The Nintendo DS Opera Browser

Usually I like to place pictures in every entry on the blog but this time it isn't going to be quite that easy for me. The reason is because I'm using the NDSL's Opera Browser to write this entry.

I only just got the browser and have just started playing with it. I thought that this woud be a good time to test this browser out since I'm currently still working and have a little time to kill but don't have my laptop with me.

I'm currently rather liking this application and even liking it more than the Sony PSP's browser. Of course it has been months since I've gone online on the psp but even then I wasn't particularly in love with the experience.

The biggest beef I had with the psp browser isn't actually the application's fault. It's really a hardware problem. Now, I do think the psp is a good handheld, especially if you like your games to look good but surfing on the internet isn't one of it's better features. The reason is simple. The psp doesn't have touch-screen. This is the biggest reason why I really much prefer the ds when it comes to going online. The touch-screen makes typing out an entry like this a breeze especially when compared to the clunky and time consuming way of doing it on the psp. On the ds, one simply uses the stylus to tap on the screen to spell out words. It is that easy. The psp requires a combination of moving the d-pad or joy-stick and mashing on the A button to type out some thing. Correcting mistakes can be a chore on the psp as you have to move the cursor one letter at a time unlike simply using the stylus to tape at the point where the mistake was made.

There are of course a few cons. The ds opera browser is not free and certainly not cheap. The ds itself does not have enough ram for cacheing so a slot-2 ram cart is necessary to run the application. This is probably why the browser cost more than SGD60 in the shops.

The other imperfection of the browser isn't actually the browser's fault. It is really a hardware problem. The ds's screen isn't really that big and although the dual screen helps, it's still not the most ideal if one wishes to surf for an extended period of time.

Still in the end, I think that if one has the extra cash, want internet access on the go, has access to a wi-fi connection outside your home and owns a ds, this application is certainly worth the money. At the very least, it may help you keep your blog just that little bit more updated. =)

cheers