I’ve always loved Opera’s Web browsers. On the desktop with a screen having a higher-than-average resolution (say, at least SXGA+), their free desktop Opera browser is by far the best and most useful browser because it’s the only browser with (nearly) flawless dynamic zoom capabilities. On non-dumbphone (that is, in our case, native Windows Mobile) platforms, their Opera Mobile browser is, despite in some lacking functionality and bugs, currently (as of version 8.65 and end of August, 2007) is the best browser. Finally, as far as Java-capable “dumb” phones are concerned, their Java-based and, what is more, FREE Opera Mini is simply the BEST browser out there.
The Opera folks released the first beta of their brand new, 4 series of Opera Mini this June. I’ve reviewed it in the MS Smartphone Web Browsing Bible. Then, it had some annoying bugs and midlet manager (environments to run Java midlets, including Opera Mini) vendor-specific problems (particularly the crashing / quitting problem on (fortunately, only) one Midlet manager and the “too large fonts” problems on all QVGA handhelds).
Fortunately, these problems / bugs seem to have all been fixed. Read on to find out what has changed in the last 2.5 months!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
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"lightbox_share": "Share",
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(a VGA screenshot)
(Note that the screenshots were done with the Esmertec Jbed Midlet manager on my HTC Vox / s710 (QVGA Smartphone) and the Tao Intent Midlet manager on the HTC Universal. I’ve also published some other screenshots with some other configurations showing for example Esmertec Jbed running on the latter VGA HTC Universal Pocket PC. Also see the “The Midlet Managers used in the article – how come some of the screenshots are full screen, you may ask” section below for more info on all these questions.)
First, let’s compare the new version to the old. Please read the MS Smartphone Web Browsing Bible (and the “original” Pocket PC Web Browsing Bible linked from it) to get a FULL picture of what Opera Mini is, how it compares to other Windows Mobile browsers etc.
The good
In addition to fixing the font size bug (see below), a new font size, “Extra large”, has been added. With that, the screenshots below (which have been made with the default “Medium” size) are as follows:
(VGA screenshot on the HTC Universal running the latest TAO Intent JVM)
For comparison, with “Small”, the same is as follows:
(VGA screenshot; plain Esmertec JVM QVGA Smartphone screenshot)
There is a brand new submenu, assigned to phonepad button “1”, which offers, in addition to quickly changing between fit to width and full layout modes, reloading and page information, also offers a Link context menu, which allows for opening a given link (you can force it to do this without images) and getting information (that is, the link address; unfortunately, you can’t, say, copy it to the clipboard (screenshot)):
Unfortunately, there’s still no way of parallel loading of more than one link – or, to, say, return to the current page so that you can go on reading it if you initiate the loading of a page from your favorites / bookmarks. These would be more than welcome because, especially with large(r) pages and/or slower and/or not frequently accessed servers, loading times can be pretty high – even in the range of 30-60 seconds.
There are some new hotkeys on handhelds with a dialpad. In addition to the well-known 2/4/6/8 buttons for page scrolling; in full page view, you can use button 5 for quickly zooming in and out (which does the same as the combination of Action and the right softkey, but more conveniently). Furthermore, while the #-prefixed buttons are the same, there is another welcome new hotkey: screen rotation with *# :
This, currently, only rotates between left-handed and portrait view. (In this respect, version 2.04 of the Russian Opera Mini hack (which I don’t link in by purpose – sorry, the app has been declared illegal by the Opera folks) is (still) better: it offers rotating to all the four directions. Not that it’d be that important: on a device with a built-in, slide-out keyboard, it’ll always switch to the right direction when you open/close the keyboard, regardless whether the keyboard opens to the right or the left.)
The biggest bugs have been fixed:
the inability to keep more than 1-2 pages in memory in non-one column mode. An example screenshot of the History list showing this follows:
As can clearly be seen, ALL huge pages were still accessible, requiring no reloading. This is indeed HUGE advantage over beta1!
The font problem has been fixed. The previous beta had too big fonts (even in the “Small” setting) with too much space between the individual rows. The new version is much better in this respect. An example screenshot showing this:
(a screenshot of the same in “Fit to screen” mode. The same on a VGA Pocket PC with Esmertec Jbed using the default Medium font HERE, extra large fonts HERE and Small fonts HERE.)
The bad
There doesn’t seem to be other, new functionality: the menus are the same (screenshot); so is the Settings dialog. In this regard, the above-mentioned Russian hack is still better in some respects (but Opera Mini is indeed catching up and, in many respects, is already far better than the hacked version).
Unfortunately, text using italic is still NOT rendered as italic. This has always been one of the BIGGEST problems with this browser. As has also been pointed out in my related posts (see for example THIS), ALL Windows Mobile-based Midlet managers support italic text – why don’t the Opera folks implement it, then?
Getting, installing
Just point any of your WAP-capable or WAP-enabled (Opera Mobile and IEM are already like this; NetFront must be manually configured to accept WAP pages) Windows Mobile Web browser to http://mini.opera.com/beta/ and click the "Download high memory version" link at the bottom (an IEM screenshot). The installation will automatically start; just make sure you answer Yes / Continue to all questions. After that, just launch the newly-deployed midlet and follow the instructions on the screen.
Compliance
With the current (20070622.2.1) version of Esmertec Jbed (and, therefore, the standard Esmertec JVM coming with most current WM6 devices) I’ve only once encountered a crash: upon having some 10-15 (large) pages open in full page view mode, pressing Save after setting the font size to “Extra large” resulted in Jbed’s getting frozen. This happened to me under TAO Intent too (with one or two pages open); then, just canceling the save operation worked. Then, after re-entering Settings and saving the new configuration again, it already worked flawlessly.
That is, if you encounter hangups after you change the character size, make sure you try to cancel (right softkey) the operation to see whether it helps.
With Tao Intent 11.1.7.1034 (available for download HERE), 11.1.7.1029 (coming with several XDA-Dev cooked ROM’s; I’ve tested it on a Wizard cooked ROM) and 11.1.7.1023 (available for download HERE), I haven’t encountered any crashes so far. That is, (knocking on wood) it seems the Tao Intent crashes have also been eliminated.
The Midlet Managers used in the article – how come some of the screenshots are full screen, you may ask
The QVGA Smartphone screenshots have all been made with the Esmertec Jbed midlet manager; hence the full screen mode on all them.
Don’t mistake the Esmertec Jbed midlet manager for the “plain” Esmertec midlet manager (as of version 20070115.1.1 – the one that comes with the original ROM of the HTC Vox / s710). The latter doesn’t offer full screen capabilities as can be seen in the following screenshot:
(the same screenshot – already shown above – taken with JBed – note that I haven’t used the built-in “full screen” mode of Opera Mini accessible via ** to hide the red bars at the top and bottom). Another reason to install Jbed on top of the Esmertec Midlet manager – in addition to some of its other advantages; for example, much better sound emulation (which can be very important in games). I’ll elaborate on all these questions in my forthcoming Midlet Manager Bible.
The VGA Pocket PC screenshots, on the other hand, have been made using the, in this regard, FAR less recommended TAO Intent midlet manager – hence the unused task- and command bars at the top and the bottom of the screen.
