[Non-Touchscreen Windows Mobile Other] Menneisyys:
1.6 Keyboard shortcuts

I’ve compiled a chart of the three SP Web browsers showing how a given functionality can be accessed. As can be seen, in general, Opera Mini requires the least button presses to do something (assuming IEM and Opera Mobile run in full-screen mode, which also means double initial softkey presses instead of just a single one to access something in menus only – that is, not having a direct dialpad shortcut).

Keep in mind that, if you extensively use the dialpad (for example, to directly enter the number of the menu item you’d like to activate – these numbers are shown in all menus and I also reproduce them here), you can navigate MUCH faster than using the D-pad to scroll up/down a menu.

You can find the chart here - make sure you check it out, you’ll find it REALLY useful!

2. Non-working or not recommended browsers

2.1 Thunderhawk 2.0

Unfortunately, this browser wasn’t updated for WM5. This means neither the SP2003 (1 2) nor the SP2002 version (these are the two versions available for download) can be installed on WM5/WM6 SP models. All in all, forget about it for the time being.

2.2 NetFront 3.4 Technical Preview 008

NetFront is a well-known browser, which, as of the Technical Preview (TP) versions of the forthcoming, 3.4 version, also received (still a bit flaky) Smartphone support. (No, don’t expect version 3.3, the currently avaailable non-preview, commercial version to run on the Smartphone – it can’t be installed).

(a 176*220 screenshot; the same device scrolling through a stock exchange list in Normal (desktop) display (rendering) mode)

(Note that most of these are all non-full screen screenshots. I used them to prove the screenshots have indeed been taken on a Smartphone. In reality, especially on 176*220 devices, you will want to stick to full screen mode to maximize the screen estate available for browsing).

Note that, currently, the last TP version is 008. You will, however, want to prefer the earlier, 007 version (see review HERE) accessible for example HERE because version 008 is far more restrictive and the two versions have the same expiration date.

The main difference between the PPC and the SP version is that you can’t navigate to the address bar of the latter using any keys (or any menu). This means you must use a cursor emulator like SPHelper to click the address bar; that is, to transfer the focus there.

It’s very important that, after you load the program, it’s only the command bar (the two softkeys) that will change, nothing else, as can be seen in HERE. To bring up the standard Netfront GUI (with the address bar), you will need to navigate to Menu / View / Full Screen. It’s then that you will be presented the standard NF GUI and start working / browsing via, say, going to Menu / File / Bookmark (or Operation / 6 Bookmark) or, with SPHelper (or any other cursor emulator), activating the address bar.

Note that while you can’t navigate to the tabs (if you do open more than one tabs) using the D-pad, you can easily access them via Menu / 1 Window for both switching to and closing.

Unfortunately, the restrictions of the PPC version also apply here; most importantly, the inability to redefine keys / buttons to quickly access any kind of functionality. This is especially annoying with the Smartphone version, where you have tons of easily accessible buttons, which are heavily used by all major, highly-recommended Web browsers (Opera Mobile, IEM (particularly after hacking the Registry) and Opera Mini but not jB5 as yet). In here, you can’t even use page scroll using the touchpad. In addition, not even the Smartphone “back” button works (which does work in both Opera Mobile and IEM) to quickly return to the previous page.

Interestingly, while there certainly is Flash support on the Smartphone (example screenshot HERE), YouTube, as opposed to the PPC version, doesn’t work. Remember that you need to activate Flash manually and also remember that it will chew through your battery if you navigate to any Flash-enabled web page – yes, it’s still very weak, battery usage-wise. The Access folks should immediately look into this problem.

All in all, while it’s certainly usable, it’s, on the Smartphone platform, not as convenient (and battery-friendly, for example, Flash-wise) as Opera Mobile or IEM. Only use it if you REALLY want to stick to NetFront and you can put up with the restrictions (not directly accessible address bar, sub-par Flash support etc).