As we promised (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4294) you last week, ACCESS (http://nfppc.access.co.jp/english/) has just released the English version of its embedded web-browser for Pocket PC, NetFront 3.2!

Edit: Alex attached some impressive screenshots of NetFront to this thread.

Edit 2: Discounts for registered 3.1 users apply but we don't know yet how much you'll save.

Edit 3: Upgrade fee from 3.1 to 3.2 is USD $14.

Edit 4: Use ACNF38529 as a checkout code to receive a USD $10 discount.

NetFront v3.2 with JV-Lite2 Rel1.01 includes advanced features such as Rapid-Render, Smart-Fit Rendering, Multi-Window, Auto-Cruise, Java applets support with JV-Lite2 VM, and Flash support. See attached file for a full feature list and changelog.

You can download the trial (http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=18366) via PocketGear. If you decide to buy it, use ACNF38529 as a limited time discount code (silly PocketGear wouldn't tell me the amount of the discount unless I ordered the product).

I love this browser! Not only is it at least 10x faster than Pocket IE, but look how beautiful it renders non-mobile websites!

Screenshots 1-5: Just-Fit Rendering/Full Browsing/+75% Zoom
Screenshots 6-7: Just-Fit Rendering/Text Browsing/+75% Zoom

Do you see the GoogleAds in Screenshot 1? Yes, here we are speaking about real Javascript support. Pocket IE wouldn't display these.

The mode 'Text Browsing' is also worth mentioning. Non-mobile websites load just as fast as mobile-optimized. Using NetFront 3.2, forget about external proxies such as Skweezer. This is the real thing! ;)

Very nice, one hopes an upate for Palm will be soon.

Lindsey Dyson
Deputy Editor PalmAddict
Personal Asistant to Sammual McLoughlin
Welcoming over 40,000 visitors a day to Palm Addict

So what are the updates that make this product worth the $14 to upgrade from version 3.1 to 3.2? Why should I part with my hard earned cash?

Edit - Nice screen shots by the way. Thank you for that effort! Greatly appreciated. :kid:

From the readme:

7. Changes from NetFront v3.1 for Pocket PC
--------------------------------------------
(1) Browsing mode
* In addition to Full Browsing mode, the following modes have been added:
- Text Browsing
- Simple Browsing
- Rapid-Render

(2) Certificate Manager
* Added features to perform more detailed settings and management
for SSL certificates
* Added support for importing client certificates, and client authentication.

(3) Other improvements
* Operations for items such as bookmarks
To execute an item such as a bookmark, you had to tap the screen twice
in the earlier versions. In this version, you can use the ENTER key to
execute an item.
Opening a folder can be done with the right cursor button, and
closing a folder can be done with the left cursor button.

* Operations for tabbed windows
Added a close button on tabbed windows.

* Cache mode
Added "Network first only on startup" in addition to
"Cache first".

* Saving format for Auto-Cruise
In earlier versions, Auto-Cruise data was saved in a unique
format. In this version, the saving format for Auto-Cruise data
has been changed to .mht, the same format used for page memos.

I'd say the new browser modes (text/simple/rapid) and lots of bug fixes make this a valuable upgrade... of course only if you do a lot of mobile browsing.

The discount code is worth $10, fyi. Thanks for sharing it!

Be seeing you,
The Duck

The discount code is worth $10, fyi. Thanks for sharing it!

Be seeing you,
The Duck
Thank you I just purchased it.

I love this browser! Not only is it at least 10x faster than Pocket IE, but look how beautiful it renders non-mobile websites!

Screenshots 1-5: Just-Fit Rendering/Full Browsing/+75% Zoom
Screenshots 6-7: Just-Fit Rendering/Text Browsing/+75% Zoom

Do you see the GoogleAds in Screenshot 1? Yes, here we are speaking about real Javascript support. Pocket IE wouldn't display these.

The mode 'Text Browsing' is also worth mentioning. Non-mobile websites load just as fast as mobile-optimized. Using NetFront 3.2, forget about external proxies such as Skweezer. This is the real thing! ;)

I just purchased and installed. Running in QVGA mode, NetFront seems to default to a Times Roman style font. Is this normal?

Alexander, were you running in VGA mode (ozVGA or something) when doing the screen captures?

-AJ

AJ, yes those shots were taking in VGA mode... I forgot to mention that since I am actually used to using this mode all the time (I cannot remember the last time I switched back to QVGA).

