A search function will now be available on the browser's interface, accessible by clicking on a button emblazoned with a set of binoculars - thus removing the need to surf Google if a search needs to be carried out. New tools for the quick entrance of web addresses have also been added with the most used parts of addresses, including "www." and ".com", having dedicated buttons to save entering the button presses manually.
The roundtable with the developers of the browser, translated from Japanese and available at wii.com, includes videos and screenshots of the new features. The developers also talk of sites being specifically designed for the Wii and for the unique Wii interface, which involves pointing a remote control-like device in the direction which the user wishes the cursor to move on the screen. There have also been mentions that the resolution for the browser's display will be tied to a maximum of 800x600 pixels in order to provide a good end-user experience.
Functionality has been a major focus for the development team. The zoom function has been expanded, with many more levels of zoom available than in the trial version (which included only two) and a more intuitive scrolling system has been created for skimming over web pages instinctively. Start up time for the browser was also an issue but has been cut by over five seconds; it is still being worked on but is expected to be greatly reduced in time for release.
Problems with the trial version of the internet browser included text being very hard to read, even on large, high definition televisions. In order to solve this problem, the developers have implemented a system called "Outline Font" which, when combined with the new, more fully featured zoom feature, will ensure that text is never hard to read. The function bar in the trial version of the browser would remove up to a quarter of the viewable area and so Nintendo have added an auto-hide feature, allowing for easy full-screen viewing of web pages.
The full version of the Wii Internet Browser will be released for free for a limited time only in April 2007.
