[Non-Touchscreen Windows Mobile Other] Menneisyys:
5. Additional tips - Tables with inner tables

With tables containing inner tables like the one HERE and HERE - as opposed to charts without inner tables like the one HERE), OM4b3 will, at first, provide a map view without any horizontal scrolling. An example screenshot is HERE, as opposed to the way it renders tables without inner ones (see THIS for an example of the latter). With the latter type of tables, it’s not possible to zoom out to minimap view.

6. Some problems you need to be aware of

6.1 No “Fullscreen mode” shown in Options on Windows Mobile

Under all the major (Esmertec’s products, IBM J9, TAO; note that I do NOT recommend Aplix’ Jblend for Web browsing because of the very strict security model continuously prompting the users for authorization) Windows Mobile MIDlet managers, the “Fullscreen mode” is completely missing in the Settings menu (IBM J9 screenshot). This is visible on the Nokia N95 (screenshot HERE) – even using exactly the same high-quality version of OM. The latter means it’s in runtime that OM decides whether to display this checkbox or not. It seems upon realizing it’s running under Windows Mobile (as opposed to the Symbian case), it just hides the checkbox.

Note that this isn’t that big an issue. If you don’t have hardware numeric keys, Ctl + * and Ctl + * works in all the three on the SIP. With hardware keys, it’s even easier: for example, with the built-in keyboard of the Universal, a simple Fn + 8 will make it work. Also see the MIDlet Bible for more info on these questions.

6.2 Gmail problems on Windows Mobile

As is also reported HERE, under Windows Mobile, if you add the main Gmail homepage (NOT Inbox – that is, after logging in!) as a favorite, upon subsequent browsing attempts, the page won’t be shown as can be seen in this TAO Intent .1036 and this Jbed 2.2 screenshot.

Strangely, it does work under Symbian (tested on Nokia N95).

A quick and always-working hack is NOT putting the Gmail homepage directly in Favorites, but your Inbox (after you've logged in). Then, if you need to switch to another account, you can just sign out (link in the top right corner); then, the log-in (main) page will be displayed OK.

6.3 Still no non-Western fonts in smallest charsize

In order to keep the size of the JAR file down, the developers of Opera Mini have chosen NOT to include any non-Western character in their custom, (in most MIDlet manager) edge-smoothed Small font set. Only a rectangle will be displayed upon encountering characters like this. This is pretty much similar to how Thunderhawk, the famous (IMHO, Opera Mini is far more recommended), albeit, for long not updated Windows Mobile Web browser did: it also uses a custom fontset and it also refuses to render anything non-Western.

This means you MUST use at least the Medium font size on your handset (because it uses the native charset of the device and not that of Opera Mini), should you want to read pages using the non-Western alphabet. This is a problem on Symbian devices (tested on the Nokia N95) because of the HUGE charsize of even the “Medium” fonts. Just compare THIS (small) and THIS (medium) screenshots. The latter indeed uses HUGE fonts, and the additional smoothing (not available under Windows Mobile) doesn’t really help this.

Windows Mobile devices fare far better in this respect (example screenshot HERE of a QVGA MS Smartphone running OM4b3 under Jbed. BTW, as can also be seen, no “Full screen” checkbox is visible here, either.)

6.4 Other user-reported problems (I haven’t encountered them)

Some people reported (see THIS) Mobile view (fit-to-screen; renamed from “Fit to width”) doesn’t work as good as under the OM 3.x series. In my practice, I prefer reading pages in non-Mobile view (because, as with Nokia’s browser on S60 3rd devices, Opera Mini does a GREAT job of showing the actual text without the need for horizontal scrolling); therefore, I can’t really comment on this bug.

Opera Mini 4 beta sometimes uses wrong form in webpage

7. Recommended links

The MIDlet Bible (Cross-posts: PPCT, AximSite, XDA-Developers - 1, XDA-Developers - 2, XDA-Developers - 3, FirstLoox, BrightHand, HowardForums, SPT, MoDaCo, PocketGamer.org, PocketGaming.de)

Beta 2 review

MS Smartphone Web Browsing Bible

Pocket PC Web Browsing Bible