First look at Internet Explorer Mobile 6 for Windows Mobile

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Browsers

First look at Internet Explorer Mobile 6 for Windows Mobile

by Brad Linder Sep 26th 2008

Microsoft will be rolling out the first major upgrade to its mobile version of Internet Explorer since... well, practically ever. The version of Internet Explorer that ships with Windows Mobile devices is based on code from Internet Explorer 4. The new version will be based on the desktop version of Internet Explorer 6 and should be able to handle pretty much any web site you can view in IE6.

The::unwired got a handful of screenshots of Internet Explorer Mobile 6. And it looks like a pretty major upgrade. First, you can choose between desktop and mobile browsing modes. In desktop mode the browser will squeeze full web pages onto your PDA or Smartphone's small screen. In mobile mode, you'll get the mobile version of any web page that's optimized for mobile browsers.

There's certainly still room for improvement. Full desktop mode on the iPhone version of Safari or on the Opera Mini web browser manages to squeeze large pages onto small screens without the need for scrollbars. Yet Internet Explorer Mobile 6 requires a bit of side to side scrolling action.

Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is expected to be available as a free upgrade for Windows Mobile 6.1 users soon. But if you just can't wait, you might want to check out the Skyfire web browser for Windows Mobile. It's available today and supports the desktop version of Flash, which means it can handle YouTube videos and other Flash content all within the browser.

Tags: internet-explorer-6, internet-explorer-mobile-6, windows-mobile-6.1

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

James said 2:51PM on 9-26-2008

Also, the Opera 9.5 beta is pretty good. It's a memory hog, and takes forever to load, but drag scrolling and double-tap zoom really make the experience fluid (once you get there)

ob said 5:12PM on 9-26-2008

i personally like http://irisbrowser.com/ another free browser for wm

ntw1103 said 6:16PM on 9-26-2008

Hey, Thanks for pointing out this browser. It is awesome. very quick. Also it lets you use a cursor, so it works well on hover menus.

Scott said 6:14PM on 9-26-2008

I've tried several, and always come back to the ANB Web Viewer: http://www.anbsoftware.co.uk/viewproduct.php?id=11

Noel said 1:12PM on 9-29-2008

I don't see any reason why I shouldn't stick to opera. This is just wrong Microsoft......

Sunil said 3:23PM on 10-03-2008

I really like http:www.skyfire.com. This thing is cool. I don't know how they do it, but it's blazing fast and I can actually watch hulu without a hitch while working out.

gbg said 1:39PM on 10-06-2008

Thank you, this is great information!

SAMER AJAM said 8:13AM on 10-22-2008

thank you

Adam said 3:44PM on 11-12-2008

The new Opera Mini beta 4.2 i've been having fun with

Featured Time Waster

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

View more Time Wasters