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Opera Browser For Mini A Game Changer

A

Awakener

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 28, 2011
345
0
Several posters recommended changing browsers on the Mini to make webpage formatting acceptable. As a last effort before returning it, I downloaded Opera. It is a game changer.

Setting "Zoom" to 150%-200% makes it even better.

This won't make your Mini retina or improve the specs, but it might make you consider keeping it.:apple:
 
RevTEG

RevTEG

macrumors 65816
Oct 28, 2012
1,347
1,192
San Jose, Ca
Thanks for the tip! I'm going to download it now. I love my mini but am planning on returning it because the text size on Safari is really bad. In my opinion.

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Downloaded the app. Set at 150% and up cuts words off the right side edges on my mini. Am I doing something wrong? I like the larger text but having some of the words cut off is a no go for me.
 
ZBoater

ZBoater

macrumors G3
Jul 2, 2007
8,497
1,322
Sunny Florida
Apple should address this with an update to Safari. Not sure why 3rd party browsers seem to always be several steps ahead of Safari...
 
C

corvus32

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2009
761
0
USA
For security reasons, all third party web browsers in the App Store are required to use a stock sandboxed version of Apple's WebKit rendering and JavaScript engines. OTOH, Safari has direct access to Apple’s Nitro JavaScript engine that's 3x faster.

In short, they're equivalent to using an older version of Safari with a slightly different user interface and a few added features.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ios-web-browser-safari,3326.html
 
F

FatGuy007

macrumors 6502
Apr 8, 2012
326
0
New York
corvus32 said:
For security reasons, all third party web browsers in the App Store are required to use a stock sandboxed version of Apple's WebKit rendering and JavaScript engines. OTOH, Safari has direct access to Apple’s Nitro JavaScript engine that's 3x faster.

In short, they're equivalent to using an older version of Safari with a slightly different user interface and a few added features.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ios-web-browser-safari,3326.html
Click to expand...

Whyy? It's not like Safari can go out of business
 
B

bigboar

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2012
364
0
Ohio
michelob tfs said:
'Game Changer'

LOL.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking! Lol

Anybody who complains about the mini screen being bad gets chastised, but now all these threads are popping up about "change this", " switch that", "use this"' etc.
whatever works I guess but it's threads like these that are the exact reason I returned the mini.....to each their own though. I am not trying to put down the mini as I will buy another once it gets a better display but to call anything a game changer on it(besides it size and weight) is down right hillarious...
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Opera wasn't a "game changer" when it was released for the iPhone, I doubt it will be here. Opera had some issues that rendered it useless in the beginning. I opted not to use it because how it stored data (security). I'd prefer to use another browser on the mini if Safari is "useless."
 
M

Menneisyys2

macrumors 603
Jun 7, 2011
5,997
1,101
jessica. said:
Opera wasn't a "game changer" when it was released for the iPhone, I doubt it will be here. Opera had some issues that rendered it useless in the beginning. I opted not to use it because how it stored data (security). I'd prefer to use another browser on the mini if Safari is "useless."
Click to expand...

It was because of Apple's very strict restrictions that Opera wasn't allowed to port their full Opera Mobile for iOS but the stripped-down and not even (advanced) Javascript-capable Opera Mini. And this is why there aren't real alternative browsers on the platform either, unlike on more free and less restricted ones (Symbian, Android, the now-dead Windows Mobile etc.)

This means there will be no "real" alternatives to Safari in the future either.
 
M

Menneisyys2

macrumors 603
Jun 7, 2011
5,997
1,101
corvus32 said:
Security.

Microsoft is taking the same approach with Windows RT. No third party JIT compiler.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm not sure that, while strictly sandboxing an app, allowing it to use its own HTML / CSS rendering engine would pose a security risk. Why would it? After all, the browser is sandboxed and, therefore, can't e.g. access the file system.

The only reason for this might be Apple's not wanting users to run Flash / more advanced HTML5 games maybe? Instead of spending their money in the AppStore?
 
A

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,726
1,132
I tried some alternate browsers and now just use Safari for web pages in landscape mode. More than acceptable to tell the truth.
 
A

Awakener

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 28, 2011
345
0
bigboar said:
That's what I was thinking! Lol

Anybody who complains about the mini screen being bad gets chastised, but now all these threads are popping up about "change this", " switch that", "use this"' etc.
whatever works I guess but it's threads like these that are the exact reason I returned the mini.....to each their own though. I am not trying to put down the mini as I will buy another once it gets a better display but to call anything a game changer on it(besides it size and weight) is down right hillarious...
Click to expand...

It is a shame what Apple did because the screen looks low quality. This isn't a total fix (may still return the Mini). Just suggesting one fix for helping webpages.

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Quantus said:
Does opera allow you to change the default font size? I don't like readjusting it every time I visit a new website.
Click to expand...

It does this with the "zoom" feature that does not have to be changed. The browser is free so try it.
 
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