Verdict
This browser is VERY good, particularly when you use it with a decent Midlet manager allowing for real full screen mode. Hope the authors introduce at least support for italic and the ability to, at least, going back to the original page from Favorites while downloading a new page in the background so that you can go on reading the page.
Much as there is still some room for improvement, the bugs of the old, beta1 version seem to be ALL eliminated and even if you didn’t suffer from them (because you used the IBM J9 or the Esmertec JVM and not the Tao Intent one), you’ll certainly welcome the character size and the history list / cache size improvements. If, on the other hand, you’re a Tao Intent user, you will LOVE the stability of the new Opera Mini. (Still, as has already been stated, you’re STRONGLY supposed to upgrade to Jbed – you can just install Jbed on top of your Intent Midlet manager, it’ll work just great.)
All in all, no matter whether you have a Pocket PC or a touch screen-less Smartphone, go get the new Opera Mini – you will LOVE it, I’m absolutely sure!
Has somebody the patched version for the O2 Wap-flat???
I need it .. Pleeeeese
Works great indeed. I have a new cooked rom installed on my Artemis and it's asking me to allow a connection every time. Tried many midlet managers from TAO and none of them give me the security setting where I can change it to 'session'. The Esmertec manager refuses to start. Any tip on this?
this work great with all roms for hermes had a flashing day yesterday and it worked with all thankz for review good for new users
thankz,
jdac21§
I wish it was easier to use this. Having to load the java emulator and run through the questions is kind of annoying.
kiddyl said:
Works great indeed. I have a new cooked rom installed on my Artemis and it's asking me to allow a connection every time. Tried many midlet managers from TAO and none of them give me the security setting where I can change it to 'session'. The Esmertec manager refuses to start. Any tip on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give a try to Jbed.
BTW, what Tao versions did you try? 11.x? Did you give a try to the somewhat older (10.x) series? The latter has an explicit Security menu.
I've also elaborated on this in my forthcoming Midlet Manager Bible; did you check out the charts? They are already public - see the dedicated thread at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=326768
maevro said:
I wish it was easier to use this. Having to load the java emulator and run through the questions is kind of annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You mean the questions the first time you start it? After that, you'll be only asked once each time you restart the midlet manager.
2. in addition, if you use the Tao Intent manager (or IBM J9), you can create a direct link to the midlet as has also been explained in my forthcoming article - see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=326768
One problem on the HTC TOUCH is that if you enter a long text in a text box, for example replying to this thread, then once you press the OK button the browser closes.
I tried preparing this reply with Mini Beta2 but could not due to problem already mentioned. Finally done with Opera Mobile.
Regards
Menneisyys said:
1. You mean the questions the first time you start it? After that, you'll be only asked once each time you restart the midlet manager.
2. in addition, if you use the Tao Intent manager (or IBM J9), you can create a direct link to the midlet as has also been explained in my forthcoming article - see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=326768
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a direct link on my Ubiquio 503g but it is still annoying and I hope that Opera 9 will be out sooner then later...
kiddyl said:
Works great indeed. I have a new cooked rom installed on my Artemis and it's asking me to allow a connection every time. Tried many midlet managers from TAO and none of them give me the security setting where I can change it to 'session'. The Esmertec manager refuses to start. Any tip on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simply search for risidoro's midlet manager in the forum. There you have to confirm only once per session.
Works perfectly on my artemis.
maevro said:
I have a direct link on my Ubiquio 503g but it is still annoying and I hope that Opera 9 will be out sooner then later...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still no word on Opera Mobile 9's real release date. That is, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Here's an excerpt from my fortcoming Midlet Bible on all these issues:
2.4 TAO Intent
This is the MIDlet manager having come with almost all HTC-manufactured WM5 Pocket PC’s and Smartphones. Now that the developer no longer exists, HTC seems to have switched to Esmertec Jeodek / Jbed instead (and independent MS Smartphone / PPC PE manufacturers like Sharp or Samsung prefer Aplix JBlend instead). However, this still means there’s a HUGE number of installed userbase of this MIDlet manager.
Currently, two major releases of these titles are widely used: the 10.1 series and the latest 11.1 series. Of course, if you have a Pocket PC / Pocket PC phone (Windows Mobile Professional / Classic) and not just a Smartphone (where only 10-series MIDlet managers run), you’ll want to go for the latter as it’s compatible with many more standards and MIDlets than the former one (for example, the 10.1 series was unable to run any of the jBenchmark benchmarks I’ve thrown it at – it just exits when starting them. This may have been a memory issue, in which the 11.1 series is also better). In addition, it also supports MIDlet groups (screenshots: 1 2 3 4), which is also a definite advantage over the 10.1 series.
There are a LOT of different 11-series TAO Intent MIDlet managers out there. At first, it’d be very hard for a beginner to choose. In the following section, I explain what these versions are, how they compare to each other etc.
First, let’s start with the latest version, 11.1.7.1034 (or 1034 for short; from now on, I’ll only use the last four, in our case, relevant version numerals to refer to a given version), which is available HERE for download. It’s meant for any kind of PPC PE phones – but NOT for non-phone devices. If you don’t plan to run applications using the Net (for example, Opera Mini), you can safely install this version (even on a storage card). However, if you DO plan to run Net-related MIDlets, forget it right away – this version uses the wrong approach (prompting each time, not each session) network access-wise. And, again, if you have a non-phone Pocket PC, forget about it too.
What does this Net access problem mean? Upon trying to access the Net, they prompt the user to allow the operation each time there is any kind of communication. For example, if you browse the Web with Opera Mini, you’re presented this dialog each time you click a link. This is, of course, unacceptable.
While the 11-series (as with the older, 10-series) Intent MM does have a dedicated “security” setting dialog (just tap-and-hold the icon of the deployed MIDlet and select “Security”) where you can set authentication to the much more user-friendly “session” (which only prompts the user just once, at the beginning of each session – that is, after starting Opera Mini), the publicly available, installable .1034 version doesn’t let for setting anything in this dialog. As can clearly be seen, only “Oneshot” is available – not only with Net access, but also with other settings – even with Local connectivity. Opposed to this are all the other (former) 11.x versions, where “Session” and, with local access, “Blanket” are also available. If this is a problem, you will want to pick a 11-series version that doesn’t suffer from this bug.
In order to 1, getting rid of the Net authorization bug and 2, find non-phone-capable TAO Intent versions, we’ll need to go back in time a while and switch to version .1023. There, basically, are five versions of this CAB file.
The PPC Phone version HERE
The non-phone PPC version HERE
The “turbo” version for PPC Phone is HERE
The “turbo” version for standard (non-Phone) PPC is HERE
The above links point to modified, enhanced versions of the original TAO Intent manager. These modifications have been done by Russian hackers ZuRiUs and dFine1107 and involve the ability to be installed on a storage card and to be installed on non-HTC devices, including non-phones (for example, the Dell Axim x51v). That is, these do contain major hacks and improvements.
