Nintendo DS Browser

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Nintendo DS Browser
The DS Browser NA Box Art.
Developer(s)Opera Software
Nintendo
Publisher(s)Nintendo
EnginePresto
Platform(s)Nintendo DS & Nintendo DS Lite
ReleaseJapan July 24,2006
Europe October 6, 2006
Singapore October 2006 (Europe Version) Australia January 18, 2007
United States June 4, 2007[1]
Singapore June 2007 (US Version)
Genre(s)Web browser
Mode(s)Single user

The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo. The Nintendo DS Browser comes in a version for both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite[2]; this is due to the physical size differences in the memory expansion cartridges used by the browser, which both have a capacity of 10 MB.[3]

Launch

The Nintendo DS Browser was released first in Japan on July 24, 2006 and it was released later in Europe on October 6 2006 for £30 (the same as an ordinary DS game) and Singapore on October 2006 for SGD various (different from each video game stores). The Australian release date was on January 18, 2007 and retailed for AU$69.95.[4] However, in Australia and Singapore versions, only the DS Lite version was released in stores, the DS Original version was only available directly through Nintendo Australia, although stocks were limited.

The North American release date was on June 4, 2007 for $29.99 and later in Singapore on the same month.[1] Like the Australian and Singaporean release, only the Lite version was available in stores, and the DS Original version was only available online in US.[5]

Functionality

Nintendo DS Browser makes use of the Nintendo DS's touchscreen for input, with an on-screen keyboard as well as handwriting recognition and a stock of pre-set text (for example, the .com and .org top-level domains).

The browser can render pages in two modes, Small Screen Rendering (SSR) or Overview. In Small Screen Rendering mode, the contents of the page are displayed in a single column fitting the width of the screen - for example, a page featuring two columns of text side-by-side would be displayed as a single column, one after the other. In Overview mode, a scaled-down version of the page is displayed on the touchscreen with a small selection box which can be moved around using the stylus. The contents of the selection box are displayed on the top screen at their full size. This selection can be brought into the touchscreen to perform such actions as click on links or entering text in boxes.

The Nintendo DS Browser connects to the Internet through IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless networks or hotspots using the built-in Wi-Fi capability of the Nintendo DS. Home users can connect to the Internet either using their wireless router or by using the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector. According to the browser's manual, the system is free to use at "Nintendo retail hotspots only": the Wi-Fi access points installed in Nintendo DS kiosks in stores. Attempting to connect to a Wayport, Inc., The Cloud or BT Openzone hotspot launches the payment interface, although this does not happen on many other servers. The Nintendo DS browser will connect to the free Wi-Fi service in Norwich, UK.[6] In Australia, Nintendo has teamed up with telecommunications provider Telstra to provide free access at over 1,000 wireless hotspots nation-wide.[7]

Nintendo has partnered with Internet security company Astaro to integrate web filtering technology into the Nintendo DS Browser. Called Astaro Parental Control, the technology acts as a proxy filter, providing the option of blocking inappropriate content.[8] This is provided free of charge and can be activated through a simple menu option.

As far as browser capabilities, the Nintendo DS browser does have support for JavaScript in web pages, but not Adobe Flash.[9] Also, due to the limited storage space, most other dynamic media, such as videos or sound, will not work in the browser.

File:Dsbrowserkit.jpg
European DS Browser cartridge and DS Lite expansion pak

DS Lite memory expansion pak

The Memory Pak, much like the Rumble Pak for the Nintendo DS is a DS Option Pak that resembles a Game Boy Advance cartridge, but will not function with official Game Boy Advance hardware. When inserted into a DS's GBA slot, the Memory Pak adds 10MB of RAM to the DS. This memory is slower than the internal memory of the DS.

A DS Lite version of the Expansion Pak is also available. The lite version of the Expansion Pak has the same capabilities as the standard version, the only difference is that is slightly smaller and designed to have a snug fit in the DS Lite unit rather than the standard DS. It has slight similarities to the Nintendo 64 expansion Pak. The Nintendo DS Browser is the only official Nintendo DS software that requires this hardware, but it has been suggested that the expansion could be used for other software[10], including optional graphical updates that would allow a better experience if the card is inserted, in addition to other games that could require the expansion. However, it has been utilised in a number of pieces of homebrew software such as DSLinux, albeit unofficially. It has also been cloned as part of the EZ Flash 3-in-1 SLOT-2 device.


Images

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "US Browser info". Nintendo of America. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  2. ^ "Nintendo Online Sales (任天堂オンライン販売[[Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text]])" (in Japanese). 1UP.com. July 27,2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  3. ^ Parish, Jeremy (July 27,2006). "A Night at the Opera". 1UP.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "AU date for DS Browser". nintendo.com.au.
  5. ^ "Original DS browser available online only". Gamespot.com.
  6. ^ http://www.norfolkopenlink.com/
  7. ^ "Nintendo and Telstra double up for DS hotspots". PC World. April 5, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "A Nanny for your Nintendo DS". Astaro Corporation. August 8,2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/dslite/browser.jsp
  10. ^ "DS Expansion Pak". Retrieved 2007-11-19.

External links


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