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Pro or con the default behaviour of MS Live Search Mobile (proposed as default homepage for PocketIe in WM6) to forward HTTP requests through mobrender.com proxy ?
In my point of view, there are 2 very important disadvantages :
- HTTP user-agent headers are masked so optimised websites for PDAphone such as XDA or LDCWeb2.0 users experience are degraded
- users navigation are logged (not only search results)
Should rather wait for MS DeepFish or use Opera Mini (dispiste of Safari for Iphone)
What do YOU think about this service ?
Well, if user activity logging is you concern, Opera Mini is NOT the way to go!
Read my thread as to why.
you're right
thanks for the information
*bump*
But, er.... what are the alternatives?
Is this where i shout Skweezer.net ???
probably has same disadvantages as others mentioned, but still.. an alternative
afaik, it's been around waaay before mobrender was even mentioned.. could be wrong there though!
Hi,
i just would like to know, what are the big differences between the web browsers (Opera, Opera Mini, Skyfire) ?
I am trying to find the browser that is most suited for my needs. I bet there's a lot of people who are wondering the same. So please, come someone enlighten us (me).
just a general note. you should try all browsers and then see as browser comfort is usually individual.
as of today i'd choose either the latest edition of Opera 9.5 or Skyfire... but for the sake of comparison.
Opera Mini is very fast and stable and is java based.. but doesn't have all the features the new browsers such as Opera 9.5 and Skyfire have.
Opera 9.5 is greatlooking and supports direct flash and has a fine comfortable interface.
Skyfire has a few options for browsing.. such as using a Mouse pointer to move across the page or sweep your finger to move the page. also it has a very comfortable home page which i use constantly with weather reports and google search. it also has a very fast loading time.
one major difference between opera and skyfire is the fact that skyfire supports most languages without having to use special language packs.
Internet Explorer sucks ass.
Netfront is great.. not as fast as the others but is very multilingual and has some new options.. you should look it up in google to see what it offers.
nir36 said:
just a general note. you should try all browsers and then see as browser comfort is usually individual.
as of today i'd choose either the latest edition of Opera 9.5 or Skyfire... but for the sake of comparison.
Opera Mini is very fast and stable and is java based.. but doesn't have all the features the new browsers such as Opera 9.5 and Skyfire have.
Opera 9.5 is greatlooking and supports direct flash and has a fine comfortable interface.
Skyfire has a few options for browsing.. such as using a Mouse pointer to move across the page or sweep your finger to move the page. also it has a very comfortable home page which i use constantly with weather reports and google search. it also has a very fast loading time.
one major difference between opera and skyfire is the fact that skyfire supports most languages without having to use special language packs.
Internet Explorer sucks ass.
Netfront is great.. not as fast as the others but is very multilingual and has some new options.. you should look it up in google to see what it offers.
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Click to collapse
wow, great..thnx for the info
but i got difficulty to download skyfire. it doesnt support for my country phone number
I knew i wasnt the only one that would be helped ! =)
Thanks a lot!
I will try Skyfire, and if i'm not satisfied, i will go for Opera (but i wonder if Opera Mini could be fine).
You also forgot about one VERY important thing - both Opera Mini and Skyfire use server-side processing: the phone sends all information to opera's or skyfire's server, the server downloads the page as a normal browser would, then strips it of unnecessary data, resizes pictures, compresses the page and then sends it to your device.
So everything you browse, and all the data you send, including passwords is not exchanged directly with the target website, but instead goes trough a third party server. Of course all server-device communications are encrypted, but still i don't encourage using these browsers for sensitive data like banking or shopping using your credit card information. This might be a bit paranoid, but considering how internet looks like today, paranoia is a rather healthy thing
Besides, there were already cases where browser used incorrectly made all the encryption useless: when opera (and probably skyfire too) is started for the first time, it generates a random key to encrypt data and identify your device. But when opera is cooked into ROM or made into CAB installer after this key has been generated, the server recognizes every device using this version as the same one. So if person A logs into a email account and then person B (using the same broken opera install with the same key) goes to this email website - he'll see he's already logged in as person A and can see all of his/her e-mails.
