3650 and browsing the web

coke

I've heard that using the 3650 as your modem and syncing it with a labtop via bluettoth, you can browse the web, but i was wondering, seeing as it has a huge screen, could you not just browse directly on the phone??? (how about that for a long sentance)

trap4

You certainly could Coke and I certainly do. Not for any long periods of time though, due to the tendency of Opera and Netfront to crash. However it can be very useful for certain purposes, such as managing a discussion forum through a web-based console.

It can be quite costly to browse with GPRS so I mainly dial up through HSCSD (I'm with Vodafone). I find it very quick and seeing as I don't use my phone much for voice calls the HSCSD calls are pretty much covered in my pay monthly plan. Of course I'm not talking about long browsing sessions, just quick logins, fill out a few forms (on web-based console) and log-off again.

By the way, I've also downloaded Webviewer but haven't really had time to test it out much yet. Will let you know soon.


~~~~~~~~~~
-Jim.
http://mmsmemo.blogspot.com

flywheel

Originally posted by coke
I've heard that using the 3650 as your modem and syncing it with a labtop via bluettoth, you can browse the web, but i was wondering, seeing as it has a huge screen, could you not just browse directly on the phone??? (how about that for a long sentance)

works a treat, there are four main browser options:
Webviewer Eur 20
Doris Browser Eur 15
Opera Eur 25
Access NetFront Eur 24.80

I used Webviewer initially (as it was the only option available last summer) and then moved on to Doris Browser as it offered a few enhancements like caching and full screen browsing (Webviewer added in lmited caching in it's most recent update).

Found NetFront to be too big and overkill, although Opera wasn't bad and has some smart tech going on with it's small screen rendering. But I stuck with the Doris Browser as it offered plenty of useful features and priced more reasonably compared to the other options.

To be honest browsing full sized web sites can give you some wierd results in any of the browsers. It has to try and render the page into some sort of format for the small screen of the smartphone and then deal with all the elements in the page.

I make use of PDA-friendly portals to build up a set of links I find useful, two of the main ones are:
http://www.mazingo.net/mobile
http://www.evmo.com/mobile

Another option is to use a service like AvantGo, where you create an account and select mobile versions of the sites on offfer you would like to "sync" to your device (custom sites can also be created). Be sure you sync while you are connected to the PC Suite so that you download all the content over you internet connection (not through your mobile operator!).

Probably the most important factor is which operator you are with and if you are pre-pay or post-pay, as this will determine the cost of browsing the full internet (not just WAP) from your handset.

If you do use Bluetooth - it is possible to use your PCs internet connection to surf the internet from your Bluetooth connected handset (when in range), with more details here...

hth,
BrianG

coke

Thanks a million. That was great help. Eh, brian, what do u mean by saying netfront is too big and overkill? A lack of small screen rendering? I read that link to opera, and that sounds a pretty cool concept to me. Does doris browser have small screen rendering technology? And the fees u posted, that would be a one-off, i'm guessing? Would you pay gprs/hscsd fees for the actual browsing from then on? and if you had a labtop, and sync'd it with the phone through bluetooth (without any programs like opera,doris browser etc.), standard gprs rates would apply? I don't quite understand the concept of avantgo though, i cannot access your link. If you have time, could u please gimme a bit more detail on it, using simple terms if possible? Thanks a lot. What phone do u have now brian????? Considering a 3650? Oh, thanks jim, and lemme now how webviewer works out.:D

flywheel

the handy thing about the browsers is they all have have a trial version you can download and install on the phone to try-out for a period of time so you can decide for yourself what you liked best

Originally posted by coke
what do u mean by saying netfront is too big and overkill?

found it's installed file and run-time memory requirements to be the largest of the lot, and maybe they should have taken some of the time they spent adding so many features/options and used it to make it run 100% stable - if you wanted a browser with a massive amount of features then it could work out a good option for you - i just find Doris small, quick and it workes well with the majority of my bookmarks

Originally posted by coke
I read that link to opera, and that sounds a pretty cool concept to me. Does doris browser have small screen rendering technology?

Doris Browser doesn't have as smart a rendering system as Opera does, but it works well enough - i've seen both render some sites badly from time to time it's a tough task to try and intelligently squeeze and order a fullly fledged web site down to a small device

Originally posted by coke
And the fees u posted, that would be a one-off, i'm guessing? Would you pay gprs/hscsd fees for the actual browsing from then on?

yes they are once off fees for each application, and when connected to the operator to view web content, you then pay for the data you download (gprs) or time online (csd/hscsd)

Originally posted by coke
and if you had a labtop, and sync'd it with the phone through bluetooth (without any programs like opera,doris browser etc.), standard gprs rates would apply?

(dunno if i'm taking up the question right?, but here goes...) if you are just syncing the phone with the laptop using the PC suite for contacts/calendar/pics, installing files etc. - then there are no GPRS costs as that is all local content - Bluetooth is just taking the place of a cable connection between the phone and the laptop. if you want to go online with the laptop using the phone as a modem, then GPRS or dial-up rates will apply

Originally posted by coke
I don't quite understand the concept of avantgo though, i cannot access your link. If you have time, could u please gimme a bit more detail on it, using simple terms if possible?

no worries - it's like saving a bunch of web pages (mini sites) to the phone to read later - they are all presented in a way to display easily on a small screen already

