Quick Look: Opera Widgets for Windows Mobile!

Posted by: Peter Murphy on Oct 22 2008

I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve been a fan of browser widgets, on the PC or the mobile. Since I had a look at the NFB Widgets earlier.

I’m nothing though, if not consistent, so a better look at Opera’s new widgety offering is warranted. 

One thing that is really neat, is the ability to create your own widgets from the desktop in a simple three step wizard [Widgetize].

I am going to concentrate on the initial mobile offering here, and not expand on the desktop version too much.

It’s quite surprising, and due to the limitations of the test device I’m using, I’ll reserve judgement and just show you what I can see without the whining about memory limitations.

 

 

So when you install the Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta 2, it also installs the widget app, which is a separate application built on/into the Opera Mobile Browser technology.

By default there are several pre-installed widgets, as you can see pictured above. One of the things that’s happening here though is that when you launch the widgets an Opera 9.5 Beta browser launches in the background. Then the widget opens in that window when you select it. Which can end up in a lot of tabs being open, and the dreaded OOM message popping up.

Most of the widgets worked first time I tried them, though, which was a nice surprise. and the process of adding new widgets was as easy as going to a page and selecting which widget you wanted to use. Clicking on it and it downloads to your device.

 
There’s quite a range of them as well.

[Click on the images above for the enlarged version]

In the end I’d say Opera have done a very successful job porting the widgets you’d most likely be familiar with from your desktop browser to your mobile, and if you have a device that’ll run opera Mobile with ease, there are a few of these widgets that may make great mobile tools such as calendars and tasks and even a shopping list widget. Use of these more customizable widgets, require you to have a my Opera account, but that’s not a high price to pay for the use of these  productivity boosters. remembering that this is still in beta, it’s worth trying out, as it’ll only get better.

Opera Widgets

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