randomErr's Journal: Opera Adds Support for Mobile Browsing

By Matthew A. Peretz
Senior Editor
allNetDevices.com

Opera Software announced it now supports mobile browsing standards in a record-small 1.3MB package. Smartphone manufacturers can customize their products for resource-constrained environments with a full-featured browser that is both scaleable and modular. The support for the new standards, XHTML (WAP2/Mobile Profile) and cHTML (i-Mode), means that smartphones only need one browser, according to the company.

In May 2001, Opera was selected as the default browser in the reference design for smartphones made by Symbian, provider of an open operating system for data-enabled mobile phones. Opera was also included as the default Web browser in the new Nokia 9210i Communicator launched at CeBIT in March, and in the Nokia 9290 Communicator launched last week in the United States.

"Opera is a great tool for smartphone manufacturers and end users," says Lars Boilesen, VP Embedded Products. "Opera can support all their Web browsing needs, be it HTML, c-HTML or XHTML surfing, while keeping the browser itself down to less than 1.3 MB. As a result, smartphones can now offer up to a full Internet experience rendered beautifully on even small screens."

"Unfortunately, most Web sites do not follow the HTML standards, but instead write what we call 'Street HTML'" says Hakon Lie, CTO, Opera Software. "Thanks to the feedback over the years from the millions of desktop users, Opera can display Street HTML, as well as standards-compliant pages made especially for embedded devices."

"Opera is a great tool for smartphone manufacturers and end users," says Lars Boilesen, VP Embedded Products. "Opera can support all their Web browsing needs, be it HTML, c-HTML or XHTML surfing, while keeping the browser itself down to less than 1.3 MB. As a result, smartphones can now offer up to a full Internet experience rendered beautifully on even small screens."

"Unfortunately, most Web sites do not follow the HTML standards, but instead write what we call 'Street HTML'" says Hakon Lie, CTO, Opera Software. "Thanks to the feedback over the years from the millions of desktop users, Opera can display Street HTML, as well as standards-compliant pages made especially for embedded devices."