Wii: Internet Channel (Final version)

So the Wii lighted blue this morning with an e-mail from Nintendo. The final version of the Internet Channel is finaly here. The full version of the Opera Browser will be free to download until June 30. From July 1 this year it will cost you 500 points.

I like that you now can zoom in steps and the pages seems to load faster. The screensize of the trail version was fix, but you can now change that and almost get a full screen. You also keep your favourties from the trail, so you don’t have to bookmark them again. There’s some cosmetic changes and and overall, the browser look real good.

Here’s the new changes I got from Opera Softwares pressrelease:

  • Zoom – The Internet Channel features two types of zoom: manual and automatic. The automatic zoom was first introduced in the trial version and allows users to select a point with the remote and zoom into that point at an auto-detected level. Manual zoom now gives the user the option to zoom the entire page at self-determined intervals. Nintendo also introduces the “outline font” feature which prevents fonts from appearing blurred no matter the zoom level in use.
  • Search – A search button has been added to the start page and to the browser toolbar. Choose between Yahoo! Search and Google as preselected search engines. Your selection can be changed at any time, or a different search engine can be used by typing the address of the search engine you wish to use.
  • Scroll – To help users understand their scrolling motions, a new scrolling display guide has been added to the Internet Channel that indicates the direction and speed of the scroll. In addition to scrolling by pressing the B Button, users can also scroll by pressing the +Control Pad, for four-directional scrolling. This allows you to scroll the screen without having to point the remote at the TV.
  • Ease of use – The Internet Channel now offers more user feedback when surfing. Users will encounter new sounds, animations and loading cursor graphics, creating a more complete browsing experience.
  • Multiple cursors – The Internet Channel now displays the cursors of multiple Wii remotes. The primary Wii Remote can control actions on the screen, while the other Wii Remotes can point out interesting content.
  • Hide the toolbar – Users are now given the option to display or hide the toolbar in the settings menu. Also, there are new advanced key presses for each toolbar function allowing users to surf with the toolbar off.
  • Response time – The Internet Channel now sports improved performance and response time upon start up, when loading the favorites menu and in the toolbar.