[Windows Mobile Development and Hacking General] MSGUY:
my review = Skyfire vs Opera 9.5 beta 1126 vs Netfront 3.5 beta

I have skyfire, opera 9.5 beta-build 1126, and just downloaded this new netfront browser. This is my review of all three from a practical use for the average Joe.

Viewing with the "tap to zoom in" feature = new netfront beta 3.5 wins

When using skyfire tap to zoom,,,once you tap the screen,,a "circular" loading diagram loads on the screen,,,interrupting and making u wait while the screen zooms in. I have found this to suck,,,especially after using my iphones safari,,,and see how it just zooms right away smoothly. Sure if it did it once in a while, i guess it would be tolerable....but when using skyfire,,,it happens everytime I try to zoom in. you have to wait,,,,the stupid "circular" loading thing comes on your screen...then it's zoomed in. it isn't rendered in one smooth move,,,,which sucks. This netfront browser doesn't have this issue. it zooms in smoothly,,,just like the safari iphone browser. I also use the opera beta,,,,I find the zoom function jumpy. If i barely tap the screen it zooms,,then when i don't want it to,,and i am trying to move the screen up,,,it zooms instead,,,uhhh. So the opera has issues on stability,,even at build 1126. My final grade is = netfront wins against skyfire and opera 9.5 beta.

Words/text being made to "fit to screen" when reading any reading articles = new netfront beta 3.5 wins again.

Again,,,,if you ever used safari,,,,the reading text is made to fit to screen to allow you to easily read any articles. The skyfire browser will NOT do this,,,,it sucks having to manually move the webpage from left to right,,,just to read a freakin one paragraph article. so skyfire sucks on this. Opera's beta has this

"fit to screen" feature,,,,but again,,,,its "jumpy",,,if you tap the screen the wrong way it won't do the fit to screen,,but zoom. then it isnt consistent,,,sometime when u tap the screen the article doesn't fit to screen. then when you tap to have it fit,,,,it zooms or unzooms,,,again,,,its really jumpy. so opera beta 9.5 loses in my book. I tried this netfront,,,and man,,,it "fits to screen" great,,,CONSISTENTLY,,,and not JUMPY....makes reading all articles a breeze....just like safari.

My final grade is = netfront wins against skyfire and opera 9.5 beta, when it comes to reading web pages.

Playing Flash content in any browser window: Skyfire wins

I end up using skyfire for only media type viewing. for video viewing only. otherwise i will use netfront. skyfire is good for watching the media on a website,,,,but not good for the other stuff i listed above. Netfront 3.5 beta does NOT play flash, and Opera 9.5 beta,,,does NOT play flash also. So skyfire wins here. But I wouldn't use it for everyday reading and viewing of websites,,,,at least till they incorporate the above issues into the next release of skyfire. (if they incorporate them at all,,just wishing they would) My final grade is = skyfire wins against netfront beta 3.5 and opera 9.5 beta.

CONCLUSION:

Up until today,,,I WAS switching in between Opera 9.5 beta build 1126,,,and Opera 8.65 for daily web browsing. I also used Skyfire for the Media stuff. But this was till i tried this new netfront 3.5 beta. And Man.... Netfronts got an one awesome browser here....lol. I'm still scratching my head how they flew in under the radar and delivered this awesome browser. So until the browser landscape changes,,,,,netfront has won me over.......... I will now use Netfront!!!!!! (beta 3.5) I still plan on using skyfire for video needs though.

hope this helps anyone out.....

weigh in on your thoughts......

TO WATCH VIDEO: CLICK YOUTUBE LINK BELOW

LINK = YouTube - NetFront Browser v3.5 for Windows Mobile Concept Version