Comments on: WM Smartphones get a Full Web Bashing. http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/ portable pc, mobile computer, pocket pc and handheld computing Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:29:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: alfa http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14694 alfa Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:30:43 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14694 I began to use HTC MAX 4G (same as TOUCH HD, but with WiMAX instead of 3G) and the first impressions about the browser (not screen) are - safari is faster and easier. Sometimes opera start but doesn't load the first page. Sometimes hypelinks in yandex.ru ("russian yahoo") doesn't work. Favorities are awful. Turning off Touch FLO makes device work faster. Later I'll write smth more detailed I began to use HTC MAX 4G (same as TOUCH HD, but with WiMAX instead of 3G) and the first impressions about the browser (not screen) are – safari is faster and easier. Sometimes opera start but doesn’t load the first page. Sometimes hypelinks in yandex.ru (“russian yahoo”) doesn’t work. Favorities are awful. Turning off Touch FLO makes device work faster.
Later I’ll write smth more detailed

]]> By: jpmatrix http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14679 jpmatrix Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:58:19 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14679 on my fujitsu u1010 under XP Tablet, Opera 9.62 (usb key version) is definitely MY browser :) it is the only one with which i can open several tabs without any slowdowns.... besides my bookmarks are automaticaly synchronised with my Operamini on windows mobile pocket :) however i use Chrome too for its dedicated web apps like gMail and GoogleReader :) on my fujitsu u1010 under XP Tablet, Opera 9.62 (usb key version) is definitely MY browser :) it is the only one with which i can open several tabs without any slowdowns…. besides my bookmarks are automaticaly synchronised with my Operamini on windows mobile pocket :)
however i use Chrome too for its dedicated web apps like gMail and GoogleReader :)

]]> By: Chippy http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14668 Chippy Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:11:46 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14668 Croft. You said: "Opera 9.6 for the PC is the fastest browser in the world in several respects." Which 'respects'? I always regard Opera's javascript intepreter to be very slow indeed. My last test is here: http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/05/speedtest-firefox-3-recommended-for-umpcs-and-netbooks Steve Croft.
You said: “Opera 9.6 for the PC is the fastest browser in the world in several respects.”

Which ‘respects’?

I always regard Opera’s javascript intepreter to be very slow indeed.
My last test is here: http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/05/speedtest-firefox-3-recommended-for-umpcs-and-netbooks

Steve

]]> By: Will http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14665 Will Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:58:36 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14665 Opera mini and Skyfire are both server-based web browsers. Their servers download the content you want, render and compress it before sending it down to your phone. It certainly wouldn't be a fair comparison. Opera mini and Skyfire are both server-based web browsers. Their servers download the content you want, render and compress it before sending it down to your phone. It certainly wouldn’t be a fair comparison.

]]> By: jpmatrix http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14663 jpmatrix Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:32:05 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14663 i agree with cr0ft besides they don t talk about the damn fast Opera Mini which surely doesn't render as well as opera 9.5; but it s faaast :) nor they talk about Skyfire which is unbelievable when rendering flash web pages like youtube for example but they are true when saying that there is no perfect browser yet on windows mobile...and it s a pity... i agree with cr0ft
besides they don t talk about the damn fast Opera Mini which surely doesn’t render as well as opera 9.5; but it s faaast :)
nor they talk about Skyfire which is unbelievable when rendering flash web pages like youtube for example
but they are true when saying that there is no perfect browser yet on windows mobile…and it s a pity…

