For all those mobile freaks that use their cell-phones for much more needs other than SMSing and filming porn clips, here comes news which would surely jump leaps and bounds.
Opera Software ASA released a new version of its mini browser for mobile phones Tuesday, intended to simplify photo sharing and social networking as well as increasing security.
The Oslo-based company released Opera Mini in January, saying it can be used in low-end mobile phones because it only needs a small Java program to run. Instead of the phone’s processing a Web page, a remote server does it before sending it to the phone, reducing system requirements.
Opera Mini Browser for Free
The free Opera Mini 3.0 version allows easy photo sharing, for such things as blogging, and includes Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, a technology for notifying users of new entries on their favourite sites.
The version also enhances security for banking and shopping by encrypting information exchanged between the browser and servers.
For personal use on my Desktop PC I mostly use FireFox and so to use to Internet Explorer on my Cingular 8125 is a pain at time. Inorder to check Opera Mini’s efficiency, I have installed it on my PDA phone and have to admit I am very impressed.
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Main Page of Opera Mini |
Opera Mini makes browsing a good looking experience. The 3 default skins for the browser are soothing to the eyes and the menu keys are easy to navigate. Size of the fonts can also be changed as per one’s liking. The best feature I found was its ability to show the actual fonts and not default fonts which is what Internet Explorer picks on most PDA phones and Low-end GPRS compatible cell phones. Clarity of images is also excellent.
The only problem I found with the new browser is that it does not come with a bundle of features. For example, it does not have an option of selecting the format of page display, no multiple windows, no pop-up window blocks, etc.
Opera Mini could be said is not a fully loaded browser as compared to its rival IE but I guess it is sufficient enough to make browsing as easy experience.
So if you are fed-up with IE on your baby pc then Opera Mini might be just the right dose for you. On the other hand, if you have some spare cash then you could also Opera Mobile - a fully loaded, mother of all PDA-Smart Phone browsing platforms. You could also give it a shot with its FREE one month trial period.
Here is a look at my blog via Opera Mini on my PDA Phone.
Comments
9 comments | Add your comment »
shadows
Nov 29th, 2006 at 3:10 pm | #
Opera 3.0? What platform ? Because I have Opera 8.51 inbuilt on my phone. Pretty ok for quick email checks but cant do much general browsing. Yahan duniya 8 cross kar gayee, and you are talking about 3.0
I guess that must be for Windows CE or PalmOS, not for Symbian
For people who use phones for browsing,
you should know that there are separate mobile sites. (A friend of mine used to incur lot of data transfer charges for opening yahoo mainpage meant for PCs). Like for msn.com, there is mobile.msn.com and for gmail, there is m.gmail.com (Though i suppose gmail.com will also take you to the m.gmail.com site, it redirects you as per the device from which you are connecting to gmail). Note that some phones come with built in email clients, you can use them, it uses much less data transfer. Just that you should know how to configure it.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Nov 29th, 2006 at 4:27 pm | #
Shadows - Aap toh humhe bada back-dated samajhe rehe hai.
Opera Mini is basically for those cell-phones which donot have anyother browser besides IE pri-installed on their phones. This includes many of the Nokia phones as well as Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile 5.0, Windows Mobile 2003 and Imate. The thing with Opera Mini is that its relatively smaller in file size and therefore does not occupy much space. It offers some features that your IE doesn’t offer (safer for online banking, photo blogging, etc) but its major attraction is that its absolutely FREE.
Opera 8.51 that you talk about basically comes under Opera Mobile. It is undoudtly more advanced that Opera Mini but then you have to pay around $24.00 for its license. Again Opera 8.51 as mentioned earlier comes pre-installed in many of Nokia’s latest phones, Smart phones and mostly all Motorola phones.
I have installed Opera 8.51, it comes with 1 month trial period…if good will surely purchase. And from the looks of it….I think I will just end up doing that.
Hope….this clarifies everything and ensures you that I am not a tech-gawar.
Ajay D'Souza
Nov 29th, 2006 at 5:34 pm | #
Do you use Opera on Windows as well. Its leaner, faster and in many ways better than Firefox!
Saakshi O. Juneja
Nov 29th, 2006 at 5:36 pm | #
Ajay - No, I haven’t as yet. But will surely give it a try…though I am very happy with FireFox.
shadows
Nov 30th, 2006 at 9:18 am | #
Sakshi,
Ok, you are not a tech-gawar LOLzz..
Okies, so opera mobile and opera mini are two different things. Dint know that..
By the way, my opera 8.51 mobile isnt time limited, and I didnt pay. It was preinstalled and it is still on, over 8 months. The preinstalled version was older, I downloaded and installed 8.51 later.
Ok.. this explains it. I just visited this page http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/s60/ while I was typing this. For preinstalled opera, you dont have to pay to upgrade.. hmm nice.
By the way, Sakshi, Ajay,
Try out IE 7. Its good. Ok , its IE but it is good. Firefox did make MS improve their own stuff. IE 7 has inbuilt antiphishing filter, a built in search field which is defaulted to msn search, but you can change it to google or anything else, tabbed browsing, and the wrapped searched. And it has better arranged toolbars, the web page display area looks larger. For IE screenshots, visit here- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ie7/
Anyway, its my office computer, and just cant install anything I like.
shadows
Nov 30th, 2006 at 9:21 am | #
>> Anyway, its my office computer, and just cant install anything I like.
I mean I dont have Firefox, I have IE7 that the admin guys installed.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Nov 30th, 2006 at 9:30 am | #
Shadows - Thanks for your acknowldegement.
I have also heard IE 7.0 is pretty good and effective. But frankly, don’t think will bother myself atleast for now. Very much content with FireFox.
And sad to hear about your office issues….none for me though.
shadows
Nov 30th, 2006 at 12:33 pm | #
>> And sad to hear about your office issues
Well its not “sad” as such.. cos I dont “need” Firefox so badly.
Saakshi O. Juneja
Dec 1st, 2006 at 5:25 am | #
Shadows - Me was not talking about “FireFox” only.