Of course this doesn't happen often (actually i know of only one such accident and the faulty opera was quickly removed from ROM) but still - better safe than sorry.
However, the advantage of these browsers is that they're really fast - all the hard work is done on the server so our devices don't need to do any html/css/javascript/etc interpreting and only have to draw the simplified version of website (opera mini) or something like a screenshot of the website (skyfire) sent by the server. And since the data sent to the device is compressed, they both use much less bandwidth than conventional browsers which is important on cellular connections where you usually pay for transmitted data quantity.
On the other hand, Opera Mobile (all versions), NetFront, Pocket Internet Explorer (which really sucks) are _real_ browsers, like the one on your PC - they communicate with websites directly. But they also have to do all the processing and interpreting, not only drawing so they're noticeably slower than Opera Mini and Skyfire. Also, they usually download all website content and transferred data is uncompressed so they use up much more bandwidth.
Generally, i prefer to use Opera Mini for general web browsing, forums, etc. But for sensitive data (shopping, banking, e-mail), or when bandwidth is not a concern (on a wifi connection) i tend to stick with Opera Mobile or NetFront.
Of these two browsers, Opera 9.5 gives a bit nicer and more finger-friendly user interface. But this requires quite a lot of memory and processing power to work smoothly, so it's almost unusable on low memory devices like Wizard.
NetFront has much simpler UI, closer to one seen in pocketIE and while it doesn't look as impressive an Opera's, it works much better on slower and low memory phones. Since they're both in open beta testing stage, it's best to download and try both to see which one you like more.
mr_deimos said:
You also forgot about one VERY important thing - both Opera Mini and Skyfire use server-side processing: the phone sends all information to opera's or skyfire's server, the server downloads the page as a normal browser would, then strips it of unnecessary data, resizes pictures, compresses the page and then sends it to your device.
So everything you browse, and all the data you send, including passwords is not exchanged directly with the target website, but instead goes trough a third party server. Of course all server-device communications are encrypted, but still i don't encourage using these browsers for sensitive data like banking or shopping using your credit card information. This might be a bit paranoid, but considering how internet looks like today, paranoia is a rather healthy thing
Besides, there were already cases where browser used incorrectly made all the encryption useless: when opera (and probably skyfire too) is started for the first time, it generates a random key to encrypt data and identify your device. But when opera is cooked into ROM or made into CAB installer after this key has been generated, the server recognizes every device using this version as the same one. So if person A logs into a email account and then person B (using the same broken opera install with the same key) goes to this email website - he'll see he's already logged in as person A and can see all of his/her e-mails.
Of course this doesn't happen often (actually i know of only one such accident and the faulty opera was quickly removed from ROM) but still - better safe than sorry.
However, the advantage of these browsers is that they're really fast - all the hard work is done on the server so our devices don't need to do any html/css/javascript/etc interpreting and only have to draw the simplified version of website (opera mini) or something like a screenshot of the website (skyfire) sent by the server. And since the data sent to the device is compressed, they both use much less bandwidth than conventional browsers which is important on cellular connections where you usually pay for transmitted data quantity.
On the other hand, Opera Mobile (all versions), NetFront, Pocket Internet Explorer (which really sucks) are _real_ browsers, like the one on your PC - they communicate with websites directly. But they also have to do all the processing and interpreting, not only drawing so they're noticeably slower than Opera Mini and Skyfire. Also, they usually download all website content and transferred data is uncompressed so they use up much more bandwidth.
Generally, i prefer to use Opera Mini for general web browsing, forums, etc. But for sensitive data (shopping, banking, e-mail), or when bandwidth is not a concern (on a wifi connection) i tend to stick with Opera Mobile or NetFront.
Of these two browsers, Opera 9.5 gives a bit nicer and more finger-friendly user interface. But this requires quite a lot of memory and processing power to work smoothly, so it's almost unusable on low memory devices like Wizard.
NetFront has much simpler UI, closer to one seen in pocketIE and while it doesn't look as impressive an Opera's, it works much better on slower and low memory phones. Since they're both in open beta testing stage, it's best to download and try both to see which one you like more.