Finally, XDA-Developers hacker risidoro’s version is HERE (only for PPC Phones; it doesn’t run on non-phone devices)
Of these, I recommend the “turbo” versions most, for both PPC and PPC Phone Edition models. While I haven’t really measured remarkable speed increase with the jBenchmark tests, many users have reported generic speedup with at least starting / loading MIDlets. This is because many library files have been decompressed by the creator, meaning no decompression needed in runtime. This may indeed result in some speed increase. (Note that this trick doesn’t work the 10.1-series TAO Intent MM’s; this is why only the new series has a separate “turbo” version.) Note that this also means this version occupies about two times more storage than the non-turbo one; therefore, if you have little built-in storage, consider installing it on a storage card.
Note that, while risidoro’s version is very popular, it’s, in my opinion, not as good as the Russian hacks. The sole reason for this is that it can’t be installed on a storage card. This, particularly if you have little built-in storage or plan to install dozens or hundreds of midlets, can be pretty bad news – don’t forget TAO Intent manager stores MIDlets under a subdirectory in its home directory, which means it’ll dump its deployed MIDlets on your storage card if you install it there, leaving your built-in storage uncluttered. That is, even if you instruct it to be installed on a storage card, it’ll install itself into the main storage (meaning the MIDlets will also be put in there later).
Risidoro’s only major advantage over all the other, listed (Russian) .1023 installers (and, for that matter, the .1034 one) is that it correctly sets file associations, unlike the Russian CAB’s. This means if you click a JAD or a JAR file in the local file system (or on a Web page), it’ll correctly deploy it. With the Russian CAB’s, this isn’t possible (if you install them on a storage card; when installed to the main memory, they’ll require no Registry import), unless you import THIS Registry file I’ve created for your convenience. Note that it assumes your storage card is named “Storage Card”. If it’s not the case (because you use a localized (non-English) device or a Pocket PC with two storage cards), make sure you change the occurrences of “Storage Card” to the name of your card before importing the script.
Note that some cooked ROM’s (for example, XPlore 1.1, mUn's aRTM and mfrazzz’s XDA Mobile 6 Release 2a – but not Release 3, which already switched to the Esmertec MM) contain the .1029 version (see for example THIS for more info on this particular version). It has no session problems either. It’s, currently, not available as an installable CAB file, though - this is why you will want to check out the .1023 (or, if the net access bug isn't a problem, .1034) version(s) instead.
So far, I’ve only discussed Pocket PC compatibility. Unfortunately, as has already been pointed out, the above-linked 11.1 series can’t be used on (touchscreen-less) MS Smartphone (Windows Mobile Standard) models. You will need to get THIS file if you want to install TAO Intent (v10.1.7.561) on your WM5+ Smartphone. Should you need a WM2003 one, get THIS (v10.1.0.14) instead.
EDIT & BREAKING NEWS: Risidoro has patched the .1034 version so that it supports session-based Net authorization. This means you will want to go for .1034 even if you want to run apps using the Net.
See his thread at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1484696 - a worthy read. The direct link to his patched .1034 CAB is at http://www.webalice.it/risidoro/intent/Risidoro_Intent_MIDlet_Manager_11.1.7.1034.cab
He has also published the .1029 CAB in his post.
I have the Emertec Jbed JVM on my Tmobile MDA. Been running Opera mini 4 beta 2 without a hitch. This morning I got up and went to do some surfing and the JVM refused to load. It starts for a second then quits. I have not deleted any files on my PPC. I have no idea why it would just stop working. Any of you run into this problem?
John
UPDATE (09/02/2007): Bad news: the linked Jbed version no longer works. See THIS for more info.
davis4559 said:
I have the Emertec Jbed JVM on my Tmobile MDA. Been running Opera mini 4 beta 2 without a hitch. This morning I got up and went to do some surfing and the JVM refused to load. It starts for a second then quits. I have not deleted any files on my PPC. I have no idea why it would just stop working. Any of you run into this problem?
John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's timed out. There was a time-bomb in it. See my related thread.
that sucks. is the pay version offered by handango the same?
davis4559 said:
that sucks. is the pay version offered by handango the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno as I haven't had the chance to test it. I'll contact them and ask whether they want to release a trial.
Have you seen the Opera Mini MOD versions? It can do some of the things you mention as failings: copy text/images/links to clipboard, open >1 pages in tabs.
http://www.opera-mini.ru/index_e.html
How to get it into english:
http://www.htcwizardweb.net/node/854
Menneisyys said:
Here's an excerpt from my fortcoming Midlet Bible on all these issues:
However, if you DO plan to run Net-related MIDlets, forget it right away – this version uses the wrong approach (prompting each time, not each session) network access-wise. And, again, if you have a non-phone Pocket PC, forget about it too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Menneisyys,
i've solved the problem with Intent midlet manager 11.1.7.1034. Now it will ask connect permission on a per-session basis!
I've published the hacked 1034 together with previous 1029 and 1023 HERE.
Please, update your great guide!!!
Bye and thanks for your always-perfect work!
Related
NetFront (NF for short), the alternative Web browser for the Pocket PC, is constantly evolving. It was in last summer that the last, 3.3 version has been released and, now, the first Technical Preview (TP for short) of the forthcoming, 3.4 version is out, with a lot of advertised new features; for example, AJAX support. No wonder I was more than eager to (thoroughly – after all, I’m also a HTTP / programming / AJAX megahacker / pro!) test it. Let’s take a look at how it compares to the previous version!
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"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
(Note that this is NOT a beginner's introduction to what NetFront is. Play some hours with it to discover it OR make sure you read my previous Web browsing-related articles to get a picture how previous versions compared to other Web browsers on the Pocket PC and what niceties and secrets it has.)
Availability
The download page is here; the product homepage here. Note that the list of restrictions has a mistake: “User Agent cannot be edited” is, fortunately, not true.
Also keep in mind that this version can only be used in January; this, fortunately, also means there will be a new TP version before the end of this month.
Two important notes: coexistence with NF 3.3 and WM5 only!
As with the 3.3 Technical Previews some 1-1.5 years ago, the new, 3.4 TP’s can safely co-exist with 3.3. That is, if you already have 3.3 on your device, you can still safely install the 3.4 TP version(s) on the same Pocket PC. They are completely independent of each other.
Furthermore, the current version is WM5 only. Sorry.
“Hacking”
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to hack the commercial 3.3 Java / Flash / SVG plug-ins into the 3.4 TP version. That is, for example, it’s not worth trying to create a registry import file to create the above-listed registry values in the registry.
The same stands for the User-Agents defined under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ ACCESS\NetFront34\UADataX – even if you import the UAData2… UAData7 subkeys, they won’t work.
There aren’t files to hack (by, for example, copying binary config files from 3.3) either
All in all, it’s not possible to hack the TP version to have the same functionality as the commercial one – don’t even try it.
Changes from version 3.3
In Menu / Tools / Browser Settings, the Misc tab has an additional “Enable Visual Bookmark” checkbox to en/disable the new Visual Bookmarks functionality (old 3.3 screenshot here). When it’s enabled (it is by default), this mode instead of the “boring” traditional bookmarks, a graphical representation is used. Unfortunately, this TP version doesn’t seem to save the thumbnails as yet, which makes this feature, for the time being, useless. That is, make sure you disable the by default enabled checkbox in the current version.
