Bedrock Browser Release Notes

+ +

+ Release Notes for
+ Bedrock Browser Alpha III +

+ Updated: 9-Apr-2010
+ +
NOTE: These release notes were current as of the time the software was packaged for release. For up-to-date release notes, visit the Browser Team's Wiki pages. +
+

Overview of the Release:

The Bedrock Browser is Nokia's latest web browser based on the latest open-source WebKit + engine and built using the Qt application framework.

The Bedrock project's mission is to provide a fast, easy to use, web-standards based browser + that can compete alongside the best of the mobile browsers.

This release of Bedrock is the Alpha 3 release. While the functionality has certainly has been enhanced + since the Alpha 1 and 2 releases (which were released to a very limited audience) and the performance has also been improved over previous releases, + the performance is still behind where we want and need it to be.

Please review the rest of the Release Notes and provide feedback on this release via the feedback mechanisms available from the Welcome page (press Back) + or on the Backstage site.

Target Platforms/Devices:

The Bedrock Browser is released as a signed SIS package that can be installed on N97 devices. We recommend using a CE device with the latest + firmware patches as opposed to an R&D / prototype devices.

Prerequisites:

Nokia N97 device, consumer version (CE) recommended. Use this release on an R&D / prototype device at your own risk.
Latest platform software loaded/updated onto the device. This release has been tested with: N97 Software Version 12.0.024 dated 04/08/09
Sufficient free space (12-15 MB minimum) on C: drive. HINT: Open the platform browser and clear your browser cache - you'll free up a few MB that way.
NOTE: It is required for this release that you install ALL of the provided software packages on the C: drive.
NOTE: If you had previously installed the Alpha 1 or 2 release OR any version of the Qt framework, please review the installation notes carefully and remove older components from your device as directed.
Default network setup on the device. The N97 connection settings must contain a default Destination Network of "Internet" that contains the proper access points (APs). The browser will connect to the network via this "Internet" Destination Network.
IMPORTANT: Ensure that the default access point (as defined in the connection settings for the Destination Network) is available when running the Bedrock browser. There have been cases where an unavailable WLAN AP prevented loading of pages.

Functionality to Evaluate:

+ The following features are a few we encourage you to try out! +

Bookmarking: Add a bookmark by visiting the Bookmarks view and pressing the + button. This will add the current page to your bookmark list.
Most Visited: Press the "Stars" button in the lower right of the main content view to show thumbnails of your most visited pages. After browsing the same pages multiple times, confirm that the Most Visited thumbnails represent your most visited pages!
History: The browser captures page view history in chronilogical groupings. Press the Menu button and choose the History view. Expand and collapse the date groupings. Try clearing all your history using the button in the lower-right of that view.
Searching from URL Entry bar: The URL Entry text field isn't just for entering web page addresses! Try entering a search term like "ski the alps" and the browser will provide search results!
Zooming: Basic incremental zoom-in/zoom-out is available by pressing the zoom button on the main toolbar. Two zoom buttons will then be displayed for zooming in and out.
Zooming: Double-tap "fit-to-block" zooming will zoom/focus in on a block of text or an image. Please also try and give us feedback on Zooming back out using a double-tap gesture.
Viewport scaling: The browser now supports the meta tag options for setting the viewport (display area) for the web page. See below for limitations/impacts. Google "meta viewport" for details on this feature. If you know of sites that use this feature, please try them with the browser.
Windows View: Tap the "Windows" button on the toolbar to open the windows manager and add a new window. Then return to switch between windows.
Session Restore: The browser will restore the previous session including session history in each of any open windows. Try opening multiple windows and browse multiple pages in each. Then exit the browser (red "end" key) and then launch the browser again. All your windows and history should be restored!
Standards Tests: The WebKit engine in this release has been updated and is now doing a much better job on standards tests (like ACID3).
Virtual Keyboard: The Virtual Keyboard should now work OK in portrait (tall) mode of the browser. There still may be some usablity issues, however, when using the VKB to enter text.

Known Limitations:

WebKit Performance: Although improved, there are a number of known issues with the Qt WebKit used in the release of Bedrock.
Out of Memory Handling: Handling of low memory conditions is not yet optimized for browsing large web pages. In some case, loading large or image-intensive pages can cause the browser to lock-up or crash. Please report the sites/pages to us if you experience this.
UI Performance: We are still evaluating and responding to performance issues. When using this Alpha release, please be patient when performing actions. Avoid repeating the same actions quickly in response to a lack of response. Once a button or link is pressed or a touch gesture is applied, it may take some time for the resulting action to be reflected in the UI. Also, sometimes touch gestures are "lost" and you may need to repeat them to activate the control.
Radio Buttons on web pages may not appear: There is a known issue with radio buttons: depending on the UI "theme" used on the device in combination with the zoom factor of the browser and/or page, radio buttons may not be rendered. If you notice this problem, try setting your General Theme to "Nseries 3"
Cursor disappears from URL Entry bar (and other text fields) when editing: This is a known bug that can definitely make it challenging to enter text. Use the hardware keyboard navi-key to scroll inside a text area.
Battery and Signal Strength indicators on the status bar (top) are not "live" and will not update: Don't trust them. Or, consider it a new feature - infinite battery life!
Text Prediction / T9 Issues: Please be sure that when entering any text into any edit field (especially the URL entry box!) that text prediction is turned OFF.

END OF RELEASE NOTES

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