Web Browsers on Video Game Consoles

[Joe Redifer]

I figure I'd post my comparison of the Saturn Netlink, Dreamcast, Wii and Playstation 3 web browsers.

http://www.the-magicbox.com/forums/showthread.php?p=464447#post464447

Why browse with a computer when you can browse with a console instead?

[MissaFX]

What about the PSP and DS?  Both of these majorly supported handhelds can browse the web.

[Joe Redifer]

They were probably omitted since the article was about consoles. 

[esteban]

I figure I'd post my comparison of the Saturn Netlink, Dreamcast, Wii and Playstation 3 web browsers.

http://www.the-magicbox.com/forums/showthread.php?p=464447#post464447

Why browse with a computer when you can browse with a console instead?

Joe, I enjoyed every pixel of your review. I even appreciated the screenshots you took (self-references and TG-16 references)! Ha!

Pure delight.

[Kitsunexus]

Why browse with a computer when you can browse with a console instead?

Because I like keyboard and mouse, a browser with plugins and upgrades, the ability to watch Youtube videos without them sucking (I am speaking graphics-wise, not content-wise), being able to minimize the browser and doing something else, etc...

Also, never EVER depend on portable game browsers (or even HTML-capable mobile devices). I was sitting in a Burger King out of town two days ago, and due to some financial troubles, I needed to check my bank account online for an itemized list of transactions, no computer in sight. Luckily (or so I thought) I had charged my PSP and brought it with me. When I FINALLY manage to type in my password and username in (you may think it's short on PC, but PSP makes it feel 10x longer) I was greeted by my bank telling me that they do not support my browser, so I was left to getting all my receipts and adding them up on my cellphone calculator. >_<

[nodtveidt]

Kitsu, that's just your bank being a twat. Bank website developers are usually shitheads in college, doing an internship and getting a bank page job (which they won't be paid for). Said college gets grants from Microsoft, and the website in question requires IE because of it...probably built in Frontpage, using all kinds of illegal IE extensions like this one.

[Kitsunexus]

Kitsu, that's just your bank being a twat. Bank website developers are usually shitheads in college, doing an internship and getting a bank page job (which they won't be paid for). Said college gets grants from Microsoft, and the website in question requires IE because of it...probably built in Frontpage, using all kinds of illegal IE extensions like this one.

https://www.wellsfargo.com/ < looks pretty pro to me.

[guyjin]

your free cash for being awesome is in the mail.

[nat]

Wait a minute. The Wii browser costs money? That must be new-- when I got my Wii I didn't have to pay anything, I don't think. Or are they charging my account as I type?

[Mobius]

Wait a minute. The Wii browser costs money? That must be new-- when I got my Wii I didn't have to pay anything, I don't think. Or are they charging my account as I type?

There was a freebie period, which is over now.  If you downloaded it while it was free, it's free forever.  But if anyone downloads it now for the first time, there's a charge.

[Black Tiger]

I'm pretty sure that there was at least one newer browser for the Saturn Netlink, I belive that the major new feature it had was supporting frames. I was able to actually play a few sound files I found online with the Netlink.

The Netlink was my first access to the internet, which I used for years until I got a Dreamcast which I surfed with for about a year until I finally got my first computer.

[Joe Redifer]

Ha ha, now I remember that new "frames" feature.  Oh man!  I also remember playing very limited sound files (usually AIFF, I think) on the Netlink and DC browsers.  Netlink pissed me off since I was an AOL member and could not use that as my ISP, so I had to go with crappy Concentric.

[ceti alpha]

Ha! I just finished talking about the issues with browsing youtube on the Xbox in another thread.

Sucks that Nintendo is charging for the youtube service now. 

[SignOfZeta]

I'm pretty sure that there was at least one newer browser for the Saturn Netlink, I belive that the major new feature it had was supporting frames. I was able to actually play a few sound files I found online with the Netlink.

The Netlink was my first access to the internet, which I used for years until I got a Dreamcast which I surfed with for about a year until I finally got my first computer.

Yeah, you could either get the newer version by booting the original and then upgrading from Planet Web's site every time you used it (makes an already slow system even slower) or by getting it on a CD from Planet Web. It was definitely better than the original, but probably wouldn't work with %90 of today's websites.

Does anyone know what browser was used in Japan, if any? The Netlink was marketed there as XBand, and I have the hardware, as well as some of the software, but I'm not sure I ever saw an actual Japanese web browser for Saturn before.

BTW, the only web browser on a console I can see using these days is Opera on Wii simply because of all the time I've pissed away watching Youtube on the Wii. Something about the Wiimote and Youtube...they just go perfectly together.

[_joshuaTurbo]

Awesome review!!!!  I'm Actually pictured in two of his pics!

Can you guess which ones?

I wish I could have tried the Saturn Net Link back in the day...