Targeting the wide range of mobile phones running Java/J2ME, Bitstream previewed its newest embedded Web-browser at the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas this week. The Java/J2ME version of Thunderhawk features a reduced footprint of under 100KB, along with a more compact data transport format, according to the… company.

By supporting Java/J2ME-equipped devices, Bitstream evidently aims to greatly expand the market opportunity for Thunderhawk. According to rival mobile Web-browser vendor Opera Software, there are some 700 million low- and mid-range mobile phones that are capable of running Java applications.

Bitstream says its Thunderhawk browsers don't “repurpose, reformat, or remove content so it will fit on small screen devices,” but display full HTML Web pages just as they would appear on a desktop computer.

ThunderHawk is based on a client/server architecture that combines a server infrastructure with a small piece of code that runs on the handheld device. According to the company, the server infrastructure reduces complexity on the handheld device, and also transmits web content in a more compact format to the device, enabling fast and full-featured wireless web browsing.

“The scalable server end provides a high degree of Web standards compliance,” Bitstream said. “Data is transmitted to the mobile phone in a compressed transport format, resulting in the fast download and display of Website content.”

Opera recently introduced a Java-oriented Web browsing technology for mobile devices that splits the browser functionality into a compact client component along with a remote service. Unlike Bitstream's ThunderHawk, however, Opera's Opera Mini is available for free download, and works in conjunction with a free online service provided by Opera. Like ThunderHawk, Opera Mini provides page zooming functions.

The Thunderhawk Java/J2ME follows by less than two months the ThunderHawk Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Edition introduced in February.

 
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