Wii browser hands-on

So, as we well know, Nintendo finally released their internet channel (i.e. the Opera browser). We sat down for a bit to play with the thing, same as we did with the PS3 browser (say Microsoft, what, no Xbox browser? Make it Firefox-based, hm?), and gave it the once over. Now, granted, this is supposed to be a beta release, so we're expected to forgive them for the problems we encountered:

The good: Renders Ajaxy pages pretty well for the most part; fast as all get out; super easy to use; clicking with Wiimote is easier than we thought.
The bad: No "throbber," although there is a slightly delayed progress bar; most buttons don't do anything; scrolling with cursor position and B-button a little weird; no options; cursor got lost on us a couple times.
The ugly: Big black border around the browsing area that does nothing; no instant address bar access (you have to go all the way home); still no keyboard or mouse support.

Check out the fat image gallery!

Wii browser hands-on gallery

[shaf2k @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:40PM]

using it to write this comment. address bar is truly a minus.ca dpad could have been used for scrolling

[.ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:45PM]

hey everyone,

I'm DotEd, the guy who's face you see on the main Wii community portal page. (my.opera.com/community/wii/)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

It's going to be a busy holiday weekend for me, but it should be fun.

Thanks engadet for covering the story!

.ed

[bsm0f0 @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:49PM]

I have a question ... what's up with the trial? I was under the assumption from previous reports that the opera browser would be free until mid 07' (which it is ... in a beta of sorts). Not exactly "free" in my dictionary, but maybe my engrish is different from American engrish or Brittish engrish.

+1 for Firefox

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:59PM]

The trial is free.
It's more of a beta rather than trial, all of the input from users will go into making the final product design, so enjoy it now, and enjoy it more later.

It's still free until June 07.
The beta/trial is free (I am unaware of any limitation regarding time of avaiability)
the Final version will be avialable late March 07 for free until June 07.
the Final version will be 500 Wii Points after June 07 (about $5)

this isnt a contest for which browser people prefer to use.

[jw @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:53PM]

i managed to lock it up after about three minutes of usage - i was in bloglines and tried to expand a folder of feeds... FYI, it gets pretty fugly - the entire console became unresponsive. the wiimote doesn't do a thing, you can't exit the app, and the reset button on the front of the unit doesn't work. you have to hold the power button for a few seconds to hard-shutdown the wii.

so yeah. don't use bloglines.

[randy gonzalez @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:57PM]

im suprised no one said anything about the bottom bar thingy, it would be so much nicer to be able to push a button and hide the bottom bar thingy and then be able to press it again to bring it up. i dont know about you but i think it really takes up alot of space and is kind of pointless once you have a page up.

[Jonathan Sundy @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:59PM]

I dl'd it this morning, but I had to rush out to attempt to get to a toys'r'us for a gift Wii (unsuccessfully).

Anyway, 2 questions.

1) Did they improve the keyboard?? They system on-screen keyboard feels rushed. There REALLY needs to be a button for space and backspace. At the minimum B should be backspace. It would make typing much faster and I don't understand the oversight. The animal crossing keyboard on the GC was a much better implementation.

2) This scrolling you mention, does it function like pdf's and most map software, where you grab a location and pull the page?? If so I think that's very cool. As you pointed out though there is no reason not to have the d-pad work in conjunction. More options are always better.

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:06PM]

to scroll, you hold B and arrows show up, just ease toward the direction you want to scroll.

also there are Wii Gestures like mouse gestures, hold B and move left quick for Back and right for Forward respectively.

[MR @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:00PM]

Not impressed with the browser at all. The letters are barely readable without hitting the '+' key. Also hit a problem with password protected pages. You can enter username/password but no way to submit it!
In general, the resolution is just too low for the browser to be useful.

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:03PM]

press the 2 button.

[Jonathan Sundy @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:04PM]

PS
Does it have gesture based browsing? IIRC that was one of the defining features of Opera.

[Jonathan Sundy @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:07PM]

Very cool. I'm excited to play with it when I get home.

[MR @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:09PM]

How do you rearrange favorites? Would be nice to be able to drag them like the Mii's.

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:29PM]

right now, favorites show up as thumbnail previews on a seperate screen. this morning i did not see a way to add or move them, however that functionality may be added at any time. i can not confirm.

[.ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:14PM]

for whatever reason, the engadget page has decided between my posts to change my name from .ed to Ed. Note, i am not on Wii atm so this is not Wii related... probably just a thing with engadget's coment system, but I though i should clear that up so it didn't look like two people named Ed (.ed).