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you're right. my bad.
Incredible. Thanks for the update.
You guys @ XDA need a real THUMBS UP. Thanks for the fast answers, i hope that this will help a couple of users who we're wondering the same thing as I.
=)
That settles it. I'll try Skyfire & Opera Mini and find out wich one i like the most (since i don't use my cell phone for private use (banking & shopping) but more for browsing (forums & other).
YOU GUYS ROCKS!
This review is just based on July 2010 situation, when Opera Mini 5.0 final and BOLT 2.1 are released, UC Browser (UCWEB) version 7.2 is officially released as well. All this comparison is based on my own experience. The purpose is to introduce you the alternative choice for mobile internet surfing.
Scale used (points)
1. Feature is missing.
2. Feature exists but implementation is poor.
3. Implementation of the feature is adequate.
4. Feature is well implemented, aka it's good.
5. Implementation of the feature is excellent.
OS Supported
Bolt 2p
Opera Mini 4p
UC Browser 3p
Bolt is a Java ME based mobile browser, its rendering and processing is restricted by the Java MIDP 2, especially in Symbian and WM OS.
Except Java based version, Opera mini could support Blackberry/Windows mobile/Android.
To UC Browser, exclude the generic Java version, the dedicated Symbian/Blackberry/Windows mobile/iPhone/Android version is all available
But is it too much and complex for the user to download? Whatever, more choice is better.
Speed and traffic cost
Bolt 4p
Opera Mini 4.5p
UC Browser 5p
Bolt Opera Mini UC Browser
BBC.COM 7.8s 5s 4.5s
Traffic 700K 320Kb 251k
Opera mini and UC browser is based on proxy server-to-client architecture, the speed and traffic cost is much better than Bolt.
With the same architecture, it seems that the UC browser compressed more than Opera mini, But the high speed and less traffic UC gained is at cost of page quality loss.
Please see the rendering comparison below. At least, according to the speed and traffic volume tested , UC browser is the winner.
Bookmarks favorites
Bolt 5p
Opera Mini 4p
UC Browser 4p
Here are only assessed the simplicity and efficiency how bookmarks can be arranged on client side, not the possible synchronizations tools.
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Managing bookmarks on Bolt 2 is quite simple. Bookmarks are displayed on start page for easy access. Folders can be used, and what is best is the possibility to arrange bookmarks and folders. Therefore it is actually possible to do the same as on Opera Mini: show few "speed dials" at first and then all the rest in folders. Access is easy thanks to #0 key shortcut.
Bookmark folders are finally implemented on Opera Mini 5 as well. However, bookmarks and folders can't be arranged, but they are in alphabetical order. Access to bookmarks is under menu, so several steps (clicks or finger moves) have to be taken to use bookmarks. User can however, create nine speed dials on start page. Unfortunately only small thumb nail images are displayed for speed dials. In case you have two exactly similar speed dials for the same Web site, you can only rely on your memory to distinguish them. Using speed dials and bookmarks are made simple and easy especially for touch screen phones, but this turns into disadvantage on non-touch screen devices.
Using bookmarks on UC Browser 7.2 is somewhat similar as on Bolt 2. Bookmarks can be rearranged and organized into folders. Access to bookmarks is almost just as simple as on Bolt. The bookmark can be synchronized and backup both from/to local mobile phone and server. You could share your bookmark both by SMS and Bluetooth.
Cookie and password manager
Bolt 5p
Opera Mini 5p
UC Browser 5p
Saving passwords and using cookies is possible on Bolt 2. Keeping passwords saved is very useful since some sites just does not seem to keep login cookies saved. All private information can be cleared at once.
Opera Mini 5 gives possibility to save passwords and keep the cookies, just like Bolt 2. There's separate settings to clear passwords and cookies.
There's no password manager on UC Browser 7.2 but cookies are saved. There is a option to clear the cookies as well
Download and upload manager
Bolt 3p
Opera Mini 4p
UC Browser 5p
Downloading and uploading works somewhat fine on Bolt 2. No special or highlights in Bolt
Downloading and uploading files on Opera Mini 5 works as well. Currently there is some server issues because uploading fails sometimes, and it has to be started again.