The Browser Settings dialog itself has also changed: now, it’s the right menu that has the tab names and tabs aren’t used any more. This way, it’s easier to access invisible tabs. (3.4 screenshot, 3.3 screenshot)
There is no “Security” tab any more; its contents have been transferred to a brand new “Security Settings” menu in the Tools menu. I don’t think it was a good move: after all, it’s very rarely used and, therefore, it’s better not to crowd often-used menus with submenus like this.
As far as the default settings are concerned, they’re the same; for example, in View / Advanced Settings, the default Courier is still not changed to a proportional font (you’ll want to do this first thing after the install; unfortunately, it’ll also result in another reboot). Similarly, General / Advancerd Settings / Software Keyboard / Auto pop-up is disabled by default. You will need to enable it if you want to enter anything in the Address Bar in full screen mode using any on-screen (not hardware keyboard based) input method. The only difference is that the contents of the “Range to hold decoded images” in View / Advanced Settings is changed from All to Viewport Only (with Margin).
In the protocol level, the “Mozilla/4.08 (PDA; NF33PPC3AR/1.0) NetFront/3.3" User-Agent HTTP request header value has been changed to "Mozilla/5.0 (PDA; NF34PPC/1.0) like Gecko NetFront/3.4" (see THIS for more info on all this.)
As far as the Registry is concerned, there are, naturally, no "ACCESS cvmplugin", "SVG" and "Shockwave Flash" values under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ ACCESS\NetFront34\ Plugins
In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ ACCESS\NetFront34\UAData*, the values of "Platform" ("Pocket PC" -> "Windows Mobile"), "AppVersion" ("3.3" -> "5.0 (Windows; en)") and "AppName" (“ACCESS NetFront" -> "Netscape") have all been been changed. They have, however, absolutely no effect on the HTTP headers passed. That is, just disregard the people that tell you to set any of the text input fields except for the User-Agent text input area.
Under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ ACCESS\NetFront34\BrowserPref, there are some new values related to the new Visual Bookmark feature (state; saving thumbnails): "VisualBookmarkSaveThumbnail" and "VisualBookmark". Also, there is two new values, "BrowserProfile" and "ScrollType"; "DOMDocumentAll", which was related to the in-memory HTML parsed representation, is gone.
In some cases, it’s more intelligent at rendering multi-column stuff in the Normal mode, with all settings being the same. For example, my Game-Over test page looks this in 3.4 and this in 3.3. The 3.4 rendition is indeed much better. (Incidentally, 3.3 TP versions (for example, 1.04) had problems with this page too – that is, they haven’t rendered the contents in Full rendering at all as can be seen in this screenshot. This is no longer a problem in the final version of 3.3.)
As opposed to 3.3, it has no longer problems with IHT. For example, my test IHT page is rendered correctly, as opposed to the 3.3 way of rendering (that is, not displaying the main article at all)
Fortunately, there's no change in the SmartSKey support either: it's working just great for full page scrolling, independent of what scrolling method is set in Misc / Cursor Key. That is, you can set the D-pad to link scroll mode (if you, for example, prefer one-handed navigation) and use the volume slider to scroll pages. Then, you get the best of both worlds. (Now, I wish Opera Mobile supported SmartSKey + volume slider-based scrolling!)
It, however, has some problems. For example, the Google ad is completely misplaced in 3.4 while it’s rendered OK in 3.3. Both, again, using exactly the same (Normal display mode) rendering settings. (This is a problem with ALL Game Over pages!) Switching to the Smart display mode (which isn't so important with 3.4 as was with 3.3) fixes this problem.
Page Pilot
In addition to the, in my opinion, pretty useless visual bookmarks, the new version sports another brand new feature, Page Pilot, which is pretty similar (but, unfortunately, still inferior) to the well-known page navigation / zoom-out feature of Nokia's excellent Symbian S60 Series 3 Web browser.
If you long-press the "Down" arrow on your D-pad, then, the view will quickly zoom out entirely to show the entire Web page, with the need for vertical scrolling only on very long pages (like my benchmarking page). An example of such a zoomed-out state are as follows: QVGA and VGA screenshot. There, you can freely move the red selection frame with either the D-pad or with the stylus; after doing this, it'll promptly zoom back to the previous (normal) zoom level.
In most cases, this feature uses a far too zoomed out state, which renders the feature, in general, pretty useless (at least on low-resolution QVGA devices; hope the Access folks come up with a configurable zoom-out percentage), but, at least, it's nice to see the NetFront engineers try to implement one of the killer features of the new Nokia browser.
CSS and AJAX compliance
(See THIS for more info / background on these tests!)
As far as CSS is concerned, as can be seen in this result screenshot, the CSS compliance has only slightly been improved over the previous version. Opera Mobile and Minimo (two excellent alternative Pocket PC browsers) are still way better in this respect.
As far as AJAX is concerned (the new browser is also advertised to have a brand new Ajax engine), the AJAX support has really been improved. NF 3.4 has passed my Test1, Test2, Simple Ajax Address Book - 1 and 2 tests (click for screenshots as usual). It's only the ImageLabeler test that didn't run (it just presents an empty screen). This is very good news! Now, while Minimo and Opera Mobile are still better at this compartment, NetFront is getting closer.
Benchmarks
In these tests, I’ve used my well-known benchmark page (please do read my past articles on how it should be used). I’ve benchmarked both page loading times and memory consumption of the loaded page (NOT NetFront itself!).
As far as page loading times are concerned, they are considerably (about 35%) lower than with version 3.3 and are slightly above the HALF of AKU2+ PIE times (and, therefore, even better than pre-AKU2 PIE's). Impressive!
As far as dynamic memory (RAM) usage is concerned, I’ve benchmarked really unbelievable results with the new version – it even beats Opera Mobile, the, up to now, most memory-friendly full-blown Pocket PC Web browser (note that Opera Mini and Thunderhawk both have even better memory usage but they’re using a simplified page structure) out of water!
All in all, the engine has REALLY been improved, speed and dynamic memory usage-wise! Thumbs up to Access – this is what I call REALLY cool!
That is, Pros
Vastly improved memory usage and considerably decreased page loading times!
Quick reload when you press Back, like in AKU2+ PIE or Opera Mobile (a GREAT feature in a Pocket PC Web browser with an expensive and/or slow connection!)
The general Web compliance has been greatly enhanced (see for example IHT)
AJAX support is getting pretty good (not so good as with Minimo / Opera Mobile though)
The new Visual Bookmarks are pretty cool-looking, albeit a bit slow in use and, therefore, seems to offer limited usability
The same stands for the new Page Pilot functionality.
