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In search of the perfect browser

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CIOL Bureau
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The whole multi-tabbed browser debate is becoming pointless. Opera 5 was the

first I think) to offer the multi-document interface (MDI) to users. This

let you open multiple windows (in a straight row) within a single instance

(session) of the software. The approach was a trifle clunky. And the code

unstable: Opera was (and still remains) seriously resource-hungry!

Next came NeoPlanet that introduced skinning and channels. But after a

brief run, it seems to have died a not-much lamented death. If you are

really interested, the download site is still available. NeoPlanet tried to

be everything for everyone. And moved from custom portal browser (an idea

that Microsoft usurped, and marketed more successfully a few years later

with their MSN Explorer browser) to compleat suite but with a very unstable

Java-based setup. When it's home portal fell victim to dot com crash, so

inevitably, did Neoplanet.

The next serious MDI browser was TARGET='_top'>NetCaptor. This ad-ware supported IE-add-on (it needed IE4

installed to work) was the first to offer multiple, stackable tabs -- a

trick I've never managed to get Opera's MDI to perform! And included

refinements like a pop-up blocker, support for favicon. An enhanced sidebar

for all-in-one access to Web Search, Favorites, and History. And even

allowed you to search Favorites and History. It also introduced

URL-completions shortcuts: Ctrl+Enter for .com; Shift+Enter for .net;

Ctrl+Shift+Enter for .org.

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NetCaptor also introduced its unique set of bookmarks or CaptorGroups. These

were stored as ASCII text and could be edited manually. Or you could use the

built-in Organizer. NetCaptor is still available, but in the face of HREF='http://www.ruihehang.com/myie2/html_en/home.htm'

TARGET='_top'>MyIE2: a free clone, seems to have lost ground. After all,

why would you pay when you can get almost all NetCaptor features for free.

It seems de rigueur for every Web browser today, bar Internet Explorer, to

support MDI. And URL shortcuts as well. Mozilla and its browser-only

spinoff, MozillaFirebird, support it. As does HREF='http://www.avantbrowser.com/' TARGET='_top'>AvantBrowser. And

MyIE2 of course. Of course Opera has to do things differently. But the HREF='http://nontroppo.org/wiki/HomePage' TARGET='_top'>Opera Wiki is a

great tip resource. Use it to really HREF='http://nontroppo.org/wiki/Opera7Tips' TARGET='_top'>optimize

Opera. My copy is now a speed demon and even auto-detects domain names.

Internet Explorer from being an integral part of the windows OS seems to

have reached the end of its life cycle. Microsoft has HREF='http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itc

ommunity/chats/trans/ie/ie0507.asp' TARGET='_top'>gone on record that

post-IE6 versions will be a part of the OS and not available separately. The

code base too hasn't improved much since IE 5.x: we're still awaiting an

MDI. As well as extended domain completion: all we have is the Ctrl+Enter

shortcut. As well as (hopefully) fewer security-related vulnerabilities.

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IE for the Mac too is going to see an incremental release: 5.2.3 before the

curtain closes. Microsoft cites Apple's refusal to share code as the reason

why they are TARGET='_top'>stopping development. The only Mac-web browser clients

will be Apple's own Safari. And various Mozilla-spawned open-source

alternates. In case readers think that IE for Mac is hot shit, it ain't. If

anything its code base is rather similar to that of IE 4 for PC!

But if you are an IE for PC fanatic. And don't want to (or aren't allowed

to) change. Yet are envious of MyIE2 features. You can get most of them

using Microgarden WebTools consisting of

Tabs to open multiple sites within a single browser window. Plus

drag-and-drop support where any in-page link can be dragged 'n dropped on

to the tab toolbar to open it in a new tab. As well as pop-up blocking. It

costs $15 and can be downloaded from HREF='http://www.microgarden.com/shareport/WT10Install.exe'

TARGET='_top'>here.

But far more interesting. And still free for personal use, is HREF='http://www.iespell.com/' TARGET='_top'>ieSpell add-in. This

integrates into IE as a toolbar icon. For alternate browsers like MyIE2 and

NetCaptor it's available as a context-menu item.

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Use it to spell check email, message board posts, blogs, and data for form

submission. You can also define, store and add to your personal word list

(custom dictionary). User may also select more than 1 custom dictionary. The

latter can even be on network shares so that multiple users can share a

single list. Which is also shareable by Word. The add-in is far more

flexible than the standard Microsoft dictionaries. It can ignore words with

numbers as well as HTML markup and escape sequences. And v2.0.577 brings

online lookup. Got TARGET='_top'>get your copy today.

Courtesy the Lockergnome newsletter I learnt about an interesting and

innovatively executed Flash piece titled about which Windows desktop will

triumph. As well as TARGET='_top'>Gizmodo: a blog dedicated to gadgets, gizmos, and

cutting-edge consumer electronics. And the most interesting of all: using

Word as a syndication HREF='http://www.ftponline.com/portals/microsoft/office/demos/gunderloy/'

TARGET='_top'>client.

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