When people recommend an app that is just a substitute for a website, it confirms my impression that Safari is not that great on the iPad. I used to think this was the case on the iPhone solely because of screen size, but if apps are still better on the iPad I guess not.

Using the apps nets you stuff like notifications, file uploading and chat.

Why should file uploading require a dedicated application? That has been a standard browser feature since at least Netscape 3.

Ask Apple, but probably because the iPhone doesn't have a user exposed file system.

The Facebook app is able to do things the web interface can't.

Mobile Safari is pretty decent. apps are a way to handle auth better etc...

Safari on the iPad remembers passwords fine. Just because the author is too blinded to figure it out doesn't make it true.

I tried the Facebook App, and didn't like it much. I'm not a hardcore facebook user or anything. I mostly use it to share photos with my family. But I never liked the App. The website was generally a better experience.

Couple this with the fact that I still haven't upgraded to the 3.0 version of the iPhone OS (Why? Because none of the features they were/are promoting are anything I'd use), and it makes a lot of the current breed of apps not usable.

I had a similar feeling with the OS 2.0 version of the Facebook app, the OS 3.0 version is much better. Doesn't crash when opening large photo albums, for example.