Offline browsing

[prepbgg]

Some time ago we discussed in a separate thread whether it was possible to save web pages from the Browser app for browsing off-line when an internet connection was not available.

At the time the simplest workaround that was suggested involved emailing a link to oneself, opening the link and saving the web page on a PC, then copying the saved page to the Hero's SD card.

In fact, if all you want to save is the text content of a web page (without any pictures or other linked content), this can be done straight from the Hero Browser. Long-pressing on a link brings up various options including one, "Save link", which actually saves the target of the link to the downloads folder on the SD card. If the target is an html file then that file (and only that file) will be saved.

I still think it would be good to have a "save web page" option which saves not just the text but the images and other linked content as well. But, in the meantime, this "Save link" option is a good deal better than nothing.

 

[itsmoirob]

Use Opera Mini. That has a "Save page" option in its Menu|More settings. Save the page to SD Card and view whenever. Sounds like what you need.

 

[Andronix]

Use Opera Mini. That has a "Save page" option in its Menu|More settings. Save the page to SD Card and view whenever. Sounds like what you need.

now if only Opera release beta 5 for Android. Workaround with java runner doesn't work quite well...

 

[prepbgg]

Thanks for the tip about Opera

 

[prepbgg]

... however, I see that Opera seems to save the page in an obfuscated form (a hex file name of unknown file type). Why they should do that? It's not very friendly. What if I want to use a different Browser on my Hero or export to a PC and use Chrome or whatever?

 

[Eric Bishop]

iPhone already has a flippin' Kindle app, and Android can't even save web pages for offline viewing?!?!?! The "mobile experience" functional designers at Android should be ashamed of themselves and/or working for RadioShack. They probably debated the acceleration profile of the touch scrolling for longer than it would have taken a developer to code and test the "save web page" functionality. This situation is truly ridiculous.

Here's the reading list for my flight home today. Wikipedia articles on Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Steamboat Springs Colorado, and deisel enginees, Ariel Levy's article from the New Yorker on the Caster Semenya situation, and trio of WSJ articles related to US debt. On a 3-YEAR-OLD BlackBerry that I got out of a friend's junk drawer when my BB 8130 died, I was able to download 2 hours worth of reading material for my flight, during a 10 minute car ride home from lunch with my family.

I do this ALL THE TIME. When I hear about articles, issues, topics, subjects, etc. that are current or interesting or useful or whatever, I need to be able to fine them and file them on my phone so I can consume them AT WILL!

This is one of the "little things" that makes me wonder how I ever got on without a cell phone and makes me wonder what in the world they're doing over at Android that this feature isn't included. Are all the developers working on an App that cures cancer????

Can someone please confirm that the "Save Link" option from the Browser Menu will at least save the text of a web page for offline viewing? I've spent about 2 hours at the Verizon store this week messing with the HTC Eris but haven't found that feature. If I can save web page text for offline viewing, I'll probably but the HTC Eris from Verizon immediately.

Thanks, in advance for the help.

 

[lekky]

I can confirm that is exactly what you are looking for. Save link literally saved everything. All images text exactly as if the page was viewed online.

Nice rant btw, but you could have just asked nicely an saved all that effort typing for nothing! (Google devs DID prepare for this)

 

[Eric Bishop]

I can confirm that is exactly what you are looking for. Save link literally saved everything. All images text exactly as if the page was viewed online.

Nice rant btw, but you could have just asked nicely an saved all that effort typing for nothing! (Google devs DID prepare for this)

Thanks! Now I would like a Kindle app and a pony.

Seriously, though...though there's not a great way for someone to locally organize THE internet, one's phone/computer/netbook shouldn't keep them from locally organizing THEIR internet.

 

[prepbgg]

Save link literally saved everything. All images text exactly as if the page was viewed online.

How do you view the saved page with its images?

After I use the Save link option in the Browser a "Download history" notification appears ... if I tap the item I've just saved I'm invited to choose File Viewer or HTMLViewer; if I choose the latter all I see is the web page with blanks where the pictures should be.

If I use Astro file manager to view the contents of the "download" folder I can only see the html file. Where are the images stored?

 

[fieldy]

It's not exactly what the majority of users need though is it.....offline ain't really where things are heading.

Planes are starting to be WiFi enabled etc...

 

[prepbgg]

You're right ... it does seem to be the way the world is heading. I gather that Google plans that the Chrome OS will only work through an internet connection: there will be no apps or data stored locally.

However, there must be quite a number of users like Eric and me who need to store web pages for offline reading. In my case, this is because I spend quite a lot of my time in places where I have no internet access (in the countryside, for example) or abroad where I need to keep internet access to a minimum because of high roaming charges.

It must surely be very simple for the programmers to arrange for the Browser to store embedded images along with the html.

 

[lekky]

Ok, apologies for my previous post, i possibly had a data connection on whilst testing. However, you CAN download and view pages offline with opera mini 4.2. Have just tested this:

Download the app, menu > save page > save to your sd card

Open Opera offline > browse to bottom where it says "saved pages" and click on it

 

[prepbgg]

Oh, thanks. It's a shame the built-in Browser doesn't do it.

 

[byantovez]

the firefox browser saves webpages as pdf's for offline viewing in a much more organised format than the opera saved pages chaos. in the menu context, select site options and save as pdf...really simple and cool. you can also use the read on phone app to send webpages from your pc to your android for later reading.

 

[vertigojff]

Now you can do, very easy. Search Read Web Offline in the Market.

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vertigofreeware.readweb.offline

Read Web Offline allows you to download web pages and store them on your mobile or tablet (including images), then you can read them without being connected, also much faster than reading online through the internal viewer android html.

This application is completely free, you will need storage space on your android, especially if you download the images.

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