Cons
Currently, WM5 only – don’t even try to install it on your pre-WM5 device because it won’t work
You may run into some overlapping problems even in unrestricted Normal display mode, necessitating the change to Smart-Fit Rendering (which roughly – but not always, see the Game-Over screenshot! – corresponds to “One column” in the PIE parlance, particularly when the "Simple Browsing" browsing mode is (also) active)
No real plug-ins and the restrictions are pretty severe. The plug-ins / the number of parallel tabs can’t be hacked and, therefore, the browser can’t be “hacked” to become a fully-fledged one, not even for paying customers of 3.3 and it’ll take long-long months if not even a year (as was roughly the case with 3.3) for Access to release the final, commercial, unrestricted version. Note that the lack of the Macromedia / Adobe Flash plug-in also mean I couldn’t test whether the Flash plug-in bug of 3.2 / 3.3 I’ve discovered has been fixed or not
When you change for example the zoom factor, the text size, the browsing and the display mode (all in the View menu), the visual change is considerably slower than with PIE or Opera Mobile because NF still checks whether there is a new version of all the used resources (and reloads them if they've been changed). This behavior, in addition to the (in most cases, little) network bandwidth usage, also makes any of these changes considerably slower. Unfortunately, the cache setting (Network first (only on startup) / Cache first) don't have any effect on this.
Still no hardware button support, including the inability to redefine the WM5 softkeys. A quick note: fortunately, they're better-behaving than those of PIE in full screen mode: when you press a softkey, the submenu will be promptly displayed. With PIE, you need two softkey presses to achieve the same.
Still impossible to hide the scrollbars / tabs in full screen mode
Still pretty bad CSS compliance (albeit a bit better than in 3.3)
Unfortunately, the download dialog is still modal (under WM5), which means you can’t do anything while downloading – this can be a major pain in the back if you, for example, download over a slow (say, GPRS) connection. This is a definite minus compared to almost all the other Pocket PC Web browsers, which do allow for continued Web browsing / navigation while downloading in the background. (VGA screenshot; QVGA screenshot in full screen mode and not in full screen mode) Please see this roundup for more information on all this.
Still has problems with Unicode (for example, with Word punctuation) when using the (default) Western alphabet as can be seen in here; this problem can only be eliminated by after switching to for example Central-European. (Also see this thread on this problem)
Verdict
I certainly welcome the vastly enhanced engine in many respects (except for, unfortunately, the still pretty bad CSS compatibility). Way to go Access!
Give this browser a try particularly if memory usage is a concern (because, for example, you’re accessing VERY big Web pages on a low-end Pocket PC like the 32M RAM (12M usable at most) HP iPAQ rx1950) and the lack of Flash / Java support isn’t a problem.
UPDATE (01/20/2007): AximSite frontpage. It might be worth checking out because there are some additional success / problem reports in there.
Other (also reader) feedback available at http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=146178 , http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=428534 , http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1091673 , http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1092210 , http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=236000 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=290504 .
(Review slightly updated.)
Another update (for example, on the Page Pilot mode)
I would like to know your point of view concerning the use of a Java midlet manager on WM6.
Jbed seems to have more features and is more recent, but I have various bugs and exceptions with it...
Which one would you prefer for the next WM6 ROM releases?
Would prefer to have it as separate cabs so that people can choose if they want to use either one or at all.
Hey Schap's,
Jbed would do for me. For browsing this is the best Java available at this moment I think.
Thanks for the good work.
Greetzzz
I'm also wondering about this. What are the extra features of the Jbed release? The Tao release is smaller, and seems to run the apps I need (Google Maps, Opera Mini) well.
I'd vote for separate CABs as well but would prefer Jbed.
Tao
I belive TAO. With that I can save settings by making a copy of Opera on my mem card and after reinstallation, copy it back. That is nice.....
I cannot find the folder containing history and links (settings) for JBED... (Does anyone know where it is?)
I just want one that doesn't ask me permission to connect to the internet...
And seperate cabs would be good...
I'd go with a cab file, but I prefer Tao over Jbed.
Jbed! fastest J2ME VM!
JSR179
Hello,
I'm developing an application in j2me that makes use of the JSR179 (Location API).
My code runs fine on Nokia 6110 NAVIGATOR, which is a s60 3rd edition symbian phone and supports the desired API. i suppose that all the s60 3rd edition devices support the location API as long as they have a built-in GPS.
We have the desire to cover the most devices possible, however the target devices are PDA's with WM such as HTC TyTn II which does have GPS, but the code must run in a JVM like JBed. But JBed does not support JSR179.
I think I'm correct so far.
I would like to receive some advice about possible solutions.
I have tried to find a JVM for a WM device that gives support to JSR179 API, and until now I haven't found one. I found however a WM application called GPSPort that is proxy-like program. I believe it interacts with the GPS Intermediate Driver, and all the data read is redirected to a TCP socket.
It is not a very elegant solution to the problem, but it is a solution.
I haven't contacted the developer because I haven't ruled out other options that may exist.
Please reply...
Thanks
Tiago Clemente
whichever gives you the least problems
as for me no matter. if it can run opera mini whithout dumb quastions - it is good for me. do not see any reason to putting it external in cabs - as for me it is'nt bigg deal to find it elswere. personaly I prefere coocking version
I personally prefer jbed as it seems to have less incompatibilities for development. but maybe make it uninstallable that way peoplecan uninstall and reinstall whichever one they like
to ged rid of the connection question in jbed, you must download the signed version of opera. After the first attempt, you can click on always connect, don't ask me
Hi all,
I've been a reader (lurker) of this forum since the 8125. I have a Hermes 100 from Cingular which I have played around with, as shown on this forum. I am trying to create a fast, multimedia phone, that runs on the Hermes. I am not a techie, like many of you who know how to program, but I do admire what you've done. I could use your help......
Recently, post the last HTC upgrade, I added Black Satin, the Iphone Slider, and SPB Shell 1.5 , Diary and Pocket Plus 4.0, just to see how things work. Some thoughts (and the questions for which I seek an answer).
Do like the Black Satin add-ons, though Black was never really my color, and the HTC Shell and Diary are nice (though with Pocket Plus, gets very bloated)...still, it runs very slow....how can I:
1. Find a basic HTC shell?
2. If I wanted to ad in an interface, would you suggest the SPB Shell 1.5 + Diary or do you think Pocket Plus 4.0 is smooth, fast and multi-talented?
3. Opera or Explorer?
4. I still cannot watch Youtube, and some websites that require flash to show videos do not like Macromedia 7.0 Flash..they say "upgrade!" Thoughts?
5. I downloaded and installed The Black Shadow Video Dial Configuration, to use 3G video phone calls. But, as I am on the Cingular network, neither my brother (with the Tilt, unlocked) or my Hermes can make video calls on the network. Advice?! This would be super cool.
6. Are there "optimal" cingular internet settings that allow fastest access, or unblocked ports for 3G vid calling, streaming etc?
7. what is the best solution in terms of Iphone like scrolling and unlock? I know 4.0 Pocket Plus has it...its just "ok"...I tried to install Slide2unlock, didn't work for me.
8. I also used RealVGA, but didnt' notice a considerable difference. Is it not there, or am I dreaming?
9. Finally, should I just sell this Hermes 100 (its a "new" refurbished one from AT&T, got it yesterday) and buy a Tilt, or can I do everything I want on this baby!? I've had this type of phoen for a half a year now.....
