Handheld Web Browser Shootout
Which is the Best Mobile Web Browser? Opera's DSi Web Browser is the most popular DSiWare application at the moment. You must have Wireless internet connection to claim your free digital download online at "Nintendo DSi Shop". Installing the browser for you DSi happens relatively quickly.
Once enabled, the DSI console setup configuration is automatic. In no time at all you are online viewing dynamic pages with java scripts, even SSL encryptions for secure online transactions worked adequately whilst surfing on my DSi. Surprisingly the Browser doesn’t have plug-ins for rich media, sorry but the browser can’t play YouTube or Macromedia Flash.
Frequent out of memory errors do spoil the fun on web pages rich in content. Opera’s DSi Browser does have an option to enable/disable images to reduce download time. Opera have improved their DSiWare version by making the DSi Browser faster than the Opera DS Lite web browser.
Browser Functions
- Enable/disable images
- Parental Controls - Lock down
- SDI Container (Single Document Interface)
- Nintendo DSi download speed kbps 16 kbps - 320 kbp
- Upload speed 8 kbps to Facebook
Still lacking tabbed browsing it feels kind of old because Opera runs in an SDI which restricts browsing to page open as another page closes. You can’t download and save things either. Generally surfing the Internet is slower than using your 2nd gen mobile phone. Speaking of mobile phones, many website offer a mobile version of their website, https://m.example.com to provide clutter free light weight versions of the same page specifically for mobile Internet users. Remember to look out for m dot sites. Try here to use Windows Live Messenger on your DSi https://mail.live.com/m
Finally, no shootout is complete with a verdict. The DSi has the poorest performance when it comes to web browser benchmark against other mobile games devices. The PSP 3000 gets a well dissevered 2nd place and iPhone 3G S gets the gold medal.
Minimum Requirements of the DSi Browser: Broadband connection, Wireless (WiFi) access point 802.11g/b.
FAQ: Can I transfer DSiWare games from my DSi to DSi XL?
Yes: "Deleting a DSiWare application from the Nintendo DSi Shop does not delete the license for that application; it can be downloaded again at no additional cost." Saving Nintendo DSiWare applications to an SD Card
DSiWare News, 01-03-2010: An "authentic video" in circulation showing an exciting new wave of FULL 3D DSiWare games using the video camera and Motion Detection, already available in Japan, might be on the way to the UK (fingers crossed)!