|
Friday the 22nd of December 2006 saw the release of The Internet Channel for the Nintendo Wii.
Although this is only a trail version rumoured to be free until June 2007 when there will be a small Wii Points one off charge, this new channel brings the Internet to your TV.
Activating it is simple enough, go to the Wii Shop Channel and then on to Wii Software, currently there is only one addition piece of software being the Trail Browser and simply press download and then update. Back at the Wii menu you will now find the Internet Channel.
This Trail browser is in fact a cut down version of Opera, a reasonably well know PC Internet browser.
The reason that I use the term cut down is that this browsers presents the Internet to you in its basic form, there is nothing flashy here, no click-able tabs or multi-window support.
--------------------
Getting started
--------------------
On starting the browser your Wii will connect to your wireless network, then it will present you with a screen that has 3 large blur circles on.
Favourites: (for details see the section below)
Enter a Web Address: This button will bring up the on-screen keyboard and a text box, simply type the address of the website you want to visit and press the Ok button to load it.
Help: This will bring up a picture of a WiiMote illustrating the functions of the various buttons
--------------------
Controls:
--------------------
A = select (used like a left mouse button)
B = used for Pointer Scrolling (scrolling down or up a page)
1 = Favorites menu (as described below)
2 = Switch Display mode (removes pictures and some formatting to decrease loading times)
(-) = Zoom Out
(+) = Zoom In
Home = Home Menu
WiiMote: the movement of the WiiMote is how you move the pointer on the screen, it acts as your mouse.
--------------------
Task Bar:
--------------------
When on a page, like Freeola Chat for example, you are given only 5 buttons on the task bar at the bottom of the screen, these are Back, Forward, Refresh, Favourites and Start Page.
Back: takes you back to the previous page or site that you visited
Forward: takes you to the page or site that you have visited after the one you are on
Refresh: reloads the page and all data on it.
Start Page: takes you back to the original screen you have on loading the browser with the blue circles.
--------------------
Favourites: (this is the same function as the Favourites blue button on the start screen and the same as pressing the 1 button on the Wiimote)
--------------------
On clicking this button you get a new screen with boxes which are titled each of your saved favourite website addresses, these boxes also include a snapshot from the page so it is clearer what you where visiting at the time.
Clicking any of these boxes will automatically load the one you select.
In addition to these boxes, you also have the task bar, which contains, add favourite, edit favourites and close.
Add Favourite: will add the current page you are on to the favourite boxes
Edit Favourites: will change the window so you can select a box and get a menu up to, Delete, Rename or Move the favourite.
Close: will take you to the page that you where currently on when you clicked the favourites button.
--------------------
Loading
--------------------
When loading a page either from the favourites menu or from the “Enter a Web Address” button you will notice a small blue line at the top of your task bar, is the page loading progress, it travels from left to right and once it reaches the right the page should be fully loaded.
--------------------
Other advice and features
--------------------
You might find that some graphically intense pages load slowly, you could change the display using the 2 button but you are likely to lose all formatting, often ending up with text an images in the wrong place, my advice would be to use the Wii browser only for basic internet functions not as your sole internet device for exploring the web.
Flash player: This is one addition that is pretty important for any Internet browser these days and opens up more pages for the user.
Some websites you might like to try on your Wii browser
Wiicade: (http://www.wiicade.com/)
This little gem of a site allows you to play various Flash games using your WiiMote, the site is updated almost daily with new games, some of which are well worth the visit to the site.
YouTube: (http://www.youtube.com/)
The well known site hosts a huge amount of public videos, including video blogs, some brilliant parodies and some excellent animations. You can also use the (+) button on the WiiMote to make the Videos fill most of the TV screen.
|
Wii Internet Browser 
The Simpsons Game 
