Opera Mini fans

Update October 11, 2009: On this review I decided to evaluate J2ME browsers based on their main features. First I planned to evaluate each feature on three point scale (0-2 points) but then I realized its not fair enough. Much better is to use five point scale (1-5), which is quite commonly used. So, here's the scale I used on this evaluation:

• Excellent 5 points
  
• Good 4 points
  
• Adequate 3 points
  
• Poor 2 points
  
• Missing 1 point
  

BOLT 1.5

Bookmarks/favorites are well implemented on BOLt 1.5. I like the simplicity of folders and possibility to grab and move the favorites up and down. 5 points

Closed format preview for pdf/doc/etc is totally missing. Here I just have to put the browsers against the standards set by UCWEB 6.3. I really wish all J2ME browsers could offer pdf/doc/ppt/etc to html conversion on their proxy servers, but I do understand there can be a lot of copy right issues to solve before it's possible. 2 points

Cookie/password manager is fair enough. Cookies are saved into phone's memory and they can be deleted in settings. However, Opera Mini 5 beta has already set a new standard, and therefore an excellent performance can be achieved if browser also offers aa possibility store passwords in phone's memory. 4 points

Download/upload seems to work just alright on BOLT. There's no much more to say about it, although I haven't tested it very much yet. I may update this if/when I find more time to test this. 5 points

Find in page works just fine and is easy to use because of shortcut (click key 7 on keypad). 5 points

In-line editing works just fine. BOLT has done good job in here, especially you can quickly switch to phone's editor by simple clicking * key on keypad for shortcut. This is important especially on languages having special characters like umlauts. 4 points

Nationalization is currently missing on BOLT, although they do promise to release BOLT in other languages as well in future. 1 point

Phone number recognition implemented but no possibility to adjust the length or format of phone numbers picked on Web pages. I really love to have this feature on J2ME browsers because it makes it so easy to make calls. 4 points

Possibility to add searches on start page seems to be completely missing on BOLT 1.5 or I just couldn't find the feature. Of course one can add bookmarks for search engines on favorites, but I'm so used to Opera Mini 4.2, where it's rather easy to add and use favorite searches. 1 point

Render technique is well done on BOLT, but once again I can't help myself from comparing it to Opera Mini. Although BOLT displays number of Web sites more true to desktop view than Opera Mini does, I often find myself missing the possibility to switch into mobile friendly view on all sites. There is something called as 'Mobile/Desktop Layout' switch also on BOLT preferences but it works differently than on Opera Mini. When desktop view selected, BOLT "fools" Web sites to recognize BOLT as true desktop browser. This is good option to have on Web sites that force mobile browsers to see very limited mobile content only. Moreover, there's an exceptional possibility to choose the enlargement of zoom. 4 points

RTSP video support is there but I personally dislike the idea to display video streams embedded into Web pages. Maybe watching videos is faster that way, but on small screen it's just unpleasant experience. EDIT: I was asked to reassess my opinion on this. After few tests I noticed BOLT 1.5 is actually capable to open more of different types of video formats than other J2ME browsers. Moreover, videos opened at Youtube site actually opened into built-in browser. 4 points

Save page is must to have feature on J2ME browsers because it makes browsing even faster. It's good to have a few off-line pages, which can be opened quickly without waiting them to load. Someone may claim that you can as well save plenty of bookmarks or favorites, but I'm used to have personal on-line portal pages available where ever I use any PC or browser. Then it's just brilliant to have a chance to save them as off-line as well. 5 points

Select, copy and paste text works but select text is really inaccurate to use. Drawing some sort of "select box" is cumbersome to me. 3 points

Server backup seems to be missing on BOLT, or I couldn't just find it. 1 point

Settings/Preferences are rather modest on BOLT, unless there are some hidden about page like on Opera Mini, which I have just not found yet. 3 points

Start page is awesome! It's just simple to use and modify. 5 points

Tabs/Windows are not available on BOLT. 1 point

Average for BOLT 1.5: 3.4 points

Opera Mini 4.2

Bookmarks/Favorites work just alright on Opera Mini 4.2, but there's no option to use folders on bookmarks. 4 points

Closed format preview to open pdf/doc and other fies is missing. Only txt files can be opened. 2 points

Cookie/password manager fair enough. Cookies locally stored and can be deleted, but no password manager. 4 points

Download/upload works. All kinds of files can be downloaded, uploaded and attached into emails just alright. 5 points

Find in page is well implemented and easy to use. 5 points

In-line editing possible only on url field. I like the possibility to open the url also in phone's editor. It makes it easy to copy url and use it elsewhere on the phone, in case it's needed. 2 points

Nationalization deserves special thanks on Opera Mini. Opera products and services are available in many different languages and translations are well done. 5 points

Phone number recognition is highly usable and the length of phone number recognized can be changed on advanced about:opera settings. 5 points

Possibility to add searches is easy, just as is to use them. Almost any search field seen on Web sites can saved from menu opened on phone's editor. Then saved favorite searches can be opened directly from start page or via #9 shortcut. 5 points

