Wii Opera features and April release – free download until June

Nintendo of America Inc. has released a press release that confirmed the information we gathered the other day from the Japanese wii.com section on the Internet Channel.

The Internet Channel is the Wii’s very own version of the Opera Internet browser from Opera Software, and as you know, Wii owners have been able to download a trial version of the Opera Internet browser since December of 2006. Thanks to the Wii Opera Browser feedback page, Nintendo developers were able to make improvements to the final version of the browser.

As announced earlier this week, the final version will be coming out on April 2007 and will feature the following improvements:

• Improved zooming and scrolling
• An improved zoomed font
• Shortened startup times
• Quicker access to “favorites”
• An ability to hide the toolbar
• Buttons that will instantly type common preset letters, such as “www” or “.com”

Some sources had placed the release of the final version sometime in the last weeks of March, but delaying the release until April is necessary so that developers have the time to put in all those features and enhancements listed above.

Even though the final version of the Opera browser Internet Channel will be available in April, the browser will remain free for Wii owners to download through the end of June. After June, you will need to pay for the software download: users who haven’t already downloaded the Opera browser can go to the Wii Shop Channel to download it for 500 Wii Points.

Nintendo of America Inc. has released a press release that confirmed the information we gathered the other day from the Japanese wii.com section on the Internet Channel.

The Internet Channel is the Wii’s very own version of the Opera Internet browser from Opera Software, and as you know, Wii owners have been able to download a trial version of the Opera Internet browser since December of 2006. Thanks to the Wii Opera Browser feedback page, Nintendo developers were able to make improvements to the final version of the browser.

As announced earlier this week, the final version will be coming out on April 2007 and will feature the following improvements:

• Improved zooming and scrolling
• An improved zoomed font
• Shortened startup times
• Quicker access to “favorites”
• An ability to hide the toolbar
• Buttons that will instantly type common preset letters, such as “www” or “.com”

Some sources had placed the release of the final version sometime in the last weeks of March, but delaying the release until April is necessary so that developers have the time to put in all those features and enhancements listed above.

Even though the final version of the Opera browser Internet Channel will be available in April, the browser will remain free for Wii owners to download through the end of June. After June, you will need to pay for the software download: users who haven’t already downloaded the Opera browser can go to the Wii Shop Channel to download it for 500 Wii Points.