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Torronsuo 3.2.0. Browser still seriously broken [answered]

asked 2019-11-12 23:44:45 +0200

cfgardiner gravatar image

On my first business trip to the Netherlands, I found the Dutch have a great web-app for figuring out the best way of getting from A to B, http://9292.nl/en. All you have to do is type in the start and destination address and time of departure/arrival. The native Sailfish browser just hangs as soon as you start typing in the address for A. (on J1)

Just checking my Jolla profile, I see I registered my first J1 on Dec. 16, 2013. Nearly six years and the native Sailfish browser is still as shitty and useless as ever!!! Are we ever going to get a native browser worth the name?

Sorry to say this Jolla but I think this comment here recently really hits the nail on the head, https://together.jolla.com/question/216301/jolla-what-is-wrong-with-you/ , even if your admins don't like it and have since marked it as "not a real question". Maybe it is not a real question but it is definitely a well-deserved kick in the ass.

I really do not get the impression that Jolla managers or developers use Sailfish as their primary device. If they did there would be much more effort in getting important things fixed instead of just constantly giving us new pulleys, colours and GUIs and considering this a major achievement. And, needing three to six months each cycle just to do these trivial changes.

Is there any chance you are going to get your act together in the forseeable future? It will be interesting to see just how long it takes this project, https://puri.sm, to overtake Jolla and indeed leave it far behind!

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The question has been closed for the following reason "the question is answered, an answer was accepted" by emva
close date 2019-11-15 15:49:41.769648

Comments

5

Agree with you 100% but be careful the Duplicate Police (@Edz) don't come hunting (moaning) you down.

jimjamz ( 2019-11-13 00:23:49 +0200 )edit
5

Ubuntu Touch went for a Chromium-based solution (QtWebEngine). Jolla could do something similar, iff they upgrade to a recent version of Qt. But it contributes to the browser monoculture, controlled by Google. Also, I'm not sure if it supports extensions. A basic browser is a recipe for severe privacy degradation these days. I'm using Firefox (on AlienDalvik), in part of its ability to protect privacy through several add-ons. Sync is broken, but apart from that, it works just fine on my XA2. Perhaps Jolla's devs and management went for the same route.

Apropos, Mozilla thought it was wise to create the next gen Firefox for Android without WebExtension-support. They got a lot of backlash on that, and they are now adding support for add-ons.

So yeah, the native browser is shitty, but the alternatives are not free of drawbacks either.

Fuzzillogic ( 2019-11-13 00:33:34 +0200 )edit
7

I agree 100%. The browser is and has always been USELESS. Spare me the excuses - without an up-to-date working browser, Sailfish is DEAD. It really annoys me to see the devs tinkering with the UI for every update (and always just making it worse compared to Sailfish 1) instead of putting limited manpower where it's needed the most.

Yes, I realize there are a lot of packages and dependencies that need to be worked on to update the browser. So just DO it. The browser is the heart of any "smartphone", and without a working one, just a useless brick.

And no, I will NOT install the Android layer to use an Android browser. I'm using Sailfish because I detest Android. If I wanted to use and Android browser I'd get an Android phone - something I have never done and will never do in my life.

bocephus ( 2019-11-13 07:20:29 +0200 )edit

@cfgardiner: I told something similar in my topic "Sailfish OS future outlook". I´ve been told I´m crying like little baby...So - I completely agree, but here is prohibited to talk about because truth is forbidden here. So, you have to use aliendalvik emulator and run opera mini or opera mobile or similar WORKING browser, because working native apps have no any priority, priority is working android emulator and emulating apps for Android. Sad but truth.

Malakay ( 2019-11-13 09:25:10 +0200 )edit
3

Since update to 3.2.0.12 I got the impression that the browser got even worse. There are a several pages that take ages to load or just stop loading half way. One of the web sites is http://wetter-online.de I can't see any changes on that page and Android browsers cope with it without any issues.

jollajo ( 2019-11-13 10:28:14 +0200 )edit

2 Answers

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14

answered 2019-11-13 14:00:14 +0200

rozgwi gravatar image

updated 2019-11-13 14:04:34 +0200

@cfgardiner:
just to point out: nthn, who closed the question mentioned by you, is a regular community member. So it's not quite so that an admin suppressed unwanted comments.
The problem, to me at least, is in fact reverse: Jolla does barely react, explain or issue statements that could help clarifying problems and questions like this.

I do bid you though to reflect upon 'the well deserverd kick in the ass' attitude. There are reasons for why updating the browser is slow.
It's a pity that information about technical and other difficulties is scattered around TJC, IRC and other places. Just generally hard to come by.
As has been pointed out numerous times to Jolla, Askbot is not fit for issue tracking and documentation of development processes.
Also that communication with community is lacking. I.e. helping to understand why certain things are slowed down by lack of manpower, technical requirements (such as QT 5.9/5.12).

If Jolla sees these things differently as we here in the community, 'kicking them in the ass' will certainly not change their opinion. Neither will it fix the issues we have. It will only worsen the climate in the community, will frustrate developers and potential community committers alike.

So, it's one thing to just shout out your opinion at someone. that's what I would've liked to do yesterday as my update failed miserably.
The other thing is to take the time to a) cool down a bit and b) reflect about what one wants to achieve by posting here. Ideally not just throwing out an opinion but a more well cosiderated judgement

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Comments

3

And just to add:

I really do not get the impression that Jolla managers or developers use Sailfish as their primary device.

I'm asking myself that frequently...especially with some annoying details like default tabs i'd change immediately (call history vs. dialer), configuration options missing (close swipe vs. top menu), reminders beyond 2 days for calendar events and so on.
Different taste is my attempt to rationalize

rozgwi ( 2019-11-13 14:14:49 +0200 )edit
1

Yes, using Sailfish or even looking at where UI/UX is heading. I detest the button-focused UI that is (was) Android and love the gesture-based that was SfOS 1. Seeing how Apple adopts more and more gestures for their mobile OS, validating the original Jolla design, while Jolla keeps adding buttons, to make Android adopters happy (while destroying a good design) frustrates me.

Mohjive ( 2019-11-15 10:10:43 +0200 )edit

Considering how small the eco-system for Sailfish and the Jolla Store still is, a functioning and responsive browser is paramount in order to view the mobile sites which do not have a native app or an Android port. For example, an Xperia 10 should not take 5 seconds to complete a search engine request. Given how integral it is to be able to browse mobile sites on a mobile phone, the state of the stock browser is disappointing.

dp ( 2020-05-23 00:38:35 +0200 )edit
10

answered 2019-11-13 11:00:29 +0200

dyraig gravatar image

Leaving the browser issues out for a moment: for this concrete application (OV9292), there is a much better solution than using the website (which is pretty bad in any browser, in my experience) - in Openrepos, there is an application called "Fahrplan", which not only works excellently with the data from ov9292.nl, but also with the data from bahn.de (and a few more across various countries). It is my main public transport app for NL and D at the moment.

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Asked: 2019-11-12 23:44:45 +0200

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Last updated: Nov 13 '19