Bitstream Releases ThunderHawk 2.0 Smartphone Edition

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=4219' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=4219</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Bitstream Inc. is intoducing the ThunderHawk 2.0 Smartphone Edition. With ThunderHawk, browsing the Web on a Smartphone is similar to browsing on the desktop because ThunderHawk includes functionality that enhances the user experience, including a faster scrolling, increased browsing speed and multiple viewing options."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/nytimes_full.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/><br /><br />I was excited to see this because I can't stand the built in browser on my phone. There is a trial version available <a href="http://www.bitstream.com/wireless/products/Smartphone/free_trial.html">here.</a> I just can't get this to work! I can't get past the registration screen. I'd be interested to know if anyone else is having the same trouble.

[dkackman]

I got it installed and registered (SMT 5600). It did spend awhile on the updating registration page. I actually set it down and came back to it and it seemed to have worked everything out correctly.

I wonder if you need to make sure you've got signal before trying to register?

All in all it looks like a nice replacement for the somewhat clunky version of IE that comes with the OS.

[Jerry Raia]

I just got an email from them asking me if I use xBar (which I don't) and the usual "what other apps are you running?". The problem I am having is I can't fill in a password on the registration page. If you can't get past that you can't do anything else.

[chucky.egg]

I *do* run xBar (which is becoming a bit of a liability - are there any alternatives?) but even with it off I can't get TH to actually do anything.

I've got past the registration stage, and checked my details online to confirm (you need IE for that, their site doesn't work with Firefox).

When I try to go to any page I just get left at the red TH screen, sometimes with the little winking eye and sometimes not, and that's it... nothing. I've checked my GPRS traffic and it's just not doing anything.

I'll try and find their support email address

[Jerry Raia]

Let us know if you find out anything as I will. This might be more trouble than its worth for some of us. I've been using OmegaOne BatteryBar (http://www.omegaone.com/batterypack/SP/default.htm) but its not cheap. It does have a task manager in it. They have a trial if you want to take look at it.

[chucky.egg]

I haven't checked the email addy I gave to BitStream, but for some reason it's working this morning... maybe the registration process takes longer than it ought to. I dunno

Anyways... had a little play this morning and whilst it seems to be working fine alongside xBar v2.5 I have found a few things that are not so great:

1) If you lose your connection whilst surfing TH sends you back to the "home" page (which I can't find a way to change, maybe it's in the registry). That's a pain if you're trying to reply to a thread - you have to go all the way back to where you were and retype your message.

2) It doesn't make itself the default browser on the phone, so other apps and links still open in PIE (Poxy Internet Explorer)

3) The cursor movement speeds up if you hold the button down for longer than 2 seconds, so you end up playing an Ateroids-like game of trying to get the cursor over the link/button you want. A constant speed would be easier to use, or at least give us the option to turn it off.

4) It seems to take about 5 seconds after the Menu option appears before it actually responds to the button press. Once in the menu though it's quick enough.

On balance I really like it. If I can find a way to make it the default browser I will almost certainly subscribe to the service

[edupin]

I think if one cannot stand Pocket IE, the best alternative browser is Opera for Windows mobile smartphones.
It is light, fast and the Small-Screen Rendering™ is very amazing.
You can download a free trial here : http://www.opera.com/download/mobile/?man=Windows+Mobile

[Jerry Raia]

Too much trouble for too little I have decided. Delete and forget.

[Kris Kumar]

I haven't tried this version. But if I remember correctly I had problem with their previous beta release also.

The problem in my case was that if Settings->Data Connections has multiple connection entries and you have specified the Automatic option, then the program is unable to connect to the Internet. So I would recommend setting the Data Connections to GPRS connection that works.

[Janak Parekh]

I think if one cannot stand Pocket IE, the best alternative browser is Opera for Windows mobile smartphones.
It is light, fast and the Small-Screen Rendering™ is very amazing.
Ditto. Jerry, have you tried Opera? It blew me away.

I like TH on Pocket PCs very much, but on my Smartphone I was unimpressed with the cursor UI in v1 -- it was way too cumbersome, and I see they didn't remove it in v2, so I'm going to stick with Opera.

--janak

[Jerry Raia]

Ditto. Jerry, have you tried Opera? It blew me away.

I'm going to take a good look at Opera now :)

[chucky.egg]

I think I've discovered the reason for the problem I was having with Thuderhawk connecting... it doesn't seem to like Smartease Shell-Orange. Since turning off the "keep alive" function Thunderhawk connects much faster and hasn't "hung" at all

I'm going to stick with it for the trial period, just to give it a fair shot.

I found Opera to be awful. All it does it arrange everything in a column, and PIE can do that, plus it always seems to start me about half way down the page, so I have to scroll back up to get to the begining of a thread.
Having said that I do like the way it tells you how much it has downloaded (image n/n nnKb).

[chucky.egg]

Nope, had enough of it!

Thunderhawk just seems to hang every 1 in 3 times I start it, even without the GPRS "Keep alive". It's a shame cos I really quite liked the way it displayed pages, but it's gone now.

I'll have another look at Opera, but it didn't appeal that much first time around (because of the page formatting) so I'll probably end up sticking with PIE.

BTW - I've asked on the MS newsgroups for a way to change default browser and the silence is deafening! :roll:

[Janak Parekh]

I found Opera to be awful. All it does it arrange everything in a column, and PIE can do that
It does it better than PIE, though, and just as importantly, it's much much much faster; the compression proxy helps in this regard. Moreover, full Javascript support is in there, which PIE doesn't always work with.

plus it always seems to start me about half way down the page, so I have to scroll back up to get to the begining of a thread.
I believe that's part of their technology to detect the "start" of the reading portion of the page. Simply hit "3" to jump to the top.

Having said that I do like the way it tells you how much it has downloaded (image n/n nnKb).
And the fact is the browser is useable while doing that. :) I don't mean to sound like an Opera fanboy, but it really is the best browser for the Smartphone platform today.

--janak

[Mike Temporale]

it really is the best browser for the Smartphone platform today

Sadly enough, that it true.