Re-volt X3!

[skool h8r]

hi all,
Yep, i'm back working on yet another version of the internet browser, Re-volt. This time though, it's X3 version. i've already got a couple of features i am planning to implement into it. Perhaps the best feature of it is going to be the ability to go anonymous using public proxies. I already have a list of some well known ones. This feature is probably about 95% likely to be implemented since it can be achieved in much the same way that the Google search was in X2.

i'm also planning to add a feature that will add a tab when you press the print button. The tab will automatically close after 30 seconds.

Then there's another feature which is a 50/50 chance that i will be able to implement. It's a new and improved version of the tabs functionality. If all goes to plan, it won't use html or javascript for rendering although it may be used for defining functions. The reason it's looking doubtful is because at the moment, i am unsure exactly how i could make it update dynamically which is the main and possibly only hurdle.

I am still on the lookout for more features that i could implement. The two features that were requested last time are the ones i mentioned above. But i DO need more features for it. I mean, it may be feature packed as it is but i want mine to have more features than the competition. Despite only having 12 downloads of X2 :'( , i still have to remain competitive. I don't know what it is, but people just don't seem to notice Re-volt, no matter what i do, it just seems that i don't get many downloads. I've done everything i can think of, promotion, features, tried getting users involved in development (which AOAForums were the only ones who really did). The browser's setup file is usually less than 1mb so it's accesible to almost everyone, including 56K users. I know it has a few issues, being a bit tempremental at times but apart from that, i can't see much wrong with it. It's more stable and secure than MSIE even though it uses it's browsing engine. It uses the windows scripting controls and doesn't use all the components that MSIE uses (it only uses the basic rendering and browsing controls). So, i want to know how i could improve the amount of downloads. I can't really afford to go around spending money on advertising from companies such as google Adwords, etc.

So, this post is basically to discuss Re-volt X3, it's promotion and so on.

[Favu]

Do you have some screen shots? Those are always good for promotion

[skool h8r]

Well, i've not started work on it yet, i'm still in the process of collecting ideas. I know i said i was working on it, what i meant is that i'm collecting ideas. But i will be sure to get some screenshots for it when it is ready.

[skool h8r]

Any more ideas people? It's a brainstorming topic this!

[skool h8r]

Well, i've just started work on it. I am currently re-designing the whole GUI, the options panel is more streamlined to fit in with the rest of the browser, now it doesn't cover much of the current page but is actually docked at the side of the browser. I have also just about finished modifying the PHP scripts for the proxy, i am planning to install the latest version of the php 'runtime' package along with X3 browser and it's components. There is only one reason for this and this is so that i can take the browser to the next level by adding support for PHP plugins rather than just plain old html and javascript. I know that i say this everytime but this version of the browser is going to be the best yet! How many browsers do you know that have got this many features in? But how easy are they to access in the competition's browser? Exactly, not as easy as Re-volt. The name for the proxy technology in X3 is called ProxyOD, so when you want anonymity, simply enter the URL, select the options and 'PrOD it!'

The tab during printing is easy, it's simply a matter of designing the html page to tell the user it is printing and then setting up an actionlist for it.

There are no screenshots yet, as i'm still deciding on the GUI's design. I can see this being a late december-early january release. I'm not releasing it during the holiday period, there will just be no downloads (or not many). There will also be a new site design in the new year so that's something else i have to work on (i can't work on it until next week when i get payed and buy myself that 200Gb seagate i want).

So, any thoughts from anyone? If you want to see a certain PHP addin added to X3, please, post it and i'll so my best to suit it in somewhere. One last thing, i'm making a panel where you can click a link and it will launch that plugin. You simply edit the html file by adding a link to your plugin's html, php or exe file. Don't worry, i'll try and add some sort of user protection so that it doesn't cause infections of the users computer.

[Chesso]

I got no idea what you can put into it but it sounds good so far.

Have you tried Firefox 1.5 yet? there's a new little feature that you may want to implement into your browser. You know Bookmars/Favourites? well firefox allows you to bookmar all open tabs now maybe you could add that?

[skool h8r]

That's a great idea! That is very much possible with a little bit of javascript (i've got a script extension as well that is only for my use to add more functions to the browser). I need to have a think about this one. It's quite possible that that'll be in the next version. I'll try my best to sort something out.

[skool h8r]

Right, i've made a decision. I could continue with making Re-volt X3 or i could change the program i use to make it and start using Delphi to make it. Basically, this means that many of the features of Re-volt X2 won't be present but the program will be an actual windows application and generally look better. I think i'm going to switch to Delphi to make it so X3 is going to be a while away now, longer than expected.

[Chesso]

Delphi is the shiz

Another poor lost soul successfully converted

[skool h8r]

Indeed it is, i started work on it using the webbrowser template included with the installation, i didn't get much work down on it and a lot of work is going to be needed which in turn needs a lot of time, but i'll do what i can.

[Áedán]

Howabout an autoupdater that doesn't consume so much in the way of resources?

[skool h8r]

Does it really use a lot of resources? It checks automatically every 2 hours for updates. This is a component which is added by the setup program i use, it's the easiest way to create an autoupdater. Hmmm, i could set it to check every day rather than every 2 hours.

[Áedán]

On one of my machines, it seems to use rather more CPU and disk I/O than perhaps it really needs to.

[skool h8r]

Hmmm, i'm really not sure why that should be. If it's a system that has old components in, that may be why. It shouldn't use more than 25% of CPU time though. Unless it's running on a 166Mhz pentium 2

[Áedán]

It is a Pentium-4M 2.2GHz...

[Chesso]

Is this autoupdate intergrated or external? for resource usage external would be beneficial though it might increase the overall package size.

Using dll's for common thing's and using them dynamically is also a benefit for resources.

[harrybard]

I just vote Proxy Feature.

[madcatmk3]

what is revolt 3?

[skool h8r]

Re-volt X3, it's my next version of my internet browser. Check the top post for more details.

The autoupdater is external btw. I can't understand why it uses a lot of CPU time, but my brain is basically frazzled, see my post in the 'CRASHED!' forum for more details.

[Kaitain]

Originally Posted by skool h8r

my brain is basically frazzled, see my post in the 'CRASHED!' forum for more details.

I have this problem a lot of the time, too... not tried posting in CRASHED about it yet, though