Also, before any more answers, I should say I do not work for Opera or Nintendo. I just happen to be in the loop and speak with the team because they like me. (enough to show me face to the gaming world with the launch of the software beta today)

regards,

Ed
.ed
DotEd

[Ben @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:16PM]

Does anyone know some of the Wii URLs?

If you use firefox and the useragent extension, you can emulate the browser agent of the Wii and look at some of the same stuff without it.

[mjparker75 @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:26PM]

.ed, there have been some problem with lockups and with YouTube not working... any thoughts? I experienced the lockups this morning, but have only recently heard (away from my wii) that YouTube has begun showing a flash version error after working fine this morning.

Thanks

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:35PM]

i can't say i've seen the youtube problems myself. but from what i've been reading thier traffic is way up today. i'm not suggesting that they cant handle the traffic, but what i am leaning to, personally, is that when you have hundreds of thousands of people accessing something on a new peice of sw, you're sure to have some people's lock up during a mass test of a beta version.

Opera for Wii (trial) runs the Opera 9 core, so there shouldnt be issues with rendering anything on a site like youtube. the lock ups seem to be more of an issue of detecting the plugin by the time the content is accessed. some people have simply refreshed the page and it works fine. again, these are only my guesses.

[Thanks Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:28PM]

Is there plans to integrate the D-pad? This would be great for scrolling or other features.
Thanks.

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:39PM]

i'm a fan of options myself, so d-pad scrolling would be cool. but if you start using it, B scrolling feels more natural, plus it can be analog, where dpad scrolling would have to be a fixed speed.

i'm sure they thought about d-pad scrolling, so if the community responds with a strong request to implement it, it may happen. personally i would prefer to have the D-pad be mapable to my top 4 favorites instead.

[mjparker75 @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:39PM]

There is an icon to manage favorites when you're in the favorites screen. Move, delete, etc.

[i really want the cingular 8125 @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:35PM]

Can someone please help me hook up my wireless internet on the Wii? I've been having extreme difficulties getting a connection; even though the Wii can find an access point. All 4 of my computers use the wireless internet flawlessly, and I just can't seem to get the right information so my Wii accepts it too. Please and thanks!

P.S., just reply to this comment since I'll get an e-mail when you reply!

[Jonathan Sundy @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:40PM]

From personal experience, the Wii won't access an AP using WEP with a key other than 1.

It's also possible that the wifi receiver on the Wii isn't strong enough to reach your AP. If it's not a WEP issue, try moving it closer for testing sake.

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:43PM]

if you don't have any WEP encryption, all defaults will work fine.

if you do, you will need to enter the WEP key that you set to access your wireless router into the Wii WEP key field... it's pretty straight forward but i've met a ton of people (or spoke with them online, rather) who completely forget they have blocked free access to thier routers (i.e. they use WEP encryption).

have you thought about this?

[Jose David Navas Jr. @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:11PM]

How about changing the channel on your Wireless Router. On the nintendo website, it says that switching it to channels 1 or 11 will help the Wii to connect. I did it and it worked well. Just try it out.

[John Gilman @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:33PM]

Be sure your router isn't set to only allow 802.11G devices on the network. The Wii is 802.11B, so be sure B devices can hop on.

[Treehouse @ Dec 22nd 2006 3:33PM]

I too had the same problem as you did. the Freking Wii would connect and disconnect and all sort of BS. to make your problem go away all you need to do is

Change the Channel on your WEP to 1 or 11 instead of 6 which default and it will work like a charm.

I dont understand why they coulndt impliment a laptop type of technology in to their wii, they are freking rich. sold out and selling like hot cakes. its reminds me of Tickle me Elmo back in the mid 90's

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:49PM]

my WEP key is "00000000000000000000000037"
"twenty four zeroes, then thirtyseven"
so i'm not sure why yours only lets you use "1" unless i misunderstood your post.

now everyone drive to my house and hack my gibson!

[i really want the cingular 8125 @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:41PM]

my.opera.com/community/wii/

[Jonathan Sundy @ Dec 22nd 2006 1:54PM]

In advanced router setup you can generally choose to use 1 of 4 key positions with wep. If you check under advanced settings I believe the term is "key position" and it's a drop down.

[Matt @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:05PM]

So, YouTube works fine? Why isn't there any USB keyboard/mouse support? Bluetooth mouse/keyboard support would also be cool, but I'm not expecting it and don't have either of those devices.
Flash 9 would be good as well.

[David @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:06PM]

I used it for about an hour this morning.

The Good:
Fast page rendering.
Page scrolling is smooth.
Flash support.
Zoom Function.