Some People keep on claiming UC Browser has the best file manager on J2ME browsers. According to my experience this time, it is much better than the others.
Fast speed, resume broken downloads, maximum 9 concurrent download tasks, maximum 3 downloading tasks, manually default download folder setting, and etc…
All files downloaded even deleted are remembered in download manager, so once you re-download it again, the system will remind you so that you could save your time and traffic.
Select, copy and paste text
Bolt 3p
Opera Mini 4p
UC Browser 4p
Select, copy and paste text works adequately on Bolt 2. Personally I find the Bolt's "select box" cumbersome and inaccurate.
In Opera Mini 5, complete new and improved tools to select, copy and paste text were introduced. Selecting text works almost as it does on desktop browsers. You can select and copy almost anything, and paste it exactly where you like using inline mode. Only reason why I did not give full 5 points is lack of possibility to copy link URL.
I like very much is the possibility to copy link URL. This makes it possible to copy URL without need to open the page, but what is even more important is the possibility to copy URL addresses of PDF and other closed source format files. The copied content is stored in mobile clipboard rather than browser clipboard which can allow you to send the content by SMS or Bluetooth.
Settings preferences
Bolt 3p
Opera Mini 5p
UC Browser 4p
There are adequate selection of preferences on Bolt 2. Worth to mention is possibility to install fonts. Personally I find no use for it but I admit it can help making the UI more usable with proper choice of font used.
Opera Mini is full of useful settings. For some strange reason part of them are located on so called power user settings page.
There are plenty of preferences on UC Browser 7.2. Worth to mention are possibilities to change the shortcuts and choose the night theme (useful at night time).
Rendering
Bolt 4p
Opera Mini 5p
UC Browser 3.5p
Page rendering aka way how pages are displayed is very delicate issue and certainly a matter of personal tastes. All the comments here are certainly just my own opinions but when it comes to rendering, it's important to remind the reader about this.
Bolt 2 continues showing Web pages as true as possible. This approach has it's advantages. For example many pages and features that just does not work on any other J2ME browser works on Bolt, and looks just the same as on desktop browsers. For example here at MyOpera I can easily access all features of my photo albums. I can edit and sort photos etc. There's also rather interesting split screen view available on Bolt, which is useful sometimes. However, I personally like Opera Mini's zoom more.
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In case of Opera Mini 5, I must confess being just so used to the way it renders the pages. I don't care if pages are not always showed exactly as they are on PC browsers. Usability is the most important issue for me and if the Web site provides a page that looks nice and is easy to use, then I really don't care if mobile site is different than users on PC can see. Many Web sites have finally started to understand how important it is to offer all the same features for all users, no matter what device they use. It is perfectly acceptable to give different content for mobile phone users, but it just should never be something less or limited compared to desktop browsers. Opera Mini 5 shows pages as I want to see them and that's all I have to care.
Rendering on UC Browser is not so good as opera mini. But I still have to say it's adequate, because at least they tried to offer a sort of desktop view. Their default setting is page view which is more fit able for the mobile with small-sized screen. In desktop view, many pages I use just looks not so good as opera mini. But on normal mode many pages are much better.
Save page
Bolt 3p
Opera Mini 3p
UC Browser 4p
Save page works just fine on Bolt 2 and it's easy to access saved pages on start page.
Save page feature works fine also on Opera Mini 5. It's easy to save pages and open them via menu. On Opera Mini 4.2 I liked the possibility to show few of the saved pages on start page. This is no longer possible on Opera Mini 5 but the lack of this feature is a question of start page features.
Except the saved URL page as opera mini and bolt, UC Browser 7.2 has an option to save the page as txt format which could save the mobile memory and easier to extract the content you like. Then you can easily copy to your word document or send SMS to your friends. After all, the content is more important than the URL, isn’t it?
Conclusion and summary
Bolt 3.55p
Opera Mini 4.27p
UC Browser 4.22p
From the point perspective, Opera mini is the most function-Rich browser with
most users around the world, and actually it is!
