TechStuffs MySpace: Nintendo DS Browser Pack

Nintendo DS Browser Pack

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. this is due to the physical size differences in the memory expansion cartridges used by the browser.

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 suffixes). However, the browser doesn't support Flash, PDF, audio and video, partly due to the DS's limited hardware resources, but mainly because they require third-party software plugins. The capacity for the memory expansion pack is 10MB.

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 two columns one after the other. In Overview mode, a scaled-down "Overview" 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 click on links, enter text in boxes, etc.

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. 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 The Cloud or BT Openzone hotspot launches the payment interface, although this doesn't happen on many other servers.

Nds_browser_card
Nintendo DS Browser Card