Opera 9 Browser on Future Palm Products

Posted By: Ryan Thursday, April 5, 2007 1:28:33 PM

Opera Palm SoftwareOpera Software today announced that it has signed an agreement with Palm, to deliver its Opera 9 Web browser to Palm for use in upcoming products. Opera receives a development fee, license fees and support and maintenance fees under the agreement to provide full Web browsing to Palm.

The Opera 9 rendering engine is used in a number of products on the market today including the Nokia N800 and Nintendo Wii. Opera Mini, a separate mobile browser and service, is already available for Palm OS devices and requires the Java VM to run.

This announcement signals a change in strategy for the mobile browsing for Palm. The current Blazer browser on Palm OS devices is currently powered by ACCESS' Netfront rendering engine.

Thanks to PalmAddict for the tip.

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Finally!

Galley_SimRacer @ 4/5/2007 4:50:56 PM # Q
Holy schnikes! I never thought I would see the day when a real version of Opera runs on Palm OS.
RE: Finally!
ggeoffre @ 4/5/2007 5:02:55 PM # Q
I did not see any indication that this will be a 'real' version of Opera. That is to say that a 'real' version is a 'native' version. If this is just the Java version that we have access to today, I would rather stick with Blazer.
RE: Finally!
rsc1000 @ 4/6/2007 12:10:02 PM # Q
I highly dopubt that Palm would bother to pay them "a development fee" (as well as the "license fees and support and maintenance fees") if it was just going to be the generic j2me version that's out there. Palm does not bundle or sell any other j2me software for their devices. My bet is that we are talking about a native code version.

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But not for PalmOS, perhaps

Foo Fighter @ 4/5/2007 4:54:11 PM # Q
Before everyone pops the cork on a champagne bottle, it's important to note this agreement doesn't necessarily mean Opera is coming to PalmOS. It merely states the browser will be included on "future Palm products" which could mean either Windows Mobile based products, or some "other" platform in development by Palm.

Since there doesn't appear to be any official press release to view, it remains unclear what this agreement entails.

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http://www.pocketfactory.com
http://www.elitistsnob.com

RE: But not for PalmOS, perhaps
twizza @ 4/6/2007 10:42:31 AM # Q
This is true. My guess is that Opera makes an appearance on an upcoming WM device before a Garnet one. Though I am very firmly in teh camp of wanting a Garnet native version of Opera. That would utterly make the Garnet suitable for browsing.

mobileministrymagazine.com
antoinerjwright.com
RE: But not for PalmOS, perhaps
mikecane @ 4/7/2007 12:16:37 PM # Q
Foo gets it in One. NOT for PalmOS. Or at least PalmOS As We Currently Know It (May God Have Mercy Upon Our Poor Souls!).

This Third Business is beginning to peek into the light, I think...

... I also wonder now if the hiring of Mercer also has something to do with putting on finishing touches?

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Announcement?

dkirker @ 4/5/2007 5:24:10 PM # Q
"Opera Software today announced that it has signed an agreement..."

Ok. So where is it? If they announced it, it has to be somewhere. Didn't see it at opera.com, didn't see it at palm.com...

RE: Announcement?
Foo Fighter @ 4/5/2007 5:35:23 PM # Q
Maybe this is a belated April Fools joke. I don't see any source to back this story up.

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http://www.pocketfactory.com
http://www.elitistsnob.com
RE: Announcement?
Admin @ 4/5/2007 6:09:31 PM # Q
I got confirmation of the deal from Palm and there is a press release but It doesn't appear to be posted on any of the official sites yet.

-Ryan
RE: Announcement?
dkirker @ 4/5/2007 7:37:46 PM # Q
Ah, ok. Thanks Ryan.

Did they say if this was available for older devices? (I am going to assume no).

RE: Announcement?
Foo Fighter @ 4/5/2007 9:20:40 PM # Q
More important... is this a PalmOS release or merely a Windows Mobile bundle agreement?

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http://www.pocketfactory.com
http://www.elitistsnob.com
RE: Announcement?
Admin @ 4/5/2007 10:25:44 PM # Q
All Palm would confirm is that it would be used in upcoming products. The release doesn't mention any specific devices or OS's.

