[twheeler]

After reqwireless stop providing its Web Browser for Blackberry, there was a drought of options for people wanting an HTML browser on their Blackberry Device.

There have recently been two new additions to the software list for aftermarket browsers.

Minuet Browser -
http://www.handango.com/PlatformProd...71740&R=171740

From the Programmer:
Minuet is a stand-alone web browser for standard web pages (not WAP). There are no go-between servers. Your device will be reading directly from your favorite web sites, quickly and efficiently. No need to worry about privacy, security, server problems, and subscriptions. Minuet is designed to deliver true web serving experiences on mobile devices, while blocking out virtually all web ads. Use it to check the news, check stock prices, pick a movie, find a resturant, check the weather, anywhere and anytime.

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PocketWeb -
This is a java based browser built for Mobile Phones. It will work on any J2ME platform.

http://www.getjar.com/products/709/PocketWeb

From the Developer:
PocketWeb minimizes data traffic. Only data that can be displayed on your phone is really loaded: images are scaled to your device`s screen size before downloading. HTML code is optimized and compressed before downloading, resulting in up to 70% smaller file sizes. Moreover, pages are downloaded incrementally in smaller pieces, so you can decide after the first piece whether you like to load the rest.
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I have not tried either of these browsers yet. I may test the minuet browser this week and I'll report my findings. Both of these options are less expensive than Reqwireless. We'll have to see how well they perform.

if you have tried either if these, post your experiences here.

[nutsnbolts]

What is wrong with the internet browser that BB already has? It's not the best but then again with the small screen, what does these others do differently that internet browser can't do now on BB?

I'm looking forward for the review.

[twheeler]

A browser like Reqwireless translates the html code differently than the built in browser. The BB browser (before 4.0) was only a WAP browser. With OS 4.0 it become a little better with HTML pages, but still had some drawbacks. Other HTML browsers are more complete and do a better job of reading and displaying most pages.

I did try the Minuet browser via the trial yesterday. I downloaded via Handago and installed using the DM. The suit is 102k installed. Compared to reqwireless (51k) I expected a great program. The software has real promise although I never did get a page to display on the trial version. I continued to be prompted to enter a Key before viewing the page.

The interface and features of the Minuet browser are Reqwireless like. The way you enter addresses and data for forms is the same as the Reqwireless browser.

All of the standards are there with this browser. Direct address entry, bookmarks and a quicklist are available. It also had other nice touches like customizable colors and schemes and a homepage option. Minuet had another feature option that I thought was cool. A scrolling banner at the bottom of the page will tell you what address is being looked up and loaded. That was a nice touch considering I never did get a site to load and wanted to check the address I typed into the browesr.

I did not see any options for connectivity. I'm assuming Minuet uses the default connection to access data. It was nice not having to configure yet ANOTHER application for data access, but then again, Mijuet never did connect properly for me either. I know it would get an outside connection, because the software did connect to the Minuet registration servers tima and time again.

My experience was limited due to lack of a solid conection, but all in all for the $15 it costs for this program, it's worth a shot if you want a third party HTML browser. Again, I had trouble loading pages, but I think it was because I was using the trial software. The interface and feature set was on par with what I expected and I actually got a few more nice features than expected. If I did not have the reqwireless app. I would be inclined to give Minuet a shot.

[triprince]

You should be able to access web sites with the Minuet demo version. However, unless you are an enterprise user, you will need to set up the APN settings (in Options > TCP). Each service provider has their own APNs and require different settings. Please call your service provider and tell them you are running a 3rd party application that requires direct access to the Internet.

Thanks for your interests in Minuet!

[triprince]

I'm pleased to announce the release of Minuet V2.0. Please check out the new thread at:
http://www.pinstack.com/blackberryfo...ead.php?t=1399

[nremtb]

i like my built in browser but i also am running 4.0 on my 8700. anyone like a different browser on the 8700c.