Opera Mobile 9.5 might have you browse on Windows Mobile again

Opera 9.5 got the official press release treatment this morning, touting a faster experience and new features. As I do with most press releases, I started snoozing about halfway through it. Lucky for you and me, the Opera folks included a video to show off the features I did (and didn't) read about.

After watching the video, I came away with the "Oh, it's another Safari on iPhone imitator" thought. Then, I stepped back and had a "So what?" follow up thought. Hmm... the browser loads and renders fast, lets you zoom in precisely on content rather than on location, has a simple way to access menu options and more. Here's the kicker: it does all of this on the Windows Mobile platform, among many others. If Opera wants to pattern their browser on what Apple created, I again say "So what?" At the moment, Opera 9.5 looks like it might actually get people to surf on their WinMo devices again. I remember those days... give the video a look and see what you think. We can debate the merits of original ideas later; instead, consider this as a Windows Mobile device owner.

Opera 9.5 will get a first look at next week's Mobile World Congress 2008.

(via MoDaCo)

Comments

[Jordan Running]

At this moment everyone has to take their cues from Apple in order to appear compelling in the mobile browser market, because Apple was the first to demonstrate that browsing on a handheld doesn't have to be a degraded (or degrading) experience. Apple set the benchmark and until someone else matches it (which I think will be soon), every new mobile browser will be compared to it. If it hadn't been Apple it would have been another company (maybe Opera, maybe not).

I'm really excited about Opera Mobile 9.5, but pretty annoyed at having to wait--I just got my first WinMo device a month ago and my free trial of Opera Mobile 8.x just ran out. I really don't want to buy a license if I'll just have to do it again in order to get 9.5.

[vm-01]

If you don't want to wait I suggest giving opera mini a try.

I have no doubt that the next version of mobile is going to be better but I prefer mini until 9.5 comes out.

[Jordan Running]

vm-01: I've been using Opera Mini since my Mobile trial ran out, and it's not a bad browser, but it feels every bit like a browser that's designed to run on little phones with little screens--which, of course, it is. That combined with its lack of integration with Windows Mobile make the overall experience pretty unsatisfying.

[Aaron J. Walker]

As a Windows Mobile user, I already know Internet Explorer is slow and clunky on Windows Mobile, they really didn't have to devote that much time at the beginning to bashing it.

And I am not all that "taken" with Opera mini that came as the default browser on my Motorola Q9 either.

But I'm probably a strange bird, I have a data plan to be able to access e-mail but just about always (99.8%) wait to access the web from a real computer. The new slate of Mobile browser wars (which only started because of the iPhone) doesn't get me all that excited yet. But it is good that everyone is trying to innovate again.

[Sierra Modro]

Well, I'm excited. Pocket Internet Explorer is an unsatisfying tease when it comes to mobile browsing, so I'm hopeful that Opera Mobile will help.
The iPhone won't work for me, at least not yet. I can't seem to get reliable typing on the "keyboard" on it, and I compose far too many emails while mobile to give that up. And the UMTS for traveling to Japan...

[kevinsneel]

Kevin says "So What?" to copying from Apple. A la Jordan, I say "Thank you for copying Apple!" iPhone browser works. Stupid not to copy it, unless you have something better...

After all, aren't our Macs and Windows and KDE and GNU Desktop all stolen from Xerox anyway :)?

[flehhp]

"Apple was the first to demonstrate that browsing on a handheld doesn't have to be a degraded (or degrading) experience.

This is nonsense.

Both Opera and Nokia did the zooming and panning thing a long time before the iPhone was announced.