Opera Software today announced a new version of its micro-browser for non-smartphones, Opera Mini 2.0. New features included content download to the phone, the ability to change the browser’s visual skin, multisearch to allow users to select extra search engines for the homepage, speed dial for bookmarks similar to the phones speed dial, and quick horizontal and vertical panning when browsing backwards or forwards. There is the ability to use a simulator to try it out on your desktop browser.
Opera Mini 2.0 Released
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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I like this browser but java apps have been badly hobbled on my Pocket PC phone unfortunately. No suprise really.
Opera has a browser specifically for the PocketPC phone. http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/winmobile/
This online is awsome fun! Also, it’s super useful for developers. Now you can test your applications WITHOUT paying huge GPRS bills. 🙂
It is a great browser, but the lack of SVG tiny is sad.
Lots of phones support SVG tiny 1.1 and opera has been supporting 1.1 for a long time now. Lots of content is starting to appear. Such as http://www.weatherwalk.com/mobile Hopefully they get it in soon!!
Edited 2006-05-03 12:37
Use it almost daily!
Ironically I can’t download 2.0 from 1.2 – have to use wap
Aside from some eyecandy and some shortcut displaying I am not seeing much of a change?
heh, I just used normal Opera to download it – with each app only ~100Kb each, they sit side by side without bothering me
I just had a quick play, I can’t see much of a difference, except the mentioned vertical scrolling for forwards/backwards. Scrolling is much improved, it was tricky to grab the scrollbar on my p910 with v1.2
Looks like we have to wait for more engine improvements (gorram inline <code> tags behaving like blocks..)
http://www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/operamini/200/
^This!
This urinates on the builtin browser on my RAZR V3. Much easier on the eye, and quicker.
I only recently downloaded v1.2 myself. Does anyone know any free apps to load MIDlets onto Moto phones, either by USB cable or Bluetooth? (Linux or WindowsXP)
If it’s not crippled by your operator you should be able to load midlets via bluetooth, if not you must modify your fimware with something like LeaderGL FlexEditor, and upload with Midway (ask google!)
Nice! Got it uploaded with the KDE bluetooth push app. I didn’t think that would work, as motocoder.com were pushing MIDway as a developer tool for “developer enabled phones” (and I didn’t want to signup just to get it).
OT, but the Linux/KDE bluetooth framework is about a zillion times more pleasurable to work with than the crap software that came glued to my Windows drivers. Vive la difference!
Eugenia,
Based on the introduction for the update to Opera Mini it would appear either you or Opera believe the Treo is not classified as a smartphone.
Anyway, I noticed that Opera still has not resolved these issues for Treo customers who use Opera Mini:
“Known issues with Opera Mini
Unable to use smooth font due to bad performance. The screen is flickering unless double buffering is enabled. The phone occasionally reboots while surfing.”
Reference: http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/operamini/phones/?phone=palm_t…
Besides the cost and lack of PalmOS support for Opera Mobile, what are the main differences between Opera Mobile and Opera Mini? Do both still rely on Java to be installed to run the browser?
Dark Knight, you misunderstood. Opera Mini works on ALL Java phones, BUT it is MEANT MOSTLY for non-smartphones, where browsers are of lower quality (e.g. Motorola’s native MiB browser) and so Opera Mini fills an important void there, much more than in the smartphone area.