Render technique is excellent on Opera Mini, or that's what it is for my taste. Opera Mini offers chance to quickly switch between 'Desktop/Mobile View', and here 'mobile view' means specially rendered one column content on almost any Web site. In this, I personally like Opera Mini 4.2, because it honestly introduces itself as mobile browser only. The point here is to "force" users to demand better mobile contents from Web sites they use. Something like year ago number of Web sites started to push very limited content for users of mobile browsers. Opera mini users started to demanded that there should be an option to make Opera Mini present itself as full desktop browser. However, Opera Mini team decided to stand behind their principles by saying that people should direct their complaints to Web site designers and service providers. People should demand well designed and mobile friendly Web sites instead. Nowadays this principle seems to start paying off. Number of Web sites have started to offer quite nicely done mobile content or they give an option to switch to full content pages. 5 points

RTSP video support started to work since version 4.2, and it works just fine. Videos are opened into built-in browser & video player, and once watcing is finished, user gets back to Opera Mini. I like this, because it's nice to watch videos using full display. 3 points

Save page feature works fine and is easy to use. 5 points

Select copy and paste text missing almost completely. Only contents opened on forms can copied but no way to select and copy text on pages. 2 points

Server backup is what makes Opera Mini 4.2 as unique. Opera Link is a brilliant idea to synchronize bookmark, feeds, notices between Opera Mini and desktop Opera, Morevoer, Opera Link can be accessed also on any other browser. UCWEB has also started to offer something similar, but currently their service is available only in Chinese. 5 points

Settings/Preferences are well covered but for some srange reason part of them are hidden behind local about:opera address. 4 points

Start page on Opera Mini 4.2 is almost perfect. Saved pages section would have been better above page history, but otherwise the start page is functional and easy to use. I like the idea to have just few speed dials on start page, and then the rest of the bookmarks elsewhere, but this is of course a matter of taste. 4 points.

Tabs/Windows missing. 1 point

Average for Opera Mini 4.2: 3.9 points

UCWEB 6.3

Bookmarks/Favorites are easy to save and access on UCWEB 6.3, and there's an option to use folders as well. 5 points

Closed format preview makes UCWEB 6.3 as unique, and I really wish to see this available also on any J2ME browser. It just makes things so much easier when you can preview almost any type of documents on your J2ME prowser. There are a lot of contents available in pdf, word doc, or in some other format, that can be useful especially for mobile users. Some train and buss companies offer timetables only in pdf, or user would like to read Powerpoint or Open Office presentations on her/his way to conference. 5 points

Cookie/password manager seems to be implemented just alright. Cookies saved and can be cleared, but no password manager. 4 points

Download/upload supposedly works just fine. I haven't actually tried to upload anything, but the upload feature seems to be there. 4 points

Find in page feature is not what I expect. Words only on links can be searched and theres no option to 'find next'. Instead you have to open 'Menu>Find' again and again. 2 points

In-line editing missing? 1 points

Nationalization fare enough since user interface is available at least in two languages, Chinese and English. 2 points

Phone number recognition available but no settings for it. 4 points

Possibility to add searches missing. 1 point

Render technique is awful on UCWEB 6.3. No desktop view available and the layout is simple not user friendly. For example reading forum posts is painful because colors and separators on original layout are missing. It's very difficult to distinguish separate posts because of this. 2 points.

RTSP video support works alright, just as it does on Opera Mini. 3 points

Save page missing? 1 points

Select copy and paste text available for links on pages, current screen or whole page. I like the context menu options to copy the link text or url. Moreover, it's excellent that all copied contents are stored into clipboard. Although there's no similar selection tool as on BOLT 1.5, the clipboard and copy link features make UCWEB 6.3 pretty handy. 4 points.

Server backup is available only in Chinese. I didn't try to use it so, I'm rally not sure how it works. 3 points

Settings/Preferences are there alright, but I could not find any help or manual explaining all those settings available on UCWB 6.3. 3 points

Start page I just did not like at all. Why there has to be all those preselected bookmarks, which can not be removed or edited? There's some odd tab like toolbar for switching between "mains" and bookmarks, but why not an option to have some other tabs as well? 3 points

Tabs/Windows is actually very useful feature also on J2ME browsers, just as it is on desktop rowsers. Previously I thought it's not a big deal, but once I had a chance to use it on UCWEB and on Opera Mini 5 beta, I immediately fell in love into tabbed browsing feature. Combined with well working select/copy/past feature, this offers much more convenient way to add quotes, links and URLs into blog posts and on forum replies. 4 points

Average for UCWEB 6.3: 3.0 points

Conclusion

It looks like Opera Mini 4.2 is still the best available J2ME browser. Five points given for nationalization is of course a matter of taste, but especially in Europe it's important to get UI in your own language. That's where Opera Mini really shines. Moreover, Render technique is also very important because of overall usability. A nice desktop view is really not the best option on number of Web pages. For example forum posts are much more convenient to read using Opera Mini's mobile view than than it is on desktop view. One may think UCWEB would be good then, but render technique used on UCWEB is just so padly implemented that it's really a pain to read pages like Web forums.