-Ryan
RE: Announcement?
joeags @ 4/6/2007 12:13:05 AM # Q
Actually, if we use a little deductive reasoning, it could easily be for Palm OS devices. Palm has already signed a contract with Access to be able to modify and do whatever they want to Garnet. This gets Palm out from under additional payments to Access. I guess if they continued to use Blazer, they'd have to make additional payments to Access, and I'd assume that this isn't part of Garnet. I bet it would be easier to ink an agreement with Opera than it would with Access, so this would make Palm want to put it on Palm OS devices...

Just my thoughts....

RE: Announcement?
rsc1000 @ 4/6/2007 12:18:03 PM # Q
Evidence suggests that this will be a native Palm OS version.

The story states that the agreement includes "a development fee" in addition to the license, support and maintenance fees. Opera is already available for j2me so there is no need to develop it for j2me and Palm would not pay to bundle a j2me version in as they haven't included any j2me apps in the past. And for good reason: j2me is nice to add compatibility with more software - but it does not integrate with the OS (and it is slow as hell) - so that just does not make sense. There would be no advantage to them paying $$$ to get a worse browser then they already have.

As for Win Mob, Opera is already developed for that platform - so why would Palm pay a developpment fee?
http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/

This will obviously be a Palm OS native app. Any bets?

RE: Announcement?
mikecane @ 4/7/2007 12:18:49 PM # Q
I'll take that bet, sucker.

I screamed for YEARS about getting Opera on PalmOS. Go search on PIC. All the experts said Impossible. I had to knuckle under and agree with them.

And after using Opera on the 770, It Ain't All That. It is hardly a This.

RE: Announcement?
palmato @ 4/8/2007 4:42:17 PM # Q
I sincerely hope they don't really plan to migrate Opera to the current PalmOs, for the sake of the poor Opera developers ;-). It would be very Dilbert-ish.

Somebody on treocentral pointed out that some manufacturers do include opera in their
wm smartphones: it's more likely that the palm agreement is similar, with development fees going for Palm specific customization. For instance the home page....

Maybe we'll see it on the next Palmos, it ever materializes that is.

--------------------------
Hey Admin: Why do we have to keep two profiles?

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Native PalmOS version please!

sremick @ 4/5/2007 5:58:04 PM # Q
I would LOVE to see a native (non-Java) PalmOS (non-WinMob) version of Opera. I use the Java version of Opera Mini, but it suffers from several shortcomings:

- no copy & paste between other Palm apps
- No way to launch it with a link from another Palm app (such as from an email)
- text input is flakey (crashes sometimes) and cumbersome (can't input directly, always need to pop up a separate text input box).
- Can't figure out which data file stores the bookmarks (they are erased every time you update Opera Mini)

http://vtbsd.net/winhelp/

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n800 Opera version

fanoush @ 4/6/2007 3:10:30 AM # Q
Small correction, Opera on N800 is 8.5, not 9.
http://blog.tokash.org/2007/01/07/opera-changes-on-the-nokia-n800-compared-to-the-nokia-770/

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So far, Best news this year about Palm!

Radu Coc @ 4/6/2007 8:15:08 PM # Q
Palm Platform needs a REAL browser. I hope Opera will develop a real browser for Palm.

RE: So far, Best news this year about Palm!
mikecane @ 4/7/2007 12:20:36 PM # Q
The Palm platform needs a frikkin REAL PLATFORM FIRST. FrankenGarnet needs euthanasia.

RE: So far, Best news this year about Palm!
linds @ 4/7/2007 12:28:59 PM # Q
Garnet is really not that bad IMO. I think a better browsing experience would make a much better overall experience even on Garnet.

Why with a really good browser, programmers could program all of there apps to be web based and bypass the limitations of the OS all together.

One question I would have however, Do you think it will be available for older Treo's? Or specifically for my treo 700p.

RE: So far, Best news this year about Palm!
mikecane @ 4/8/2007 1:07:37 PM # Q
>>>Garnet is really not that bad IMO.

Your IMO doesn't FC with me.

RE: So far, Best news this year about Palm!
just_little_me @ 4/10/2007 1:20:59 AM # Q
I didn't read in this release, or any other actually, that said Mike Cane's opinion mattered more than any one elses. Just because you can mouth off doesn't mean you're worth one iota more than anyone else Mike... truth's a b!tch huh?


JLM.

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