Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

DS Web Browsing Looks Refreshingly Good

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the mario-on-mario dept.

ElFozzie writes "Browsing the web on a handheld console or mobile phone has never been the most pleasant experience. The new Opera browser for the DS looks like it might change all that. On the eve of the Japanese launch, a story at Pocketgamer outlines the features and links to a video of the new browser in action." From the article: "The video illustrates the browsing technique, which sees the lower touch screen used for scanning zoomed-out pages and interaction via the stylus, whilst the top screen displays the zoomed-in detail. It also shows both text entry and handwriting recognition systems for rapid entry of URLs, as well as a host of standard browser features including bookmarks."

10 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. And there's the news I've been waiting for: by Silent+sound · · Score: 3, Informative
    From the article:
    a US and European release shouldn't be far behind. Indeed Opera are promising an update on global rollout next week and we'll convey it just as rapidly as we can.

    Awesome.
  2. Re:Very nice, but... by revlayle · · Score: 5, Informative

    The DS browser comes with a GBA-looking cart (an expansion module) that will come with extra RAM for the browsing experience. They have DS and DS-Lite version of the browser (the main software is the same, but the physical size of the expansion cart is different, so it will match the physical profile of the DS Lite so thart doesn't "stick out" while in use).

    Also it is based on Opera 8, should have full Javascript and CSS capabilities (of course no Java or Flash). Opera devs have confirmed that it should be to run any AJAX-enabled site (like GMail for example). Also, because of limited space, no tabbed browsing.

  3. Re:on opera's site by joe+155 · · Score: 3, Informative

    meh, might as well reply to my ow post and avoid karma whoring (I don't really need it anyway) here's the link to the opera product page that has more detail about it... http://www.opera.com/products/devices/nintendo/

    --
    *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
  4. Slashdot DS by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny
    It also shows both text entry and handwriting recognition systems for rapid entry of URLs
    That's a relief. I was worried they'd go with voice recognition for URLs, which would have made entering "http://slashdot.org" a total nightmare.
    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
    1. Re:Slashdot DS by ScaryFroMan · · Score: 4, Funny

      Still easier than "Blue.com"

      --
      In Soviet Russia, backwards is everything.
  5. Re:on opera's site by assassingod · · Score: 3, Informative

    Nintendo recently announced their release schedule for Europe, and DS Browser will get a 6th Oct release (Apparently). No word on pricing, but it costs 3800Yen, which is roughly £20.

  6. Re:Excuse my skepticism... by Valthan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A lot of Downtown centres are wireless now (think Toronto and SanFran to name 2), instead of walking around with a laptop in one hand, I can now walk around surfing on my DS

    --
    --Valthan
  7. Re:Sorry if this has been asked... by Valthan · · Score: 4, Informative

    It is indeed 2 carts... see here for pictures of it.

    --
    --Valthan
  8. Re:WPA? by Throtex · · Score: 3, Informative

    Get a second wireless router and set it to WEP encryption. Place the WEP-encrypted router directly behind your cable modem/DSL/tin can. Place your original router, with a more secure configuration, behind the WEP-encrypted router. Thanks to the magic of NAT, computers behind your original router will be able to see out to the machines connected over the WEP-encrypted router, but the machines connected to the WEP-encrypted router will only be able to see the ports you would have had open to the general Internet anyway.

    Network isolation, courtesy of NAT. The kind of security through crapscurity required by Nintendo.

  9. The browser's not the good news about this. by justchris · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Who cares about a browser for the DS? The reason I'll be picking this up is the RAM expansion pack that comes with it. With the new passthroughs that plug in through the DS cart port, that thing will be great for homebrew and emulation. Can't wait to see what I can pull off with that.

    --
    just some guy