Wow, a lot of questions, and I know you folks could say "read the 500 pages of the forum"...trust me, I've spent hours in these threads. I would appreciate your help, and I've honestly been trying, but it gets a little too technical for me past installing Cabs and following instructions, to be honest. So, any help you can offer would be VERY greatly appreciated.
All the best, George
Ok, here are answers to some points of yours:
4) There is no flash enabled browser for Windows Mobile. Only workarounds exist for watching the flash videos off Youtube and similar pages. So you will not be able to see those pages in near future.
7)iPhone scrolling - I use fTouchFlo - it works in all of the programs but has its flaws, I use s2u2 on my Hermes with no problem. One more thing to note is that Hermes touchc screen is different form iPhone touch screen and what we have (including SPB scrolling) are workarounds that still need a time to mature.
8) RealVGA? You are missing the point - both Hermes and Tilt have QVGA screen - there is no way to get it to VGA (simply because your screen has four times less pixels than VGA screen). It will not work because it is intended for VGA devices not for QVGA we own.
This is a developer forum - if you want less technical focus you can head to HOFO or other fora... I know lots of people in here read a lot... but they do not seem to think about what they read and then they tend to have really stupid questions. If all you want is media phone go for iPhone - there will not be 3G functions - but the scrolling works - there is no hassle with third party applications and everything can be done in only one way - the Apple way. The WM platform lets you do much more but it comes at price - in here I think you should get your feet wet in some basic techie stuff other than installing CABS. Hope I helped at least little...
PS: I had a hard time being new to the WM too - it needs time - I think right now you do not know what exactly you can expect from your device.
Well, first of all:
Thank you for your reply. True, it is called XDA Developers....and I am, in fairness, not. And as for an Iphone, wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pool - I like the flexibility of this HTC WM6 phone I have...but frankly apart from some BASIC at the age of 9-11yrs, programming is not a forte ;-)
I'll try your solution to the scrolling.....and of course, I'll keep reading, but I figured (a. You folks know this stuff so well, and b). I can't be the first person to come in with these questions. After all, It's not like I'm not trying,...I flashed something like 20 roms yesterday testing them all out! - on that note, I love your benchmark thread.
Anyway, thank you for your help and the help of anyone else who gives it!
best, George
Ehhm to put some things straight...I know even less programming than you do I have a very same opinion of an iPhone - this thing can not be called "smart" phone at all. What you stumbled upon is the fact that there are two basic groups of users of our PDA phones - first ones are user tha want their phones just work - they are not interested why something does not work, they just want a certain standard to work and as long as it does they are happy. Second group is geeks like me (and the majority of users of this forum) that are just happy to upgrade their phones to whatever newer and try it out. The problem is that for example cooked ROMS have bugs/issues (not that official ROMs have none) - issues vary from small glitches, memory leaks, not functioning buttons to random hardresets. If you go way of the cooked ROMs usually you will have to spend more time with your devices than the first group of users just to fix glitches. The other thing is that cooked ROMs and applications there can enable you do much more with your phone - for example resource hogging HTC Home plugin was not intended for Hermes, touch scroll ability as well and we can continue - but folks over here made it possible - that is what makes this forum so great. Butif you choose to go this way you will have to read, read and read again - because nothing is perfect. Our devices have limitations too - hermes processor has computing power roughly equal to Pentium 100 MHz (that is over ten years old processor for desktops) - so some tasks are hard to be adapted (that is why most of the programs we use are watered down versions of desktop programs - as well as screen size is quite limiting for browsing and so on - if you want a VGA screen than you have to count with: your device being a tad slower (4x more data to be displayed over QVGA) and also bigger battery drain (4x more pixels to power up). Said that you can get some of the things you ask for in your questions, but some are still a challenge...
Use vtap for youtube viewing. Just google it.
Opera. Definitely Opera.
Well, AT&T does not support video calls so unless you go out of the country its useless to you. Besides, your phones dont even have the front facing camera, so it would be hard to do anyways.
Mcorrie:
Thanks, I think right now, I am at:
1. A Basic Shell for speed and customization (not sure which yet)
2. Web Browser: Opera
3. YouTube Browser: VTap
4. Scrolling: TouchFlo or s2u2
5. Additional Scrolling: Possibly Touch Commander
6. Maps: Google Maps
7. Wifi Searching: WIFIFOFUM
8: Microsoft Office
9. Phone Dialer (includes 3G Video??): Unknown
10. Camera/Video Program: Unknown
11. Media Player: Unknown
As for Video Calling, I figured there was a way to bypass the Cingular restrictions, but I have not found it yet. After all, it is a pipe...so it should be possible, right?
Some more from me:
4. Scrolling: TouchFlo or s2u2 (s2u2 is only for unlocking! no other scrolling so you can use both))
5. Additional Scrolling: Possibly Touch Commander or Slither's Flash cube (the same effect, but free)
9. Phone Dialer (includes 3G Video??): Schen's Kaiser dialer 2 (or something like this)
10. Camera/Video Program: CoolCamera - this one is commercial, but best there is
11. Media Player: TCPMP 0.81 - freeware plays nearly everything: audio video, with plugin even .flv and so on...
Karhu,
Dakujem for the additions: I am also adding Radio 1.48 as that seems to be the most stable for Brooklyn, NY according to a June report....I'm going to test myself, but as of now:
1. A Basic Shell for speed and customization
2. Web Browser: Opera
3. YouTube Browser: VTap
4. Scrolling: TouchFlo and s2u2
5. Additional Scrolling: Slither’s Flash Cube or Touch Commander
6. Maps: Google Maps
7. Wifi Searching: WIFIFOFUM
8: Microsoft Office
9. Phone Dialer (includes 3G Video??): Schen's Kaiser dialer 2
10. Camera/Video Program: CoolCamera
11. Media Player: TCPMP 0.81
Now, I just need to figure out what else needs to go in this thing! Trying to avoid bloat, but don't want to leave out needed functionality! I think maybe I'll find someone's mostly stripped down Rom and just add in - its a start.
More comments:
I think if you are looking for less bloated system you should stick with basic WM5/6 look - Wisbar advance that can customize the whole look of the system runs on the top of the basic shell and thus takes up some precious RAM space. The same goes for bells and whistles like s2u2 or slither's Cube - function of s2u2 is to lock/unlock the device - but a part of the program runs in background as a service and consumes 200k of RAM even when you use the device - it is not much but as you proceed to customize the device the amount of bloat grows.
I think you should also look for some decent task managers: I personally like wktask and Quickmenu, but pBar is also nice. HTC xButton is quite a bloat in this matter. You should think what is the main purpose you will use your phone for - CoolCamera is nice but due to hardware limitation of the Hermes those pictures will always look....like taken by a phone.
When it comes to extra lite ROMs beware - they tend to have memory leaks and some Super storage ROMs even random bricking - hardreset needed to make them work again.
Several other variants:
Peek Pocket in wifi scanner (just one small exe)
Core Player instead of TCPMP (Core player is the commercial succesor of freeware TCPMP)
You should also consider some backup program if planning to fiddle more with your phone:
If you want to save your messages, mails, contacts and stuff go for free PIM Backup.
