Nintendo DS Opera?

June 18, 2007 7:04 PM

Does anyone have a Nintendo DS Opera webrowser thing?

I've seen some reviews and they mention that it is a little slow when loading pages and doesn't have Flash. I am wondering if it's worth buying in spite of these things?

posted by 517 to computers & internet (14 comments total)

I do. It is a bit slower than you are used to - and yes there is no Flash. Handy though if you are walking around and find a hot spot and want to mess around. Or find directions. The Japanese version has some nifty typing functions - not sure about any pure English ones.
posted by gomichild at 7:17 PM on June 18, 2007

You don't say what you intend to use it for (when and what web sites) but in my opinion from my experience with the Japanese version, it is only with it if:

1) You don't own a laptop and can't get any web sites on your cell phone.

and

2) Are often in places where there are open wi-fi networks.

and

3) If $35 fell out of your wallet you wouldn't care.

Otherwise it's pretty gimmicky. It's very slow and many sites just don't display well on it.
posted by Ookseer at 7:33 PM on June 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have the US version. Indeed, no Flash. No java or javascript, either. Yes, it is very slow. The display is, obviously, limited. It's a fun toy - but only a toy, and not really suitable for anything other than the most occasional browsing. Note also that the DS won't do WPA, only WEP or vanilla wireless.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:39 PM on June 18, 2007

You don't say what you intend to use it for...

How would it handle a page like metafilter or gmail?
posted by 517 at 7:40 PM on June 18, 2007

Beware, btw, there are some pirate and homebrew things floating around claiming to be web browsers for your NDS when, in fact, they just brick the thing.
posted by Nelson at 7:42 PM on June 18, 2007

How would it handle a page like metafilter or gmail?

GMail works, it's just missing all those nice javascripty features. (Google-authored applications in general degrade gracefully. Google Maps works, for instance.)

Metafilter works just fine, as far as I can tell.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:50 PM on June 18, 2007

confirming, metafilter works. poste d from ds browser. really.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:58 PM on June 18, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have the Japanese version. For me, the novelty factor wore off pretty fast. Even if Metafilter works, a text-heavy site at 256x192 is probably not something you want to do on a regular basis.
posted by Gary at 7:59 PM on June 18, 2007

Thanks for those reviews, I was also tempted to plunk $35 down for this but had lingering doubts.
posted by furtive at 8:37 PM on June 18, 2007

The week of June 24, all DS games are buy 2 get 1 free at Toys R Us. So that would be one way to reduce the cost. Also, be aware that only the DS Lite version is available in stores; the DS Phat version you have to order from Nintendo. The browser itself is the same and on the same DS cart, but it comes with a memory expansion cart that goes in the GBA slot, and because of the different Lite/Phat geometries, the Lite cart doesn't fit in the Phat case, although the Phat does fit in the Lite. And, again, only the Lite is available at retail.
posted by blueshammer at 9:57 PM on June 18, 2007

I would compare it to browsing actual websites on your phone. (not the made for mobile stuff, actual pages like this one).

It might be useful but for extended periods, not so great.
posted by richter_x at 11:55 PM on June 18, 2007

I'm going to go against the grain and say I own one, but haven't found it that slow at all. It's slower than your home broadband connection would be, sure, but not to the point where you'd just give up on the whole experience out of sheer frustration. All in all, I find it is very usable.

I would recommend you get one, especially if you do a lot of traveling. It came in especially handy for me back in May when I travelled to see my in-laws who live out in the middle of nowhere but where the local McDonalds had a Nintendo DS Hotspot. After nearly a week without access to the net, this brief connection via my DS saved my sanity.
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:12 AM on June 19, 2007

I have it, and I like it. The secret is to turn off images (an option at the bottom of the screen) and go to the "mobile" version of regular sites. When you do that, I get pretty zippy performance out of it.
posted by 2bucksplus at 6:16 AM on June 19, 2007

I've had it nearly a week. It's pretty handy on the John.
posted by sourwookie at 7:49 AM on June 19, 2007