WebKit Coming for Windows Mobile

[Paul Martin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.wake3.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.wake3.com/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"WebKit is the world's best mobile web browser, used on Apple's iPhone and Nokia’s Series 60 handsets. Now it runs on Windows Mobile--brought to you by Wake3. Stay tuned to this website for more information."</i><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OWhSaKyFI-Q"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OWhSaKyFI-Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://webkit.org/">WebKit</a> is described as an open source web browser engine is "<i>also the name of the Mac OS X system framework version of the engine that's used by Safari, Dashboard, Mail, and many other OS X applications</i>." The Wake3 site is a very light on details for this upcoming release, including date, pricing, etc. If you are interested in more, you can sign up for an email list ([email protected]?subject=add%20me%20to%20the%20mailing%20list) for product updates. The demo looks like it displays nicely and relatively quickly. I just hope the final version doesn't contain that bizarre audio track. :lol:

[Sven Johannsen]

Doesn't look all that great. Lots of scrolling, and my stock browser displays fairly quickly using WiFi too.

[yslee]

I recently played with the iPod touch and its web browser really won me over. Its smooth and reflows very nicely. I think Opera Mobile comes close in reformatting but the thing that annoys me on just about every platform's web browsing experience is the constant jitter and slowness every time I scroll. On the iPod it just goes to the area where I want to smoothly and without any lag. On the rest it just jerky and even laggy (ever over-scrolled because you're pressing down faster than the display can update?). The above video shows my point.

If we can get a smooth browsing experience the mobile web would be far better to use. As it is it can be a real test in patience.

[dstrauss]

Comparing browsers on WiFi based performance is not fair. I tried the iPhone for about a week, and on my WiFi network, the web experience was great, but out in the real world on EDGE it was a whole different ballgame. Nearly EVERY scroll/page change began with teh screen being blanked out like a checkerboard and then filling in...how is that better than POIE's or Opera Mini's operation on EDGE. And when I was in a 3G area, my slow old Blackjack with Opera Mini clearly out-performed iPhone screen performance,

Don't get me wrong, I would kill to have HTC bolt an iPhone screen flush on the front surface of my Tilt (even if only 3-2.25", the operation of that smooth glass screen that doesn't require pressure to register touches, would be PURE HEAVEN).

[toaddodger]

So what does it do that PIE doesn't, other than play an annoying song?

If you're going to release a new browser for WinMo, and claim it's greatness, at a minimum it should be multi-tabbed, and do great things with reformatting for the small screen.

Better memory management would be a plus too. Then it could pre-load all of the images it's downloading anyway, thus getting rid of the jerky scrolling mentioned in a previous post.

[Sven Johannsen]

Cosidering it some more, could be that this thing supports a whole lot more than the standard browser, like the Java needed for many banking sites. More fidelity to the desktop capabilities would be a good thing, but the video certainly doesn't highlight anything like that. Pretty run of the mill sites displayed.

[optimus_dag]

I've been using Opera 8.65 and it's looks very superior to the one in the video. Tho one in the video lacks of user feedback of loading states and kb downloaded ans such. So I rather stick with Opera for now.

[Paul Martin]

... lacks of user feedback of loading states and kb downloaded ans such. So I rather stick with Opera for now.

Good point. I didn't look at that part, but feedback sure helps, especially when your device freezes up and you look down and realize the page you're visiting is over 9 meg...lots of photos! 8O