> JavaScript turns the PNG and JSON into an animation, using either the canvas element, or emulating it using overlaid div elements for older browsers.
I think he mostly means the clarity of a screen capture vs. a shaky shot of a physical screen. I like the indy feel of this but it did give me a headache to watch (even though it's only a few seconds). If you want to feature the actual phone, maybe have it resting on a hard surface or otherwise steadied.
It obviously makes sense in this case, given the novelty value of it - it being on the frontpage of HN - but I think there's a better alternative for the frontpage of a service's website.
The Paddle animation isn't a GIF. It's a video. That's why I asked you why you thought Sublime's GIF (which isn't actually a GIF, but a compressed PNG animated with JavaScript) was better.
http://www.sublimetext.com/~jps/animated_gifs_the_hard_way.h...