Opera Software has made available Opera Mobile 9.7 beta for free down loading. Opera is an established name in browsers for mobiles. While its other offering Opera Mini is suited for mobiles that run on Java apps, Opera Mobile 9.7 beta is for Windows Mobiles and Symbian phones. Opera Mobile 9.7 has competition snapping at its heels from Skyfire 1.0 which is being distributed for free. But any dat the Opera Mobile 9.7 beta is more fun than the drab IE Mobile Browser.
While Skyfire 1.0 supports Flash and AJAX, Opera Mobile 9.7 supports OpenGL ES “Embedded Systems” which is a royalty free, cross platform API for full function 2D and 3D graphics on embedded systems and is a powerful low level interface between software and graphics acceleration. OpenGL ES specifications are portably binding to native windowing systems and offers acceleration, image quality and performance.
Some of the features that have made the Opera Mini are also found on the Opera Mobile 9.7 beta like server side compression that reduces band width consumption by 80%. Opera Mobile 9.7 beta also supports Google Gears based apps including its own widgets.
The home page of the Opera Mobile 9.7 beta has only the Google Search on top with some links in the middle and is a full view with out any other bars. When the home page is clicked or tapped the address bar appears at the top and at the bottom the bar containing icons “back”, “favorite”, “tab”, “home” and “Menu” shows up. The browser is tab supporting which can be opened by clicking on “tab” and then selecting the “new Tab”. Another way is to hold the stylus to a link on which a menu appears through which the link can be opened in a new tab or the address can be “copied” or “shared”. The down loading experience is a complete one in Opera Mobile 9.7 beta where the down loads can be saved and run immediately after being saved in a folder. Book marks are also simple and easy to manage.
Privacy is a fast catching up and important issue on all browsers these days and in the Opera Mobile 9.7 beta you can “delete” your browsing history, also cookies and cache can be cleared. The Java Script and plug ins can also be disabled.
If your screen is touch responsive then an on screen key board becomes visible when the “address bar” is clicked. Pages can be flicked for scrolling. Auto fill exists for URLs. Alternatively, scrolling can be carried out by using the control pad or stylus or a joy stick.
Lack of support for flash means support for YouTube is lacking and that is a sore point.
You can down load the Opera Mobile 9.7 beta from
