Opera's Web Browser Now Available for Windows Mobile 2003 Smartphone

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2005/06/30/' target='_blank'>http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/en/2005/06/30/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Opera Software today released the latest version of the Opera Web browser, Opera 8, for Windows Mobile, finally enabling Smartphone users to surf the Web with speed and ease on their mobile devices. Opera's deployment to Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform is a result of customers' and operators' demand for a fast and full-featured Web browser on Windows Mobile devices."</i><br /><br />I don't know why but I have never cared for this. I kept trying the preview releases and always ended up not liking them. For you fans however the wait is over and you can download it <a href="http://www.opera.com/download/mobile/?man=Windows+Mobile">here</a>.

[Mike Temporale]

I like it, but do I like it $29USD worth?? I'm not so sure of that. I'll have to think on this. :?

[subzerohf]

I'm still bound by my data limit (7 meg/month). So I have to restraint myself from surfing the web on my phone :( . Otherwise, I would certainly pick Opera over IE.

[gambit]

Congradulations to morton and his team at opera

riki

[Spatulator]

Youde be hard pressed to find a better web browser for smartphone. I dont see whats not to like other than the $29 price tag

[Rebecca]

The interesting thing about opera mobile is the proxy service.

Opera has a proxy service that you can use to acces all web pages. This proxy shrinks them down in size and optimizes them for Smart Phones.

I wich I could use Opera's proxy in PIE, Opera is too expensive.

[Jerry Raia]

Youde be hard pressed to find a better web browser for smartphone. I dont see whats not to like other than the $29 price tag

That pretty much seals it off for me.

[me]

Youde be hard pressed to find a better web browser for smartphone. I dont see whats not to like other than the $29 price tag

I had the most recent beta installed. Yesterday I installed the new version, and the only difference I see is the $29 price tag, that this final version will stop working if I don't pay for it within 14 days.

(BTW--does that $29 also include a license for desktop Opera? Or do they charge a separate fee for each OS version?) (I've never used desktop Opera, just curious.)

Or--is there something I missed? (I haven't tried the final version much yet.) Have there been significant improvements to the final version?

I probably still have the installer for the beta version. Could I uninstall the final version, and re-install the beta? (I forget if the beta had an expiration date.)

One thing I did not like in the beta was that it cannot import bookmarks from IE, Firefox, or other browsers. Anyone know why they don't include that simple obvious feature? Bookmarks are especially important with a smartphone, and it's much easier to import ones already made than to create them anew.

I also never saw auto-complete work in the beta. I haven't tried the final version enough yet to say if it works there. It does work in PIE, and on a smartphone, with its limited input capability, auto-complete is very helpful. Anyone seen auto-complete working in the final version?

Someone mentioned the Opera proxy that compresses web sites. I haven't tried that, since I use the t-mobile proxy. I'm curious though--if you pay the $29 reg fee for the browser, does that include access to their proxy, or does one have to pay an additional monthly fee for that service?

There are more alternative browsers for the PPC than for SM. There is a freeware one I used on PPC (I forget the name, something like fxtp), actually an add-on to PIE, that adds tabbed browsing to it, I think other added functionality as well. Nothing like that for smartphone, PIE add-ons?

[Janak Parekh]

I don't know why but I have never cared for this. I kept trying the preview releases and always ended up not liking them. For you fans however the wait is over and you can download it here (http://www.opera.com/download/mobile/?man=Windows+Mobile).
Really? 8O The main difference for me is that it's about 10 times faster than PIE. I've been busy this week, otherwise I would have bought it sooner. This is a slam-dunk purchase in my mind, and I'm about to do a reinstall of my SP and this will be one of the first programs I put on. Mike and Jerry, are you guys really happy with PIE? Maybe the SE version is a lot better than the regular 2003 version on the i600? PIE on the i600 is hideously slow and annoying to use. Or do you use something else?

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

I had the most recent beta installed. Yesterday I installed the new version, and the only difference I see is the $29 price tag, that this final version will stop working if I don't pay for it within 14 days.
The beta version has expired, so yes, you have to buy it. ;) It does cost money to develop the product.

(BTW--does that $29 also include a license for desktop Opera? Or do they charge a separate fee for each OS version?) (I've never used desktop Opera, just curious.)
I'm pretty sure it's separate. I personally consider the $29 fee reasonable for Opera, considering how well it has worked for me.

