It's been a few days since Opera unwrapped its latest beta browser for mobile phones, and we've had some more time to get acquainted. Opera Mobile 10 beta (download), which runs on certain Symbian Series 60 smartphones, adds some improvements to its password manager and has made a few tweaks under the hood. However, its most significant alterations are in its visual design. Bottom line: We like it, and we like how similar it is to Opera Mini 5 beta, a recent overhaul of the free Opera browser for Java phones.
There are some downsides with the version 10 beta browser that have cropped up--these go beyond the known issues and bugs. Opera's smartphone browser continues to struggle with accurately rendering complex pages. When zooming in on CNET Download.com on the Nokia N97, we saw text and graphics overlap. While Web sites often redirect to a URL optimized for mobile phones, we'd still like to see graphically rich pages rendered more faithfully in Opera Mobile on those that don't have specialized versions.
Its responsiveness was also an issue on the Nokia N97 test phone, but we suspect this has more to do with the device than with Opera. CNET reviewers dinged the Nokia N97 for its choice of an inconsistently responsive resistive touch screen instead of the capacitive touch screen that's found on the iPhone.
Even if you don't have a compatible Nokia, Samsung, or Sony Ericsson phone to test Opera Mobile 10 beta with yourself, you can watch our First Look video to see the new browser beta's features--its new tabs interface shines.
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The last peep we heard about Fennec was in late June, when Mozilla updated its mobile edition of the Firefox browser for Windows Mobile phones. This week, the Firefox browser maker has released an updated version for the platform powering Nokia N800 and N810 Internet Tablets: Fennec 1.0 Beta 3. (You can also download a desktop emulator for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.)
Following 'the rule of threes,' it could be a good guess that after this third beta, the final version will be next in line. A Mozilla spokesperson, however, told CNET that more beta builds are expected in the future.
This beta update for the Linux-based Maemo operating system especially addresses performance and user interface, starting with a theme refresh. In the future, the interface will also be better able to support a variety of devices and orientations.
(Credit:
Mozilla)
Additionally, Fennec 1.0 beta 3 takes on slow scrolling and panning. The third beta should see sped-up performance and the ability to scroll iframes. As you pan, Fennec for Maemo's new image-rendering system will save more of the screen. It should take less time to refresh the screen as you navigate back and forth.
The next build will focus on smoothing out rough edges, Stuart Parmenter, Mozilla's director of mobile engineering, said in a blog post. The team will particularly pay attention to using the browser's new rendering system to nix the checkerboard pattern you see when panning around.
As a beta product, Fennec 1.0 beta 3 is intended for testers to help work out the kinks. Read the full release notes here.
Article updated at 1:15 pm with a comment from Mozilla.
Don't be mistaken--the Nokia N800 is not a phone.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet (including video review) represents the Finnish company's open-source commitment condensed into a shiny, high-end package. The device's clear resolution, generous screen size, and handy-dandy kickstand are a PDA dream, yet this is no PDA. It isn't even a phone.
At its core, the updated Internet Tablet is a good-looking portal for accessing the Internet, and a stage for Nokia's continued experiment in supporting open-source development on the Maemo platform. Since it's not a phone, the device doesn't require a proprietary operating system like Symbian to place calls and manage screen size. The N800 Internet Tablet already scored one victory with CNET reviewer Bonnie Cha by using Opera 8 as its native browser (the latest version of the software is Opera 9). Yet after spending some time with the 7-ounce, 5-by-7 inch bundle of Wi-Fi joy, she noted that the other programs were merely basic and functional.
For what is essentially a $400 gadget-lover's splurge in a world pledging allegiance to all-in-one PDAs, asking for stellar software isn't an outlandish request. After living for a month with his Nokia N800, Oliver Starr from MobileCrunch praised the Linux-based Maemo platform as a whole, but, like Cha, called the base offerings meager and lamented the lack of personal management software.
The good news is that GTalk and Jabber come preloaded, though Skype is not yet Maemo-compatible. Also, plenty of apps are available from Maemo's Web site (for free, of course). What's less wonderful is that the developer community has not gotten around to creating Internet security software to protect Web surfers and chatters during all those exposed hours. While offerings like Opera have not had to fret about security breaches the way Microsoft and Internet Explorer users have, there's no guarantee that the device will be safe from new exploits, especially those tailor-made to Nokia's heavily-publicized operating system.
Nokia's continued support of Maemo through the release of the N800 Internet Tablet, which replaces the N770 model, will perhaps entice more developers to create multiple versions of their software. For example, the free music manager MediaMonkey would be an excellent addition to this storage-heavy device, were the program only available for Linux.
Though Java-based downloads are also out, the N800's screen is large enough to comfortably rely on browser-based programs, provided your connectivity is strong and speedy. Indeed, Webware is a fine solution to slimmer software pickings, and solid browser-based media storage centers, organizers, and communicators operate online. With the N800's instant on/off capabilities (versus a laptop that can take minutes to power up or down), accessing your thought bubbles or games becomes much more doable online with Bubble.us and browser-based games.
What do you think? Are open-source devices like Nokia's N900 Internet Tablet going to help push alternative platforms like the Linux-based Maemo forward, or will they only add another layer of frustration for users whose device won't support the best-of-breed software they want?
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