]]> By: cr0ft http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14661 cr0ft Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:13:46 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14661 Please don't mention Opera, Microsoft and browser speed optimizations in one sentence... Opera 9.6 for the PC is the fastest browser in the world in several respects, as well as one of the most usable, especially for power users. Granted, on Windows Mobile the Opera browser still needs speed optimization but it's still in a completely different league compared to the utter trash that is Mobile IE, as Gizmodos tests bear out. Like I said in the comment thread over there... many of the issues they have are due to the hardware they're running. Fuze, or the HTC Touch Pro most people know it as, does a good job, but is let down by its tiny little screen. The Touch HD however, with 3.8 inches of 800x480 screen gives you a pretty darn good browsing experience. Yes, I own it and am very happy with it so this is hardly entirely objective, but neither is Gizmodos little bitch-fest... Opera renders very well and the screen is large enough you don't even have to zoom in many cases, or just zoom somewhat using the zoom bar control. I would submit that the surfing experience on just about anything that has a 2.8 inch screen is going to be sub-par, regardless of software. You'll note that the iPhone comes with a big 3.5 inch screen too. Yes, Windows Mobile has many shortcomings, but for the power user it's still a very usable OS. My phone is a 3g-to-wifi router, an e-book reader, a full-on navigation GPS device, a great surfing platform, integrates beautifully with the office Echange installation... all in all, a fantastic device. Yes, I would wish for many interface improvements, but if someone gave me both this and an iPhone and made me pick again, I'd still pick this. Somewhat of a testament to the flourishing third party market for Windows Mobile considering that the OS is indeed both ugly and dated, underneath the very nice TouchFlo layer that is. Please don’t mention Opera, Microsoft and browser speed optimizations in one sentence… Opera 9.6 for the PC is the fastest browser in the world in several respects, as well as one of the most usable, especially for power users.

Granted, on Windows Mobile the Opera browser still needs speed optimization but it’s still in a completely different league compared to the utter trash that is Mobile IE, as Gizmodos tests bear out.

Like I said in the comment thread over there… many of the issues they have are due to the hardware they’re running. Fuze, or the HTC Touch Pro most people know it as, does a good job, but is let down by its tiny little screen.

The Touch HD however, with 3.8 inches of 800×480 screen gives you a pretty darn good browsing experience. Yes, I own it and am very happy with it so this is hardly entirely objective, but neither is Gizmodos little bitch-fest… Opera renders very well and the screen is large enough you don’t even have to zoom in many cases, or just zoom somewhat using the zoom bar control.

I would submit that the surfing experience on just about anything that has a 2.8 inch screen is going to be sub-par, regardless of software. You’ll note that the iPhone comes with a big 3.5 inch screen too.

Yes, Windows Mobile has many shortcomings, but for the power user it’s still a very usable OS. My phone is a 3g-to-wifi router, an e-book reader, a full-on navigation GPS device, a great surfing platform, integrates beautifully with the office Echange installation… all in all, a fantastic device. Yes, I would wish for many interface improvements, but if someone gave me both this and an iPhone and made me pick again, I’d still pick this.

Somewhat of a testament to the flourishing third party market for Windows Mobile considering that the OS is indeed both ugly and dated, underneath the very nice TouchFlo layer that is.

]]> By: Will http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing/#comment-14636 Will Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:42:53 +0000 http://www.umpcportal.com/2008/12/wm-smartphones-get-a-full-web-bashing#comment-14636 I think once we see the next generation of ARMv7 chips in smartphones (like a 600 MHz OMAP3), load/rendering times should start to be on-par with UMPCs. But a significant problem here is Opera 9.5. It is SLOW. I'm running Opera 9.5 on a 624 MHz WM6 device and it is SO SLOW compared to my iPod Touch with its 524 MHz CPU. Mobile Safari is the fastest smartphone browser and the 2.2 software update made it even faster and more stable. Microsoft and Opera really need to optimise their browsers for speed. I think once we see the next generation of ARMv7 chips in smartphones (like a 600 MHz OMAP3), load/rendering times should start to be on-par with UMPCs.

But a significant problem here is Opera 9.5. It is SLOW. I’m running Opera 9.5 on a 624 MHz WM6 device and it is SO SLOW compared to my iPod Touch with its 524 MHz CPU.

Mobile Safari is the fastest smartphone browser and the 2.2 software update made it even faster and more stable. Microsoft and Opera really need to optimise their browsers for speed.

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