But its leading position is facing the challenge from new mobile browser players such as Bolt and UC browser. Especially for UC browser, comparing with its 7.2.0 version, more function and optimization is deployed in version 7.2.2.Botl is good as well. But not good enough. As a java based mobile browser, the function they provided is enough for the java supported feature phone. But not for the smartphone with high processing ability and more memory. Bolt should consider how to satisfy these customers.
the other day i was racing with my brother in downloading on a 3.5g network .i was using spv c600 while he using sony ericsson w810.both our phones have an edge connection.the most weird thing was that i always lost. when uc browser i was getting a speed of 5kb/s while he was getting 17-30kb/s.when using opera i still lose.ive upgraded to windows mobile 6.5.so, my question is,HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?i thought windows mobile is more powerful than java based phones.is there a registry or anything to maximise internet cause this is rily strange.
Have you used the very same network? Swap SIM Cards (and setup) and repeat. There are many factors that define data throughput...
we have even tried it on 2 other networks but his is still faster
How did you measure speed? Is there a special website for measurement or did you just compare user interface (website loaded)?
we just the same files from various websites and started downloading at the same time but his downloads always finished faster than mine. i cant use websites since pocket ie is very slow in rendering pages. the funny is that when using my phone as an internet sharing device on the pc but instead download with the phone my speed increases upto 25 to 30 kb/s
For the little internet stuff I do with this device I find that Opera mini is perfect. If you want real page rendering (and still the option for "Turbo" - at least a little) then use Opera 10 for Smartphone. Googlemail has also a nice Java application - there you are on the same level anyway.
i just found out the problem .when i use the java version the speed is 5kb/s when i use the windows mobile version speed reaches upto 40kb/s .thanks for the help
Michaelbukachi said:
i just found out the problem .when i use the java version the speed is 5kb/s when i use the windows mobile version speed reaches upto 40kb/s .thanks for the help
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use UCWEB for best browsing, as reverensi read carefully and you can download it at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=503744&highlight=UCWEB
hopefully you get the best
The browsing experience depends on many options - especially on low performance devices like the Tornado:
Transport speed and data volume (from source to browser - in non-proxy mode)
CPU capacity to render the received data
Proxy performance including transport speed from origin to the proxy and from proxy to the browser.
Opera Proxy in Norway (I suspect). Not sure about UCWeb and a Proxy option.
Non-Proxy use eats a lot of data from your account (if no flatrate), takes time to load to the device and time to render the page onboard. I am not sure how the page-source servers are reacting to the exposed HTTP client string - so it may be different to proxy mode again.
So just try it out with your favourite pages and with/without proxy use. In Opera the proxy mode is called "Opera Turbo" - not sure for UCWEB, as said.
My favourite is Opera Mini (WM Generic version, not the Java version - it only has the "Turbo Mode") - it loads fast and so do the pages.
UCweb and Opera Mini has a server. So its like you are using proxy. This proxy allows to minimize the content so that it will not cost a lot.
Btw check your 3g, there is many 3g speeds
I was curios how the different browsers compare and did a 30 minute test of some Android-browsers. Some notes about the test:
I did this for my own curiousity, not scientific correctness. Just sharing here if anyone else is interested.
The test was done by loading 11 webistes on http://numion.com/Stopwatch.
Each website was tested separately, with the browsers in random order.
No ad-block was enabled, and mobile site was requested.
Dolphin browser was in the test but choked on some pages, so I excluded it from the results.
Numbers indicate load-time in seconds and 1/100.
What is your opinion, do these results match your experience?
Tested on 25.5.14 - Average load time
Boat Browser for tablet: 7,8
Opera Browser: 8,1
UC Browser HD: 8,2
Chrome: 9,3
Habit Browser: 10,1
Javelin: 10,6
Firefox: 10,7
Interesting comparison
I'm sure speed freaks will find this very interesting.
Thanks for posting this up.
Quick question though. Are there any special options that boat browser offers vs chrome (which I use exclusively) that would pull a chrome user over? Like special features besides the quicker load times.