Fennec takes a whopping 24MB storage space to install. Since, it is available for only HTC TOUCH PRO at the moment, the storage space should not be a big problem. It takes nearly 25-30 secs to start the application, which is unacceptable for any mobile device. Opera Mobile 9.5 takes somewhere between 4-7 seconds, which is the maximum time any mobile application should take.
So, how does it work? Well, first of all, you need to take that keyboard out just to type the URL as currently it does not support any SIP. This alone rules out keyboard-less devices in the market. Regarding its performance, it is seriously bad. It crashed on every desktop website I tried. I tried to open these websites on the HTC TOUCH PRO:
- ApoTheTech.com
- Engadget.com
- EngadgetMobile.com
- Mozilla.org
Out of all these, only Mozilla.org opened and that too over a long duration. By long duration, I mean nearly 2 minutes over a fairly fast WiFi connection. All the other sites just crash the application and it quits. Here are a couple of screenshots that I took with my HTC TOUCH PRO.
CONCLUSION: Although the release is pre-alpha (milestone), but if it is unable to open any desktop website except Mozilla.org, then why release it even?
If you wish, you can download the CAB file directly from here
Note: You need to copy the CAB file to the device and execute it from there to start the installation
Note to HTC DIAMOND users: You can install the CAB file, but you would not be able to enter any URL since it does not support SIPs (soft input panel) yet. Alternative way to enter text is via connecting it to your desktop and using activesync+pocket controller combo.
We know it would be unfair to battle Asus Eee PC S101 against Sony Vaio TZ, which is actually a highend ultra-portable. Although the S101 is considered expensive in the netbook world, but it is around $1000 cheaper than the VAIO TZ. The Vaio TZ has strong points like higher resolution screen(1366*768) and steller 7 hour battery life, but S101 has its strong points too. The EEE S101 is slimmer and it has a larger and better trackpad. Although the resolution is netbook-ish (1024 x 600), but then, it will save you a $1000 too!
