very poor exicution.

There are some well written MLS programs like Navica that work in any browser, but the crap sold by First American dominates the market in many areas at this time. It probably will take a couple of the larger MLS systems dumping the crap for a good program for First American to invest the reasorces to produce a good product. For now they are relying on inertia to hold their customers reather than a superior product. Internet Explorer's market share is under 72% and still droping. Until enough MLS subscribers voice their complaints, iPhone users will be forced to find their own way to access MLS data.

Until the recent "update" to the TMLS software, I could access the MLS system on my Mac using Crossover, but the current version of the software requires a later version of Internet Explorer than version 6 with sp1. I have a copy of Parallels, but the only thing I run in it is MLS access.

Hey Mac Users!

Do you have any statistics on how many PC users are currently switching to Macs? I know the realtor population of Mac Users is relatively low, but definitely increasing!  Our MLS in Northern Colorado is very progressive, but not compatible with Macs yet.  I'm on the MLS committee and would love to share actual data with them at the next meeting.

Thanks, Lisa VonBargen

Sounds like you may already have the solution, but just to let you know , I found a product that allows me to use IE to access the MLS/LX system.  It's called CROSSOVER, it allows you to run Windows Apps including MS-Office natively in windows without installing windows. It's Great check it out.

www.codeweavers.com/products/ 

Bill

Crossover is great, unless... The problem with Crossover is the problem with most of the MLSes that are Mac-incompatible. That is, there is so much Microsoft-proprietary technology that the MLS builders use in constructing their MLSes. They will use either Microsoft-only Dynamic HTML (DHTML) rather than non-proprietary DHTML, which does exist. So they're using Windows-only tech when cross-platform tech that would work on Windows, Mac, and Linux already exists. Why? Ignorance, bigotry (sorry, there are just billions of Windows bigots developing out there--they're envious and bigoted about OSes). Or they use .NET Framework, Windows-only, to do what can be done cross-platform. Or they use ActiveX, which is about a decade out of date. Or they use MS's Java machine (hi, Top Producer! *wave wave*) for no good reason at all, rather than the cross-platform Java. (Ever get one of those presentations from the ignorant Top Producer salesguys who say, "And you don't even install anything on your computer except a cookie!" They are clueless---there are several [Windows-only] MS Java executables required to do Top Producer, and that's why it is Windows only. If it were just a cookie, then it WOULD run on a Mac or Linux.) Or they do a browser check that tells them to work only with IE, even though the MLS actually WILL work with any browser on any system.

Anyway, Crossover can't install a lot of this proprietary Windows plug-in or virtual machine or etc. technology. That's the problem with Crossover.

Other alternatives:

First, dump Top Producer and adopt Realty Juggler.

Second, go to VMWare Fusion or Parallels. Either is good; I prefer Fusion for trivial reasons that will not be decisive for many people.

And yes, harass your MLS to dump all that proprietary Windows/MS crap that keeps them tied to a buggy, slow, insecure and downright dangerous browser and operating system.

Carthago delende est. And Windows is Carthage.

I think we are going to see MLS's switch to more standards-based Web interfaces over the next few years.  The iPhone is pretty cool, and really was a wake-up call to vendors who were getting lazy when developing web applications and hard coded their web sites to Internet Explorer.

The trend-lines are such that smart-phones of 2012 are going to have the capabilities that PC's had in 1999.  The iPhone is one example, particularly the newest s model which is quite zippy.  But Android phones are pretty darn impressive as is the Palm Pre.  Microsoft has been working hard at Pocket PC and I anticipate something comparable to iPhone within the next 24 months based upon the briefings they are giving developers.  What do all of these new devices have in common?  None of them will run IE Active-X controls.  All of them are powerful enough for agents to get on their MLS and do searches.  Even if you use a Pocket PC smart-phone, you won't be able to run some of these web sites that have been hard-coded to use Internet Explorer.

And, I haven't even mentioned the latest craze, which is NetBooks.  I anticipate that NetBooks are going to be hugely popular with realtors.  Why?  because most of them come with wireless cellular modems built-in, so you can get on the Internet anywhere without plugging in anything or configuring anything.  The screen size is just large enough to pull up a few listings from the MLS and display a few photos.  This is going to be a huge timesaver for agents who are shlepping clients around to see homes.  The thing about Netbooks is that, again, don't just assume that you are going to run Internet Explorer on Microsoft Vista on these things.  At the price point that makes these devices compelling, I anticipate that we are going to see a lot of Google Anderoid NetBooks within the next 5 years.

Scott Schmitz

RealOrganized, Inc.

I recently purchased an iphone because I needed to upgrade to a 3g phone for an att mcell booster antenae for my home office.  I decided to try the iphone, only to find out about the incompatibility with our mls.  Is there an inexpensive or free app I can download to be able to use my iphone to access the mls?  I see a lot of agents with iphones, and have to assume there apps available.

Good news for cross compatibility...IRES in Northern Colorado is nearly done with their cross compatibility project and will be ready to go live in a few months!