In a nutshell: The DS finally gets its very own Web browser, as Nintendo firmly embraces the Internet age and finds some clever new uses for the touch...... more
In a nutshell: The DS finally gets its very own Web
browser, as Nintendo firmly embraces the Internet age and finds some clever new uses for the touch screen and stylus.The lowdown: The DS
Browser comes on both its own DS cartridge and a memory pack that fits into the GBA slot of your DS (there are two version of the
Browser, with memory packs to fit either the original DS or the DS Lite). The obvious benefit of surfing the Web on a DS is the large screen area afforded by two screens and the stylus which also makes typing in Web addresses a lot easier. The problems though are a low screen resolution and the fact that the
browser doesnt support Flash files, movie files, sound files, PDFs or anything else that needs a plug-in to work. As long as you recognise the limitations though, this is still a cheap and easy way to access the Internet when on the move.Most exciting moment: The big problem with accessing the Web outside of PC monitor is that it doesnt all fit on screen at once. The DS overcomes this problem in perhaps the most elegant manner yet, with an option to put an overview of the whole page on the top screen while letting you scroll around on a zoomed in version on the touch screen.Since you ask: The DS
Browser is based on a PC application called Opera, developed by Opera Software. The same company is also creating a version of the
browser for use with the Wii
console, which will be free for the first six months of the
consoles life.The bottom line: Surf the Web on the move, but dont expect an entirely smooth ride. -HARRISON DENT
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