FIGURE P


This is how the New York Times looks in Internet Explorer. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The complexity of the New York Times site proves to be too much for both EudoraWeb and PocketLink. EudoraWeb only displays the left-hand navigation column, omitting the news content entirely, as shown in Figure Q.

FIGURE Q

EudoraWeb fails at displaying the New York Times.

PocketLink does a little better, but is unable to handle the size of the page, as shown in Figure R.

FIGURE R

Here, the New York Times is displayed by PocketLink.

Both Xiino and Blazer performed very well on the New York Times. I have a slight preference for the way Blazer re-flows the columns, but both are very usable and complete. Both browsers also display all the images associated with articles. Blazer seemed faster in rendering sub-regions of the rather large page.

Xiino is shown in Figure S.

FIGURE S

Xiino displays the New York Times well.

Blazer is shown in Figure T.

FIGURE T

Blazer also did well with the New York Times.

Conclusion
All in all, the capabilities of Xiino and Blazer are pretty amazing for the platform. I have a slight preference for Blazer based on its horizontal scrolling, somewhat more intelligent image scaling, and outstanding documentation. Xiino could also take a usability hint from Blazer and PocketLink in the shortcut buttons for commonly typed sequences, like "www." and ".com". PocketLink has respectable capabilities, but it needs to mature to demand its comparable price. EudoraWeb is a sturdy but limited entry for the minimalist with email integration needs.

Steve Niles is Senior Editor for ZATZ Publishing. He is also an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. For more information, visit http://www.sn-films.com.