Someone mentioned the Opera proxy that compresses web sites. I haven't tried that, since I use the t-mobile proxy. I'm curious though--if you pay the $29 reg fee for the browser, does that include access to their proxy, or does one have to pay an additional monthly fee for that service?
The forums suggest not at the moment. :| In fact, I just noticed that the Opera forums suggest certain devices (C500, i600) aren't working at the moment due to a signed certificate issue. 8O I guess I'll have to wait and see. Argh. :cry:

There are more alternative browsers for the PPC than for SM. There is a freeware one I used on PPC (I forget the name, something like fxtp), actually an add-on to PIE, that adds tabbed browsing to it, I think other added functionality as well. Nothing like that for smartphone, PIE add-ons?
ftpxBrowser is what I think you mean. Do you think most SPs screens is large enough for tabbed browsing?

--janak

[Rebecca]

[quote=Spatulator]

(BTW--does that $29 also include a license for desktop Opera? Or do they charge a separate fee for each OS version?) (I've never used desktop Opera, just curious.)

Someone mentioned the Opera proxy that compresses web sites. I haven't tried that, since I use the t-mobile proxy. I'm curious though--if you pay the $29 reg fee for the browser, does that include access to their proxy, or does one have to pay an additional monthly fee for that service?


The Desktop Version is separate. I use it and love it, it is an incredible piece of software, It is much better than Firefox, has a forms and password app similar to RoboForms and I like its built in mail client more than Outlook. (the mail client has tags and conversations similar to gMail).

I mentioned the proxy, It is a separate fee (Prices are from $9/3month to $18/year).

I just wish there were a similar proxy for IE for a similar fee or lower.

[Jerry Raia]

It just seems so strange to pay for a web browser these days. Maybe I should say you get what you pay for? :lol:

[Janak Parekh]

It just seems so strange to pay for a web browser these days.
On the desktop, sure. On mobile devices... I paid for Thunderhawk for at least a year, so maybe I'm more used to it.

Maybe I should say you get what you pay for? :lol:
:P Absolutely.

--janak

[Jerry Raia]

Well now that I have installed this version I remember why I didn't like it. No way to import bookmarks. To pay $29 and then have to type in 50 or so bookmarks on the phone pad is a huge turn off for me.

[Janak Parekh]

Yeah, I see that's one of the biggest complaints of the current version. :( I don't use bookmarks so heavily, so it's not so important for me, but I hope they rectify that.

--janak

[Mike Temporale]

Mike and Jerry, are you guys really happy with PIE? Maybe the SE version is a lot better than the regular 2003 version on the i600? PIE on the i600 is hideously slow and annoying to use. Or do you use something else?

Nope, I don't like PIE at all. It sucks. It's slow and the rendering is poor - I agree with you. However, I'm not one to just drop $30US on a program that does what I can already do. It may do it better, but is it worth $30 for the improvements?? I'm not sure. I don't use PIE or Opera an awful lot - maybe 3 or 4 times a week.

I guess for me, it's just a price point. If this was $20 or so, I would have bought it right away. Yah, I know the difference is a lousy 10 bucks - it's a mental barrier. $30 can put food on the table, it can fill my car for a week, it's a new outfit for my kids.... $20, well that's just pocket change. :lol:

[Mike Temporale]

It just seems so strange to pay for a web browser these days.
On the desktop, sure. On mobile devices... I paid for Thunderhawk for at least a year, so maybe I'm more used to it.

So Janak, It sounds like you've used a number of different "mobile" browsers. Is Opera really the best one? Better than ThunderHawk, Skweezer, etc? Is $30 really a reasonable price?

Opera and PIE are the only mobile browsers I have used. I never tried the others. Maybe once I've been around the block with all the different options, I could appreciate this more. :?

[cortez]

it is possible to copy your (desktop/laptop) IE favorites to your smartphone and use them with Opera. i'll assume you've got Opera for Smartphones installed on your phone.

first, you have to install the desktop version of Opera...the free version will work just fine. second, you have to import your Internet Explorer favorites into Opera. third, you export your Opera bookmarks...typical file name is opera6.adr. fourth, copy the "opera6.adr" file to the \Storage\Application Data\Opera folder on your phone. fifth, make sure Opera is not loaded, if it is, exit the application. re-launch Opera, select GoTo and navigate to the Bookmarks folder, click the folder and your bookmarks should appear.

i know this isn't a clean process, but it's worked for me everytime. i'm still debating my purchase of the official version because $19.99 is typically my price point. i'm currently using Opera to access webmail until our company gets Exchange 2003 push email working.

