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Comment by sspiff | Hacker News Reader

This promo site is a bit blurry on what it actually does. A browser with a focus on gestures sounds like it could be very useful, if done right. I haven't seen that many apps or platforms get gestures "right" though.

I wonder what this browser is built from (Blink? What JS runtime?)

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Apple's app store doesn't allow apps that execute downloaded JavaScript without using the system WebKit library.

And it doesn't run the JIT compiler. Which means all 3rd party browsers in non-jailbroken iOS are slower than Safari and Phonegap apps are a lot slower than native apps.

I had heard about the JS runtime restriction (which is why I was interested if Opera had avoided it somehow), but never heard about the JIT restriction. Is the JIT disabled for all third party apps?

I was going to make a joke about Soviet app stores, but realized this isn't the place.

The JIT restriction is because the OS won't let you mark data pages as executable for security reasons (Safari, as a trusted app, is the only exception).

EDIT: changed wording for clarity

Thanks for clarifying. I learned something new today.

Just noting that a "Nitrous", available on Cydia for jailbroken iPads, enables Nitro (JIT compiler for Safari) on all browsers.

It means javascript execution is slower in 3rd-party browsers. They can make up for that by e.g. using better networking libraries: http://www.guypo.com/mobile/ios-browsers-speed-bakeoff/

That still means it's a very asymmetric competition: by default, Apple has a significant head start because of the JIT.

If others have to do some crazy engineering on networking libraries, nothing stops Apple from reusing the concepts the competition implements.

The competition does not have this possibility with javascript engine improvements.

No argument here. Just saying that performance is about more than js performance.

It is Webkit powered. And perhaps the TechCrunch article can help you get a sense of what Opera is going for: http://www.techcrunch.com/2013/09/09/opera-launches-coast-it...

That TechCrunch article includes this quote:

> Kleinhout also noted that the team looked at how to keep users safe without having them evaluate lots of icons in the browser’s URL bar (which Coast doesn’t have). Instead of having to know what HTTPS is and how certificates work, Coast puts a very clear safety warning on the screen when it recognizes that the user is trying to access an unsafe site.

I'm very curious to know how that works. I sure hope they don't simply show certificate errors but otherwise treat pages the same whether they are secure or not.

WebKit. Or else it wouldn't have been approved by Apple (or it's using a server-side engine, which I doubt).

Let's keep in mind that opera purchased Skyfire a while ago, which is a lot about server-side engine browsers.

And Opera has years of experience with server-side rendering, even on iOS.

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