Regarding your font issue try this: Go to Tools -> Browser Setting -> View. Click on "Change" in the Font field. In the new Font window, click on "Use proportional font" and then choose "Tahoma" as Font name. That should do.

I've heard you still have to apply the VGA-aware hack to NetFront 3.2 and delete the NF32ResVGA.dll file that comes with it if you want to run in QVGA mode. Not sure.

Actually reports on aximsite say that the hack looks the same as 3.1 with the big address bar and everything. It is somewhat disappointing that it is not VGA compatible, esp. after the Toshiba e800 has been out for so long and it had VGA mode way back when.

Oh well, i guess Ill wait before I pull the trigger.

On their support site (Japanese), they talk about (http://www.access.co.jp/ppc/bbs/ibbs.cgi?namber=915&mode=res&page=&no=0&IN=932) considering true VGA support after NetFront 3.3. I think by NetFront 3.3 they mean the oem version (http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2005/01/netfront_33_eng.html) that is already out. Let's hope so, and that the next version after the just released 3.2 will be 3.4 or something like that, at least with full VGA support.

AJ, yes those shots were taking in VGA mode... I forgot to mention that since I am actually used to using this mode all the time (I cannot remember the last time I switched back to QVGA).

Regarding your font issue try this: Go to Tools -> Browser Setting -> View. Click on "Change" in the Font field. In the new Font window, click on "Use proportional font" and then choose "Tahoma" as Font name. That should do.

I've heard you still have to apply the VGA-aware hack to NetFront 3.2 and delete the NF32ResVGA.dll file that comes with it if you want to run in QVGA mode. Not sure.

Oh yeah, that did the trick. Thanks Alex... much appreciated.

I'm slightly confused about this new "smart-fit" feature. Exactly how does it differ from "just-fit"? And why should I use "rapid-render"? Smart, rapid, ... it's enough to make the head spin!

-AJ

I've just got to get myself a PPC. Too much excellent software out there now. My palm is feeling decidedly second rate.

BTW, I love the screenshot from palmsource being used to show off a ppc browser :) !!!

Forgot to ask Alex, are you using ozVGA? If so, what settings do you use for VGA mode?

-AJ

@victorypoint: ACCESS just updated their website (http://nfppc.access.co.jp/english/)... here is what they say:

Rapid-RenderTM
Speeds up displaying the Web site by displaying Web contents gradually while downloading the remaining contents.

Smart-Fit RenderingTM
According to the screen size of the PDA, this function repositions and resizes various Web sites on the Internet so that you can view them easily on your PDA screen. Since you can browse general sites without using the horizontal scroll bar, browsing is convenient and easy.

As to how the latter is different to just-fit... I am not sure. Just-fit usually works better for me.

As to my ozVGA settings:
SEvga
Menu&Bar Font 800 (Bold checked)
System Font 900
Hor. Scrollbar 13
Ver. Scrollbar 13
Min Scrl Thum 13

ozVGA
Menu&Bar Font 900 (Bold checked)
System Font 1080
Hor. Scrollbar 19
Ver. Scrollbar 19
Min Scrl Thum 19

Font Arrays:
SEvga: 500,600,650,800,1000
ozVGA: 900,1080,1170,1440,1800

I also added Resco Explorer to the Registry tab to allow for two separate resolution-dependent registry entries.

@bruce: it didn't even occur to me... but now it's out. Even though I own a PPC, I still prefer surfing Palm-related websites!

As to my ozVGA settings:
SEvga
Menu&Bar Font 800 (Bold checked)
System Font 900
Hor. Scrollbar 13
Ver. Scrollbar 13
Min Scrl Thum 13

ozVGA
Menu&Bar Font 900 (Bold checked)
System Font 1080
Hor. Scrollbar 19
Ver. Scrollbar 19
Min Scrl Thum 19

Font Arrays:
SEvga: 500,600,650,800,1000
ozVGA: 900,1080,1170,1440,1800


Great ozVGA settings Alex. Thank very much. I have no idea what the Font Array values do. Any documentation on this?

-AJ

The font array is a relative measurement for font sizes when you use smallest, small, medium, larger, largest.

The font array is a relative measurement for font sizes when you use smallest, small, medium, larger, largest.

Aha! Thanks man. Any idea how to configure NF3.2 to launch WMP when clicking on WMV links? I added WMV and wmplayer.exe in the External App section of the Helper tab and relauched NF but it still doesn't fire up WMP. Am I missing another setting?

-AJ