Hope that helps a little
1. Find a basic HTC shell?
What do you mean? If you want HTC TouchFLO-like shell (the basic one is TouchFLO 2D), get ThrottleLauncher. You can install TouchFLO, but you need to flash your ROM. You also can use Spb Mobile Shell 2 with Diamond theme (search Diamond theme for Spb Mobile Shell in xda-developers forum)
UPDATE : Now it's possible, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=541750 It's the TouchFLO 2D from HTC Touch2 (HTC Mega).. Download the "PATCHED MANILA FOR WM6.1 and non-HTC devices" if you have 6.0 or 6.1
2. If I wanted to ad in an interface, would you suggest the SPB Shell 1.5 + Diary or do you think Pocket Plus 4.0 is smooth, fast and multi-talented?
Spb Mobile Shell!
3. Opera or Explorer?
I usually use Explorer for short time browsing, and Opera Mobile for long time or serious browsing, because we must wait for about 5 seconds for Opera to boot up
UPDATE : With Opera Mobile 10, the Opera is not slow anymore, I'm currently using Opera Mobile 10 as my only and favourite browser on my Hermes..
4. I still cannot watch Youtube, and some websites that require flash to show videos do not like Macromedia 7.0 Flash..they say "upgrade!" Thoughts?
Download the YouTube app, you cannot view on the Windows Mobile browser..
UPDATE : With SkyFire browser, you can..
7. what is the best solution in terms of Iphone like scrolling and unlock? I know 4.0 Pocket Plus has it...its just "ok"...I tried to install Slide2unlock, didn't work for me.
Upgrade your Windows Mobile to Windows Mobile 6.1 or 6.5
UPDATE : Use Slide2Unlock2 (S2U2), it works on my Hermes (running official WM6 ROM)
8. I also used RealVGA, but didnt' notice a considerable difference. Is it not there, or am I dreaming?
Hermes's screen is QVGA (320x240), so you cannot force Windows to view VGA (640x480)
9. Finally, should I just sell this Hermes 100 (its a "new" refurbished one from AT&T, got it yesterday) and buy a Tilt, or can I do everything I want on this baby!? I've had this type of phoen for a half a year now.....
No, I think Hermes' body is more sturdy than the Tilt (Kaiser)
Epic necro. Another month and a bit and you'd have had 2 years!
Timing is everything when replying to a thread. Especially when it's almost 2 years old!
Hi I was thinking of switching from Omnia to TP2 and use Opera Mini all the time due to its speed. Had anyone tested it on the TP2, wondering if the different screen res makes it differcult to read due to size or should it be better.
I just installed it in JBlend. The legibility is OK, although the default font size is a little small. The main problem is that opening or closing the keyboard requires you to restart JBlend, which is a royal pain in the neck as I often want to switch between landscape and portrait mode when I'm browsing.
This problem seems to exist with all JBlend apps.
Install JBed, works like a champ. Will thoroughly recommend it. Much better than JBlend.
On Jbed what is the font size like?
Are there no problems with keyboard as described with jblend?
I just installed the latest JBed and OperaMini now loads fine. The font is pretty small, but readable (by me, at least).
Does anyone know how to create a direct menu shortcut to a specific JBed application (e.g. OperaMini, GoogleMail, etc)? (i.e. without having to launch Jbed then select the app you want to launch). I'd also like to assign a different icon to each application, so that I can tell them apart purely from the icon.
Sorry for the obvious question: JBed? JBlend?
Are these some sort of Java runtimes that one must install on a WinMo device?
There's no Java ME edition in WinMO 6.1 by default?
I don't get why you wouldn't just use opera mobile which comes with it
Because until Opera Mobile 9.7 with Turbo ships, mini opera is several times faster with proper settings.
For the past 3 years I've used almost nothing but Opera Mini myself, instead of the full fledged browsers available (I have bought Opera Mobile as well and a Webkit browser).
It's just so much faster due to Turbo caching and fits my needs.
I suspect many others are in the same boat.
Good site for Java MIDlet info
vasra said:
Sorry for the obvious question: JBed? JBlend?
Are these some sort of Java runtimes that one must install on a WinMo device?
There's no Java ME edition in WinMO 6.1 by default?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some pretty comprehensive info here, regarding WM MIDlets etc.
http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/blogs/3/2266
http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/blogs/3/2267
Regards
BO$$
Direct shortcuts to MIDlets
itm said:
I just installed the latest JBed and OperaMini now loads fine. The font is pretty small, but readable (by me, at least).
Does anyone know how to create a direct menu shortcut to a specific JBed application (e.g. OperaMini, GoogleMail, etc)? (i.e. without having to launch Jbed then select the app you want to launch). I'd also like to assign a different icon to each application, so that I can tell them apart purely from the icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out this chart
http://www.winmobiletech.com/092007MidletBible/CompatibilityAndMain.html
and scroll down to "Direct, system-level links (shortcuts) to midlets". Should give you the answer/links you need.
Also please read my previous post, if you need more info around Java MIDlets.
Regards
BO$$
Thanks for the link.
So....following the instructions for jbed...I created a text file on the PC containing only the following line:
"\windows\jbed.exe -run s0_"
(with the quotes included). I copied this file to the TP2 and renamed it "OperaMini.lnk". When I run the renamed file it doesn't know how to handle it - I get the "Open with..." dialog.
Can anyone advise what I'm doing wrong??
itm,
I believe what you need to do, is create the shortcut file on your TP2 using a file explorer other than the stock WM one (at least on my Uni, it is not capable of creating shortcuts). I think you can either use the inbuilt function of the file explorer (i.e. paste shortcut or something like that) or create a file and change the file extension to .lnk (as you have done) Once the new shortcut file is created, you need to access the "properties" box of that file and in the box where it says something like "go to" or "link" you will need to paste "\windows\jbed.exe -run s0_" (with the quotes). You then save the change and should hopefully be ready to roll...
Appologies for the vague explanation, but left my Uni at home today, so can't physically go through the process on an actual WM device atm.
If you're still stuck after reading this, PM me and I'll try and walk you through once I'm home.
Regards
BO$$
I’ve thoroughly tested the brand new Opera Mobile 10 beta on all the supported mobile phone platforms (Windows Mobile Professional / Standard and Symbian S60). In general, apart from some problems, I liked what I saw – particularly on Symbian and the touchscreen version of Windows Mobile.
The browser is available for download HERE for both operating systems. For Windows Mobile, a unified download (for both subtypes) is provided.
1. Windows Mobile
Also see the XDA-Devs discussion, which starts on THIS page.
1.1 Touchscreen devices
I’ve installed it on the HP iPAQ 210 and found it great. Sure, it lacks some features (for example, the excellent dynamic zooming & text reflowing features of some (not all!) of the 9.50/9.70 builds and the (hacked) Flash Lite support), but, on the whole, I was more than happy with it. It doesn’t load much faster than the older version (9 seconds as opposed to 10) and, as has already been pointed out, lacks some of the goodies; however, it’s a pleasure to use.
Unfortunately, it (still) doesn’t support Opera Link, one of the best features of Opera Mini and the desktop Opera browser. (One of the reasons I’ve completely switched to using Opera on the desktop.)