[Jerry Raia]

it is possible to copy your (desktop/laptop) IE favorites to your smartphone and use them with Opera. i'll assume you've got Opera for Smartphones installed on your phone.

first, you have to install the desktop version of Opera...the free version will work just fine. second, you have to import your Internet Explorer favorites into Opera. third, you export your Opera bookmarks...typical file name is opera6.adr. fourth, copy the "opera6.adr" file to the \Storage\Application Data\Opera folder on your phone. fifth, make sure Opera is not loaded, if it is, exit the application. re-launch Opera, select GoTo and navigate to the Bookmarks folder, click the folder and your bookmarks should appear.

i know this isn't a clean process, but it's worked for me everytime. i'm still debating my purchase of the official version because $19.99 is typically my price point. i'm currently using Opera to access webmail until our company gets Exchange 2003 push email working.

Ok I tried this and it worked perfectly. I'll eat some crow here and admit I am impressed with this browser now that I have gone to a few of the sites I normally go to. The $29 is still a big turn off though. :(

[Pony99CA]

The interesting thing about opera mobile is the proxy service.

Opera has a proxy service that you can use to acces all web pages. This proxy shrinks them down in size and optimizes them for Smart Phones.

I wich I could use Opera's proxy in PIE, Opera is too expensive.
Have you tried Skweezer (http://www.greenlightwireless.net/skweezer/)? It's a free portal you visit which does compression and optimization. You can also pay for Skweezer Pro if you don't want the ads and want some other features.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

So Janak, It sounds like you've used a number of different "mobile" browsers. Is Opera really the best one? Better than ThunderHawk, Skweezer, etc? Is $30 really a reasonable price?
Skweezer (http://www.greenlightwireless.net/skweezer/) isn't a browser; it's a service/portal that you direct your real browser to that compresses and optimizes the Web page for a small screen.

Steve

[Rebecca]

The interesting thing about opera mobile is the proxy service.

Opera has a proxy service that you can use to acces all web pages. This proxy shrinks them down in size and optimizes them for Smart Phones.

I wich I could use Opera's proxy in PIE, Opera is too expensive.
Have you tried Skweezer (http://www.greenlightwireless.net/skweezer/)? It's a free portal you visit which does compression and optimization. You can also pay for Skweezer Pro if you don't want the ads and want some other features.


Thanks! I will check it

[Janak Parekh]

I guess for me, it's just a price point. If this was $20 or so, I would have bought it right away. Yah, I know the difference is a lousy 10 bucks - it's a mental barrier.
To each their own. :) For me, Opera makes Smartphone browsing useable. That is worth at least $30.

So Janak, It sounds like you've used a number of different "mobile" browsers. Is Opera really the best one? Better than ThunderHawk, Skweezer, etc? Is $30 really a reasonable price?
Thunderhawk on the Smartphone is nearly unusable -- the scrolling is accomplished via moving a small cursor around on the screen, which is very slow and awkward at best. It's much better on the Pocket PC, where it's my favorite browser.

As for Skweezer, it doesn't solve the fact that PIE is horribly slow at rendering long webpages -- in fact, I find graphics to be a secondary concern, just page structure to be what slows down PIE's renderer. This is where Opera shines, and when they offer their mobile proxy the combination is easily the fastest I've used on my i600. Note that the i600's processor is a now-anemic 200MHz XScale, so maybe I notice it more.

Again, everyone's perception of value is different, so I understand when you and Jerry make this point. However, I was just pointing out that the underlying technology is fantastic, and one has to try it to believe it. Remember, you're talking to the guy who had a Pocket PC Thunderhawk subscription for a year. I don't mobile browse all the time, but when I need it it's extremely handy. As I tend to travel through the city via mass transit, there are situations where I'm "on the street" and would like to look up a place. Having a phone that can do this fast is extremely useful to me.

--janak

[Jerry Raia]

I am slowly being won over to this thing. 8)

[me]

Anyone know when Minimo (PDA Version of Firefox) will be out for Windows Smartphone?

[me]

Anyone know when Minimo (PDA Version of Firefox) will be out for Windows Smartphone?

I looked on the Mozilla forums, there is a forum for Minimo http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewforum.php?f=47. They have beta versions out for PPC, I think the latest is .07.

Unfortunately no version for Smartphone. I asked if one is in the works, the answer was no. I tried to convince them that they should come out with a SP version as well.

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=1645837#1645837

I'd suggest that others write to the forum and suggest that too, so there is not only one person requesting it. (Could be in that same thread, or start a new one!)