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JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 04:01 AM

So heres my quick review of the DS Browser and how it works:

Quick startup time. Interface is easy to use. Bookmarks and URL entering very easy. Keyboard mode is nice as well as handwriting recognition (both for Japanese and English). Two view modes make for easy viewing. DS reformats pages for single screen mode. Dual screen mode shows a scaled down version of the page on the bottom and the top screen shows an enlarged version of what you point to. You can also switch the two screens, and have the scaled version be on top while using your pointer to drag the screen on the bottom. You can also select links, buttons, and fields this way if you wish.

To speed things up there is a "No Images" option which helps load times as well as scroll times.

Some test of load times in minutes:

Slashdot: 1
Digg: 1.4
Gizmodo: 2
Kotaku:2
CNN: 3

Gmail, .Mac, and Yahoo mail work fine on it. Was not able to use AIM Express or Meebo.com for IMing because both don't support the opera browser. Browsing the MacNN forums works fine....

For some video goodness of how it works....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR2yfhBSvR0

Enjoy!

JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 04:06 AM

First ManNN Nintendo DS Browser post! Feel the love!

Judge_Fire · Jul 24, 2006, 04:21 AM

Minutes?

JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 06:09 AM

Originally Posted by Judge_Fire

Minutes?

Oddly that was the first post in the other forum I posted this review in as well.

Its useable. Beats having a laptop with you all the time. Good for the road.

Obi Wan's Ghost · Jul 24, 2006, 06:52 AM

People were posting here with PSP over a year ago and it didn't take minutes for webpages to load.

I really like the webpage navigation on one of the DS's screens. It's like the Navigation panel in Photoshop

JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 07:21 AM

Its really nice, honestly, but the slowness at which pages come up does make me hate it.

Maybe it will be eBayed very soon.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 24, 2006, 08:22 AM

Arent the load times dependant on the connection speed ? if it's just the Opera browser on the DS thats running that slow, its a bit of a disappointment, dont you reckon ?

JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 09:58 AM

Lets see... CNN's webpage on my Mac from the time I hit "return".... 3 seconds.

CNN on the DS..... 3 minutes.

Clearly not my fiber optic internet connection.

Millennium · Jul 24, 2006, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ

First ManNN Nintendo DS Browser post! Feel the love!

Um... err... it looks like the handwriting recognition still needs a little work.

JoshuaZ · Jul 24, 2006, 10:16 AM

damn... I was using the keyboard setting.

For a higher quality video, its on my webpage.

http://www.joshuazimmerman.com/vidbl...wser_test.html

Landos Mustache · Jul 24, 2006, 10:52 AM

My lord that is awkward.

Landos Mustache · Jul 24, 2006, 12:05 PM

HOLY ****! I thought those times were in seconds!?!!!

MINUTES?!!!!! 3 min to load CNN? Does it count as news anymore?

starman · Jul 24, 2006, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

HOLY ****! I thought those times were in seconds!?!!!

MINUTES?!!!!! 3 min to load CNN? Does it count as news anymore?

Landos Mustache · Jul 24, 2006, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Obi Wan's Ghost

People were posting here with PSP over a year ago and it didn't take minutes for webpages to load.

No kidding. Something like CNN just takes under 10 seconds.

willed · Jul 24, 2006, 03:59 PM

Why is it so slow? Is it because of the connection speed? What connection does it use - GPRS? My mobile phone is about that speed, but I thought the DS had Wi-Fi.

Landos Mustache · Jul 24, 2006, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by willed

Why is it so slow? Is it because of the connection speed? What connection does it use - GPRS? My mobile phone is about that speed, but I thought the DS had Wi-Fi.

It is not the connection, it uses Wifi. It is the **** software on a processor that was never meant to do what it is doing.

willed · Jul 24, 2006, 04:26 PM

Whoa. That's not cool. Will be giving that one a miss then.

- - e r i k - - · Jul 24, 2006, 11:16 PM

Minutes? Gah! My phone uses the Opera software and pages load in seconds! Are you saying my DS has a worse processor than my SE-K750i phone?

ink · 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by Obi Wan's Ghost

People were posting here with PSP over a year ago and it didn't take minutes for webpages to load.

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=237551&page=18

EDIT: Also, with devhook, PSP 1.5/1.0 firmware folks can use the 2.6 web browser without upgrading the actual firmware (and a fully functional C-64 emulator just hit the scenes).

Stratus Fear · Jul 24, 2006, 11:59 PM

That's a shame that it seems to take that long to load stuff. I do remember it was noted with Mario Kart that the system had incompatibilities with certain wireless routers. Sure you're not using one that has issues with the DS? If someone posts a better experience I might consider buying it. That said, if everybody else has the same experience, I'm going to be disappointed. I was looking forward to this, but there's no way I'll get it with some glaring issues out there.

JoshuaZ · Jul 25, 2006, 12:15 AM

I`m using an airport express, which works fine for mario kart. Google loads up in a second, other pages take a long ass time to display.

baw · Jul 25, 2006, 12:18 AM

What if the browser needs an update? Do you have to buy a new game cart with the updated version?

Stratus Fear · Jul 25, 2006, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ

I`m using an airport express, which works fine for mario kart. Google loads up in a second, other pages take a long ass time to display.

Oh well.

I was hopeful. Maybe in the future they'll release a version that sucks less.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 25, 2006, 06:30 AM

Thats unacceptable in my opinion. waiting 3 minutes for websites to load is so 90s

..... im glad i didnt HAVE to pay for this feature cause i probably woudnt have used it anyway. Luckily the DS does what it was meant to really well, and thats all i want from it

But yeah....despite the touch screen, im not keen on browsing the web on such small screens.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 25, 2006, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by baw

What if the browser needs an update? Do you have to buy a new game cart with the updated version?

i sure as hell wouldnt want to download updates at that speed

JoshuaZ · Jul 25, 2006, 07:00 AM

I posted another video, in case you needed yet more reasons not to buy this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-4JfCWnf-I

Adam Betts · Jul 25, 2006, 10:00 AM

Honestly I highly doubt it's 3 min. You probably got some setup wrong (firewall, etc.)

JoshuaZ · Jul 25, 2006, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

Honestly I highly doubt it's 3 min. You probably got some setup wrong (firewall, etc.)

I tried it at a local internet cafe. Same time. Watch the second video and watch how long youtube takes to come up. Over one minute. Google pops up in 2 seconds. The DS has issues rendering. Major issues. Its poor little processor can't handle it. Poor little bugger.

Landos Mustache · Jul 25, 2006, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a

Thats unacceptable in my opinion. waiting 3 minutes for websites to load is so 90s

Dude even in the 90's no website took 3 min to load. At most 20 seconds.

JoshuaZ · Jul 26, 2006, 02:07 AM

I tried it on several wireless routers and connections, same result. Plus no IM access at all. Oh well. To eBay with it!

Now to get my hands on a copy of that DS Cookbook that just came out in Japan.

Hawkeye_a · Jul 26, 2006, 02:15 AM

It would be pretty darn cool if these cookin games included actual recipes for different cuisines. let us know how u go with it.

Cheers

sideus · Jul 17, 2007, 10:33 AM

Zombie thread revival.

US version released last month. But no one cares since it is pretty much useless.

Dakarʒ · Jul 17, 2007, 10:40 AM

This thread needs to be moved!!!!111

Cold Warrior · Jul 17, 2007, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by sideus

no one cares

You said it.

NobleMatt · Jul 17, 2007, 11:16 AM

wow those loading times are useless, i made this mistake of thinking seconds too.

matt