Nintendo DS Browser (Nintendo DS Lite)

For DS Lite Only, will not work with the old style DS console

At home...
If you have a broadband internet connection and a wireless LAn access point in your home, you`ll be able to use the internet anywhere in your home. You can also use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connector (sold seperately).

Out & About...
Around town, you`ll have internet access at you finger tips wherever there`s a hotspot access point.


Specifications
Browser Engine: Opera 8.5
Formats Supported: HTML, XHTML, ECMAScript, CSS (some functions won`t be fully supported) SSL 2.0/3.0, TLS 1.0 (Depending on the website, some of them cannot be used)
Formats Not Supported: Flash, Movie Files, Sound Files, PDFFiles and other files that require plug-in

The requirements of this product
Internet + wireless LAN access point
or
Windows XP with broadband internet + Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
 

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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t 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 console’s life.

The bottom line:
Surf the Web on the move, but don’t expect an entirely smooth ride. -HARRISON DENT