SkyFire 0.9 Now Available for Windows Mobile

I've been using SkyFire for several months now and it's a solid Windows Mobile browser. It works quite well on my Verizon Wireless XV6800 smartphone. Version 0.9 is now available as a free download. It's still not mobile Safari on an iPhone, but it's one of the better mobile browsers for Windows Mobile. It's not as fast as Opera Mini running on a Java Virtual Machine, but it's capable of displaying Flash content.

To get it, type: http://get.skyfire.com into your mobile browser and download the CAB file. It has links built-in for Twitter and Facebook.

Iris Browser Update

The Torch Mobile Iris Browser has been updated again. It's a good mobile browser for my XV6800 Windows Mobile PDA/Smartphone, but I occasionally get an "out of memory" error if I visit busy web pages. Like many other mobile browsers, you can zoom in and out very easily and scan pages quickly. I've also been playing around with Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, Skyfire, and Pocket Internet Explorer. Proxy servers speed things up if they're configured properly.

Torch Mobile Iris Browser

Torch Mobile has released an updated version of its Iris mobile web browser. This browser is similar to Opera Mobile and Skyfire and allows you to view full web pages and easily zoom in and out. I've run into a few "out of memory" errors on my Windows Mobile XV6800 while using Iris, so it's not optimized for devices that have limited amounts of internal RAM. I'm sure you won't have any problems if you have a newer PDA smartphone that's faster and more equipped than my old device.

As mobile browsers become more powerful, I often wonder how medical students and residents will use their smartphones in the hospital setting. If they can literally access any website in its entirety, then this opens up tremendous educational resources. I think that's probably one of the biggest reasons why the iPhone has been so popular among medical students and residents. Speaking of the iPhone, Apple just announced the updated iPhone OS 3.0 and it seems silly that you still can't multi-task on the iPhone. It reminds me of the old Palm OS.

Prevent Opera Mini from Freezing in Windows Mobile

I've been testing Opera Mini on my Windows Mobile device and I was pleased by the speed and performance, but I noticed that it would freeze up occasionally. My entire device would crash and I'd have to reset the phone. I decided to change the Network Protocol from Socket to HTTP. Now, I have yet to experience a freeze or a crash. Opera Mini 4.2 has become my favorite mobile browser on my XV6800 (HTC Titan, Sprint Mogul) Pocket PC because it's so much faster than Skyfire, Opera Mobile, Iris, or Pocket Internet Explorer. So, if you use your mobile device to browse medical websites and participate in CME activities, I would urge you to try Opera Mini. You won't get any "out of memory" messages and if you switch your Network Protocol, you shouldn't get any frustrating freeze-ups. Caveat: you won't get Flash content on Opera Mini.

Iris Browser v1.1.2

The Iris Browser (by Torch Mobile) has been updated to v1.1.2

It may not be mobile Safari, but it's a really nice browser for Windows Mobile. I also use Skyfire, Opera Mobile, and Opera Mini. I'm still waiting on mobile Firefox (I haven't tried the sub-beta alpha test version because of reports that it's so slow). My experience so far with the new and improved version of Pocket Internet Explorer has been quite positive on my XV6800. I'm running Windows Mobile 6.1 and I don't think my device can handle 6.5 so that's somewhat disappointing.
At least I should be able to find a good mobile browser that will work on my device.

Stuck on the Bootloader Screen

I got stuck on the Bootloader screen today as I was updating a few things on my XV6800. Fortunately, I still had an active USB connection and I was able to install the DCD 4.1.2 custom ROM on my device. This is a really nice ROM mainly because you can use your finger to pan/scroll more pages up and down, including on Pocket Internet Explorer. However, since I have Skyfire, this isn't a huge benefit.

Unfortunately, I'll have to go through this again in a few days because my device has a defective keyboard. I hate reinstalling all my applications.

Improvements to Skyfire

If you use a Windows Mobile device, I hope you've tried Skyfire. It's probably one of the best mobile browsers currently available. I think it beats Pocket Internet Explorer, Opera, and Iris. I say this because you rarely run into a "out of memory" error using Skyfire (although you may not get this problem if you use a different phone. I've only tried it on my XV6800).

Skyfire is still in beta, but the most recent version adds social networking Web 2.0 features.

Opera Mini, Opera Mobile, Skyfire, and Iris

I've been testing several different mobile browsers lately. They are:

• Pocket Internet Explorer (I hardly use this one anymore)
• Skyfire (lots of positive press recently)
• Opera Mobile
• Opera Mini (need Java Virtual Machine)
• Iris (recently updated)

Verdict? Still don't have one since most of these are still beta versions. I'm still waiting for final versions. While I wait, I think Skyfire is at the top of my list right now.

When will Firefox be available for Windows Mobile? I doubt that Safari will ever be made available for Windows Mobile. Is there a chance that Chrome will make it to Windows Mobile? Doubtful since Android is trying to win some of the marketplace.

Skyfire Browser Beta 0.8

Skyfire has to be one of the best mobile browsers for Windows Mobile. It's currently available as beta version 0.8, but it's now open to the public. Once the final version is released, it may be the best mobile browser out there.

I've played around with Opera Mobile and Opera Mini. Both browsers are excellent but they also have some limitations. Opera Mobile was crashing on my XV6800 and I was frequently getting "low memory" messages. Maybe Opera will fix these bugs in their final release.

Skyfire is great because it's fast and allows you to view Flash. You can customize the zoom very easily and if you need a mouse pointer, it's there.

Skyfire

So far, Skyfire seems to be the best mobile browser for my Verizon XV6800. Since Skyfire isn't publicly available for anyone to download, you have to sign up for their private beta testing program. One of the best features of Skyfire is that you can easily select your zooming area. You can just tap and drag the edge of the zoom box to fit your screen. The other great feature is the built-in Flash player.

Still testing and comparing with the other mobile browsers, but so far Skyfire seems to be the best one.

Best Mobile Browser for Windows Mobile?

What is the best mobile browser for the XV6800 running Windows Mobile? I've been testing a few different ones, including Skyfire, Opera, and Minimo. My experience so far is that Skyfire is the best one. However, I plan to do some more testing, so stay tuned...