| Opera betas Windows Mobile browser |
Jul. 17, 2008
 Opera Software has released its first public beta of a new Windows Mobile web browser. Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 offers full-screen browsing, panning and zooming, a new user interface, remote development and debugging tools, and the ability to save pages to a phone, says Opera.
(Click here for a larger view of Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1)
Opera Mobile 9.5 was first announced in February, but, while a version of it has shipped with HTC's Touch Diamond phone, the browser has not otherwise been publicly available. As of today, a beta version of the program is downloadable for free, requiring touchscreen devices running Windows Mobile 5 and 6.
The browser uses a new proprietary core rendering engine, called Presto 2.1, claimed to improve the browser's speed and rendering quality compared to the previous public release, Opera Mobile version 8.65. The new browser is also touted as "the most standards-compliant mobile browser available." However, noting that the beta release is intended for "developers and advanced users only," Opera Software warns that, like many other browsers, the current beta does not yet pass the Web Standards Project's ACID2 test for browser compatibility.
 
Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 opens pages in full-screen mode, with available context-sensitive menus
(Click either to enlarge)
Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 displays in a full-screen mode (above left) by default, though this can be changed using a preferences setting. Users can pan and zoom around the screen with their fingers or with a stylus, and open context-sensitive menus (above right) by tapping and holding on the screen. Meanwhile, clicking on a translucent arrow at the lower right of the screen will invoke an address bar and other "chrome."
Opera Mobile 9.5's "tabs" are actually multiple windows
Opera Mobile 9.5's user interface
(Click image to enlarge) |
The browser's user interface (right) sports not only an address bar, but also a search field for Google searches. A bar at the bottom of the screen provides access to bookmarks, a user's home page, and tabs. Regarding the latter, Opera Mobile version 9.5 no longer provides tabbed browsing in the true sense. Instead, the program's "tabs" functionality switches between multiple full-screen windows, shown above.
As mentioned, Opera Mobile version 9.5 can now save web pages to a phone. Another touted feature in this release is integrated links to Dragonfly, Opera Software's tool for web developers. Dragonfly links desktop and mobile versions of Opera 9.5 via an IP connection, then allows developers to test JavaScripts, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and Document Object Model (DOM) code on both devices from a single console, the company says.
Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 does not yet integrate key features promised for the program's final release, however. These include:In addition, the current build is in English only; problems with other languages and input methods are "not unexpected." Also, Opera Software warns that "installation on memory cards may cause problems," though WindowsForDevices.com did not encounter difficulties with this.
Background
Opera's "Presto" rendering engine is claimed to achieve page load speeds comparable to a desktop browser. The Presto engine also dramatically improves page responsiveness on pages with heavy use of languages such as JavaScript and AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), according to Opera Software.
 
The forthcoming Opera Widgets can run full-screen or be overlaid on a device's home screen
As for the promised Widgets feature, these are small applications that run inside Opera, but without its standard border, menus and other "chrome." They can run full-screen (left, above) or can be overlaid on a device's home screen (right, above).
Since their introduction in June 2007, Widgets have run on desktop editions of Opera 9, and on Opera 9 for Devices, which targets Linux-based set-top boxes, portable media players, game consoles, and other devices. Opera says Widgets can be used by any web developer or even end-user, thanks to their support for web standards such as Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), and Document Object Model (DOM).
Further information
Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 is freely downloadable now for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 touchscreen devices, here. Recommended free space on a device was not stated, but the .CAB installation file itself occupies 4.2MB.
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