The Bad:
The blue arrows pointing out where unseen content is are way too big, and get in the way of content. (Maybe they could only show up when B is pressed).

The black border around the screen bugs me a bit. (Fullscreen please)

The navigation bar is also way too big, an auto-hide feature would be great.

When attempting to use any flash applet that streams an MP3 (i.e. using the listen feature in the podcast section off Digg) the browser resets to the homepage.

Wishlist:
Scalable zoom feature (i.e. hold the plus button, and move the remote up and down to scroll from 0 to 100% zoom, allows for custom zooming around YouTube, dl.tv video .etc.)

Streaming MP3 playback (both mp3 files and playlists) for use on audio blogs, and shoutcast, etc.)

Ability to save MP3's, pictures, for viewing in the Wii picture channel.

[eveljkov @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:15PM]

I havent had a chance to try it out as my internet connection is still out from the big wind here in Seattle.

is there a way (or someplace) to report bugs?

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:24PM]

report bugs with this link: http://www.opera.com/support/bugs/index.dml

[Danny @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:17PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcoBGy8iuq0

[Ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:34PM]

ok guys, I'm off for now, any more questions please send me a PM from my blog, or an email if you have my address. I will be doing some last minute christmas shopping so ill only have my mobile.

enjoy Wii browsing. and thanks again engadget.

.ed

[Shibathedog @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:56PM]

I havent actually tried it, but maybe the navigation bars and everything are so big so people with SDTVs can actually read them, because they actually had some SDTVs to test it on...unlike SOME PEOPLE...

lol just a thought though, not trying to be a fanboy (I havent gotten a Wii yet, i want one so bad though, i NEED that new Zelda)

[dov @ Dec 22nd 2006 4:39PM]

nintendo = toy factory
Opera sux as is.. :D
what did you expect?

I'm more fancy about Firefox on a PS3.. :D

[acook @ Dec 22nd 2006 5:05PM]

Hey im from Australia and I got to have a go with this browser yesterday and even though alot of people are complaining about the keyboard, really it ain't too bad. you have to take in consideration that you are using a remote so its going to be a little tricky but after a while you can get pretty fluent with it. The fact that you can go onto YouTube or play flash games with little or no fuss is pretty sweet. I reckon that the full version will be pretty impressive after they tweak the looks & boarder (maybe some cool art instead of black) and make it easier to navigate with the Resolution I know i'll buy it!

[nuno @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:55PM]

I am very upset that the browser is not free. I mean free free not this beta crap. I mean sony is loosing tons of money on their PS3 and at least their browser is free. Nintendo adds motion detection to the gamecube and wont give away the browser. Sucks .

[mrwhite @ Dec 23rd 2006 7:51PM]

No problems here with my wireless, I'm using an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station set to WPA2 encryption (much better than WEP), the Wii found the base station, asked for the password and bam! online.

As for the Opera browser, it did everything I wanted it to do and I also realize this is a "beta" so enhancements will come. Be patient and remember this is a gaming console, not a computer.

[Chris @ Dec 28th 2006 3:44AM]

Tried it yesterday, had a few problems.

1) Text fields on AJAX-heavy pages were impossible to use; when I clicked on them, the on-screen keyboard would pop up for about half a second and slide away. I had to press 2 (which I believe disables AJAX, CSS, and other presentation markup) to use them.

2) There's no way to press Enter on forms that have no submit button! You can insert a carriage return in the form via the on-screen keyboard, but that's not the same thing. Makes it impossible to use things like Meebo.

[jster23 @ Dec 29th 2006 5:15PM]

My dad just got me a 60inch hdtv with a xbox360 wii and the ps3

ha i got my ps3 and the wii on there frist day with out waiting line

every one else had to wait in line hahahaha poor people
losers who had to wait in line

P.S IM JOKING

[Steve @ Dec 30th 2006 9:57PM]

I downloaded the Opera browser today, twice in fact. Whenever I run it, it seems to reset the video connection every 20 or 30 seconds, or something. My screen goes black, then the image comes up all wavy and screwed up, then it finally displays ok, but only for a little while. When the image rights itself, my HDTV resets itself to 4x3 mode, from 16x9 where I had it. The browser is therefore unusable for me.

Has anyone else had problems using the browser today on a hi-def TV?

I have a very new Sony KDL40XB2 HDTV, and I have the Wii hooked up with component cables to a System Selector, then to an Denon AVR unit, then to the TV - all video connections are component cables.

Any help you can offer would be appreciated.

[nathan @ Dec 31st 2006 11:02PM]

can u hack the wireless for the controller to work with a wireless keyboard cuz tht would be handy