you set up an account - download the application and install it on the phone - then you go through their online directory and select sites of interest

every time you "sync" with AvantGo your account is checked and any of the sites you selected will be contacted and the latest pages they have available will be pulled down to your device for you to read later

http://www.avantgo.com or https://my.avantgo.com/home/ should work

Originally posted by coke
What phone do u have now brian????? Considering a 3650?

current mobile i'm breaking in is a Microsoft Smartphone 2002, but i'd use a SonyEricsson P800 day-to-day as my main handset - the 3650 is a bit too funky for me - or maybe i'm not funky enough for it

atb,
BrianG

trap4

You're just not funky enough for it

I've had a 3650 for only a few weeks but it's a brilliant phone. Like some other's have reported I actually find the circular dial keypad format *better* for texting as there literally are no keys to 'get in the way'. It takes a bit of practice but I definitely find it faster now. I also find the phone beautifully balanced for 1 handed operation.

The range of software available for the phone is huge. Check out -

http://www.handango.com

And there is now such momentum behind Symbian OS, Series 60 and J2ME that there will be no shortage of new software being developed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Jim.
http://mmsmemo.blogspot.com

coke

So brian, with avantgo, are u limited to a select few small sites? No browsing the full internet? ( Sorry, i am finding their site really confusing) And you pay gprs fees to download the content and then read it ''offline'' later? Is that the idea?

''if you want to go online with the laptop using the phone as a modem, then gprs or dial up rates will apply.'' yeah, thats what i ment, thanks.
Jim, do u plan on installing that ''remtoe conrol'' software i saw somewhere? If you do, lemme know how it works. Did you buy your 3650 from expansys?

flywheel

Originally posted by coke
So brian, with avantgo, are u limited to a select few small sites? No browsing the full internet? ( Sorry, i am finding their site really confusing) And you pay gprs fees to download the content and then read it ''offline'' later? Is that the idea?

''if you want to go online with the laptop using the phone as a modem, then gprs or dial up rates will apply.'' yeah, thats what i ment, thanks.

With AvantGo you selecting the sites (they call them channels) from their directory and you can create some custom channels, these work best on sites developed for portable devices.

You can get the content through your PCs internet connection, thus saving you any GPRS or Mobile Dial-Up charges, that's the whole idea behind it, to save sites down to the device and then read them later while not connected to the internet. So if your PC was connected to your ISP say IOL or eircom.net you download the content over that connection.

It is possible to "sync" directly from the handset, however depending on the number of sites you have set up on your account and how recently the content was last "synced", it could cause a large download to take place. This could well work out to be an expensive thing to do over the connection to your mobile operator (compared to the internet connection to your PC).

You are going to get a best-effort experience on the web using a portable device, not a perfect-fit. As you begin to use the browsers or other services you'll find out what's achievable and what's isn't on a device designed to fit in the palm of your hand compared to the PC that sits on your desk.

There's nothing like trying it out to see how it works - and AvantGo is free so give it a whirl to see if you find it worth while. I like it as I can sync my one account with a PocketPC, Palm and the Nokia. I use it for sites like Wired where they provide a lot of content that doesn't change every few minutes, so there is a fair amount to browse around and it relatively up-to-date since my most recent sync.

hth,
BrianG

coke

Great. Thanks again. I'll test them all once i get my phone... u have no idea how hard this wait is....i am literally passing the hours, checking the o2 and vodafone sites constantly for any sign of the fecking 3650.... something just doesn't add up : I acknowledge that they must test the handset before release, i encourage it.... but for flips sake o2 in britain has passed the phone, what fault do they think the same company in ireland will find?:rolleyes:
I just have one more question i'd love answered without starting a new thread. Its about bluetooth. I'm getting the 3650, which has bluetooth, and i have a fairly new dell computer. Now i was told something about needing a bluetooth adaptor to transfer info... is that only if my computer does not support bluetooth? Or do i still need one to make the connection?
Thanks

flywheel

Originally posted by coke
I just have one more question i'd love answered without starting a new thread. Its about bluetooth. I'm getting the 3650, which has bluetooth, and i have a fairly new dell computer. Now i was told something about needing a bluetooth adaptor to transfer info... is that only if my computer does not support bluetooth? Or do i still need one to make the connection?

your Dell doesn't support bluetooth out of the box (only their latest Latitude range have it as an option) - you will need to get an adapter for it to work

with details on bluetooth adapters etc. in this post...

hth,
BrianG.

wolfman

And THIS is the MSI adapter that Brian discusse in the other post. Just found it now on Komplett's website. Seems to be very well priced. Might try one myself.

trap4

Yes, I have tried Remote S60 and found it very good at what it does although I'm just not sure what it is I should use it for! I'd imagine it will be quite useful for some people but it just doesn't match my usage habits.

In the end I actually got a present of the 3650 from a friend in the US, although I had been just about to purchase one through Expansys. I was just sick of waiting for Vodafone introduce it.

By the way I got a TDK Bluetooth adaptor and it works fine. It may not suit people who don't want a USB extension lead trailing around the place but if you've only got USB slots at the back of your PC it's great!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Jim.
http://mmsmemo.blogspot.com