This is one of the main issues that I've always been ranting about to SE. And it's definitely an issue everyone should know about before going for a one of Sony Ericsson's flagship smartphones.
For a platform that should be user-friendly given it's cost for the business consumer, it's absolutely ridiculous how DIFFICULT it is to change your homepage on your browser. Yes - you're stuck with that annoying, sh***y page from SE, or one your operator has set - and NO, SE does not give you an option to change it on the Settings screen.
It's even worse when Opera themselves confirm the issue, and reply with the following answer:
There is no functionality for that, I'm afraid.So, you're probably hoping that there's a way around this. It's got to be a sick joke right? A fully fledged flagship, from one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, doesn't have the measly ability to let its customer's change its homepage on the product?
The home page is either the one pre-configured for the phone or a page set by the network operator.
I've scouted the forums for several months, and apparently there's 2 "miracles" around this issue:
- Synchronise your bookmarks/favourites with your Windows ones. The top bookmark in your list will become the homepage, so take some time to configure and organise your bookmarks. I believe this is done via the PC Suite - I myself happen to be a fulltime Mac user, so I haven't had the chance to test this method out. For more information, you might want to talk to a few of the kind souls at Esato Forums.
- Changing the settings via Swiss Manager. There just happens to be a feature in Swiss Manager which allows you specify the Start page to open when you use the web favourite. However, it doesn't mean that the change is made to the Opera browser - quite the contrary, you'll have to open the web browser from Swiss Manager each time to get that as your homepage on the built-in browser.
The thinking in the phone- industry that results in these limitations is a problem, no doubt about that.
So, the phone- companies sponsor the phone- makers to give them hits back on their wap- pages - while inconveniencing their users in the process, and making them more hostile to the services their phone- providers offer.
While SE on the other hand, doesn't know how to program a solution without absolute references.
So, for instance, when they try to make use of a more broad developer- model, outsourcing certain program- functionality to various external developers - the integration between the solutions are virtually non- existstent. And when that is the case on a smartphone, it simply shows SE's incompetence both when it comes to implementing their solutions, as well as in their planning.
But - then it's of course rewarding to be told by the phone- companies, at least, that you're doing a great job.
Of course - who am I kidding: SE, by their own choice, doesn't have contact with the ones who buy their handsets in the first place.
So why shouldn't they choose solutions exactly like this, and continue to be a mediocre handset- maker?
its also working with Gdesk shortcuts!!
I have found a work around for the Opera start page issue on the SE P1i. I just replaced my Web icon with "Web Page" and selected Google as my web page. Now when ever I press the Web Page icon (that looks like the Web icon) I go right to Google.
Hope that helps!
There is no such thing as homepage. There are only bookmarks, and the very first bookmark acts as a homepage. So just go to the bookmark list in browser's menu and change it to whatever homepage you want. Easy.