Also see THIS demo for more info.
1.2 Non-touchscreen (Microsoft Smartphone) devices
1. Unfortunately, the two hotkeys are in no way supported on any of the tested Smartphones (on the s710, including the ones on the hardware keyboard). Therefore, a cursor emulator is needed to access even the menu at the bottom and almost everything. In-page scrolling and, on the Quick access page (default one and the one that comes up when you open a new tab), switching between the address input field, the Google field and the main surface area works OK. (Hotkeys are supported just great on Symbian S60.)
2. There are no button scrolling shortcuts, as opposed to the SP version of 8.65 (the last Opera Mobile version to have a dedicated MS Smartphone version – see my MS Smartphone Web Browser Bible HERE).
3. While you can’t use the hotkeys in fullscreen mode, with SPHelper, you can still access the two buttons in the lower right and left corners. (Hotkey-based scrolling – 2/4/6/8 – works just great on Symbian S60.)
176*220 (old) MS Smartphones running the official WM5 (tested on the HTC s310 (Oxygen)): excellent (tested running from memory card) program / page load time; responsive. Landscape mode isn’t supported – as opposed to the s710.
HTC s710 Vox (320*240 newer Smartphone running the official WM6): running great. However, multi-function keys on the hardware keyboard don’t work (always the numeric values are inserted) – to enter them, you need to use either the on-screen keyboard (which, BTW, is rendered properly even on a 176*220 Smartphone in Portrait mode) or the numeric keypad.
All in all, until the hotkey bug is fixed (operating the browser with SPHelper is really painful), you will want to stick with either the old 8.65 version or Opera Mini. (This, again, only stands for the non-touchscreen-enabled MS Smartphone platform, NOT the touchscreen-based one!)
2. Symbian S60
It’s nice to see Opera to return to Symbian, which they have seemed to have completely neglected in the last few years.
I’ve tested OM10 on the Nokia N95 on firmware version 30 and found it excellent. It has very quick program / page loading; OK multitabs (albeit, after opening two – large, about 600k+ - Wiki pages, when minimizing Opera mobile, it was immediately terminated from memory, showing Opera indeed took up quite a bit of RAM memory. This was expected – if you need multitab supporting up to 30 pages open at the same time, your only choice is Opera Mini.)
Basically, it’s as easy to use as Opera Mini 4.2 and has a lot of additional goodies – for example, text copy/paste is supported and works, unlike in 4.2. (Note that the text copy/paste in the current beta of Opera Mini 5.0 works just fine on Symbian.)
The only problem I found was the lack of support for Flash Lite 3 – to access Flash Lite content, you’ll still need to use the built-in Nokia Web browser instead. (Nevertheless, you will want to use it was a last resort to play back, say, YouTube videos. Dedicated YouTube players are far better at playing back videos – no stuttering, unlike when using Flash Lite.)
Thanks a lot Amigo!, as always great reviews
I´ll post a link to this on Opera Thread
Cheers,
Menneisyys said:
I’ve thoroughly tested the brand new Opera Mobile 10 beta on all the supported mobile phone platforms (Windows Mobile Professional / Standard and Symbian S60). In general, apart from some problems, I liked what I saw – particularly on Symbian and the touchscreen version of Windows Mobile.
The browser is available for download HERE for both operating systems. For Windows Mobile, a unified download (for both subtypes) is provided.
1. Windows Mobile
Also see the XDA-Devs discussion, which starts on THIS page.
1.1 Touchscreen devices
I’ve installed it on the HP iPAQ 210 and found it great. Sure, it lacks some features (for example, the excellent dynamic zooming & text reflowing features of some (not all!) of the 9.50/9.70 builds and the (hacked) Flash Lite support), but, on the whole, I was more than happy with it. It doesn’t load much faster than the older version (9 seconds as opposed to 10) and, as has already been pointed out, lacks some of the goodies; however, it’s a pleasure to use.
Unfortunately, it (still) doesn’t support Opera Link, one of the best features of Opera Mini and the desktop Opera browser. (One of the reasons I’ve completely switched to using Opera on the desktop.)
Also see THIS demo for more info.
1.2 Non-touchscreen (Microsoft Smartphone) devices
1. Unfortunately, the two hotkeys are in no way supported on any of the tested Smartphones (on the s710, including the ones on the hardware keyboard). Therefore, a cursor emulator is needed to access even the menu at the bottom and almost everything. In-page scrolling and, on the Quick access page (default one and the one that comes up when you open a new tab), switching between the address input field, the Google field and the main surface area works OK. (Hotkeys are supported just great on Symbian S60.)
2. There are no button scrolling shortcuts, as opposed to the SP version of 8.65 (the last Opera Mobile version to have a dedicated MS Smartphone version – see my MS Smartphone Web Browser Bible HERE).
3. While you can’t use the hotkeys in fullscreen mode, with SPHelper, you can still access the two buttons in the lower right and left corners. (Hotkey-based scrolling – 2/4/6/8 – works just great on Symbian S60.)
176*220 (old) MS Smartphones running the official WM5 (tested on the HTC s310 (Oxygen)): excellent (tested running from memory card) program / page load time; responsive. Landscape mode isn’t supported – as opposed to the s710.
HTC s710 Vox (320*240 newer Smartphone running the official WM6): running great. However, multi-function keys on the hardware keyboard don’t work (always the numeric values are inserted) – to enter them, you need to use either the on-screen keyboard (which, BTW, is rendered properly even on a 176*220 Smartphone in Portrait mode) or the numeric keypad.
All in all, until the hotkey bug is fixed (operating the browser with SPHelper is really painful), you will want to stick with either the old 8.65 version or Opera Mini. (This, again, only stands for the non-touchscreen-enabled MS Smartphone platform, NOT the touchscreen-based one!)
2. Symbian S60
It’s nice to see Opera to return to Symbian, which they have seemed to have completely neglected in the last few years.
I’ve tested OM10 on the Nokia N95 on firmware version 30 and found it excellent. It has very quick program / page loading; OK multitabs (albeit, after opening two – large, about 600k+ - Wiki pages, when minimizing Opera mobile, it was immediately terminated from memory, showing Opera indeed took up quite a bit of RAM memory. This was expected – if you need multitab supporting up to 30 pages open at the same time, your only choice is Opera Mini.)
Basically, it’s as easy to use as Opera Mini 4.2 and has a lot of additional goodies – for example, text copy/paste is supported and works, unlike in 4.2. (Note that the text copy/paste in the current beta of Opera Mini 5.0 works just fine on Symbian.)
The only problem I found was the lack of support for Flash Lite 3 – to access Flash Lite content, you’ll still need to use the built-in Nokia Web browser instead. (Nevertheless, you will want to use it was a last resort to play back, say, YouTube videos. Dedicated YouTube players are far better at playing back videos – no stuttering, unlike when using Flash Lite.)
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OP , i have installed you app, good app but a little clunky in my phone.it shuffled for a long time to enter CNN. i like the icon most. LOL
I like it
Slightly out of date review. And now Opera Mobile 11 does not support Windows Mobile.
Opera mini 11 is for me the best Browser on Android platform.