Open-Source Season
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Today; in a change from my usual Windows-adherent policy, I decided to browse some Open-Source projects – having downloaded Firefox 2.** yesterday and finding that it surprisingly renders this site better than IE7 in Windows XP Professional!
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While I was looking through my stats I noticed that I’d had 2 visits in the last 12 hours from a visitor using a browser that I’d never heard of before called K-Meleon. I Googled, and found that everything was available from Sourceforge.net, including a full, well written and prepared, multi-page linked write-up with history, download page, the works (fun-ny). (Which saves me from having to do it.  ) : Quite obviously the team which have been working on and off on this project since 2000 have put a lot of time and work into it.
(One thing I have just noticed; which pissed me off a bit, is that on install, K-Meleoninstantly assumes the position of default browser without asking permission. It’s maybe a minor thing; but I understood that one of the functions of Open-Source software was to put the user in control rather than the computer or newly-installed program. It appears that this is going against the grain somewhat. I combated this in Windows XP Professional by going to an already-opened IE window, selecting Options>Internet Options>Programs tab, and making IE the default browser again.)
That minor annoyance aside; having loaded and tested K-Meleon to a small extent; including loading the Welcome page of this site, (It renders it exactly like Firefox 2.** does: Better than IE, in Win XP.) I give it the thumbs up so far. I also encourage all you Open-Source people, Linux zealots, and even us Wintards why not, to download it and give it a try: It can’t hurt to do so. If you like it then I suggest keeping it as a second or third or whatever, browser, and donating to the development project using the link on the page which is the target of this link.
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Another Open-Source project I stumbled upon while testing K-Meleon was http://browsershots.org: This is a very useful website to bookmark. With this website you can see exactly what your site looks like in a number of different browsers at 2 resolutions using a variety of operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Free BSD… It could do with a tweak or two overall; such as the estimated amount of time for the operation being perhaps more specific and accurate, but in general this site is functional and useful. I put the site through its paces using the K-Meleon browser by asking it to render my Welcome page in every available browser using every available operating system.
After 1 hour 9 minutes it had resolved 71 of the 74 views asked for, and it still told me I had 3 minutes to go, as it had done for the last 30. 5 minutes later I decided that I had defeated it as it still said exactly the same, and again four minutes later – Seeming to have crashed: So it failed the benchmark test I gave it; but I still give it the thumbs up – just.
For the privilege of so testing their site I’m going to make a donation to the cause: You no doubt see the donate linkin the screenshots, so it would be good to give it a click when you get there and chuck a few bucks into the development coffers if you feel like supporting them. -Nope; their system just isn’t working: I’m waiting on a confirmation email which it seems I have to click a link on to sign up before I can donate: What a strange system!? They’ll have to wait. perhaps I just got confused because I’m multitasking – Consisting of browsing, blogging, and cooking, including having accident with sharp tin, all at once.
Life’s a bitch; which is why I always try to be a bigger one.
 Here are some more screenshots:- |
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What do you think; of K-Meleon? Of browserhosts.org? Did you test neither, either, or both? What are your results? Your remarks? Your comment below is welcomed. |
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And now; the adverts. – Don’t just leave without clicking one though: Something has to pay for this site; and it’s not going to be me forever:-
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