| Webkit-based browser updated |
Aug. 14, 2008
 Torch Mobile has announced a "final preview" of its Windows Mobile web browser based on open-source WebKit browsing technology. The Iris Browser, version 1.0.13, includes stability and memory usage fixes, plus new page overview and single-colum modes, according to the company.
The Iris Browser, which had a first preview release in February, is touted as performing well even on devices with minimal resources, thanks to a fast rendering engine, efficient storage of bookmarks and cookies, and a cache optimized for low disk usage. Like other recently announced Windows Mobile web browsers, such as NetFront 3.5 and Opera Mobile 9.5, the Iris Browser supports tabbed browsing, making it easy to switch from one web page to another.
According to Torch Mobile, the version 1.0.13 released this week "features primarily stability fixes and improvements on memory usage, network stability, and rendering quality, including fixes for Asian language sites." It also includes two new major new features, a single-column mode and a "page overview" feature.
 
The Iris Browser's page overview feature lets users move a red rectangle to select which part of a web page they are viewing
(Click either image to enlarge)
The page overview feature, shown above, replaces scroll bars with a small virtual representation of a web page. As we found, users can drag a red rectangle around to select which portion of the web page they want to view.
 
The Iris Browser provides zooming (left) and tabbed browsing (right)
Carried over from the initial preview is the Iris Browser's "tapping and zooming" function, in which the browser first loads a web page scaled down to fit a device's screen, then lets the user zoom in on it by tapping the desired area with a stylus. This resembles the functionality in the Apple iPhone's Safari web browser, which is also based on a WebKit core. The Iris Browser also provides a "virtual mouse" function, said to let users navigate web sites that were previously inoperable without mice.
The Iris Browser is said to be compatible with HTML 4 and parts of the upcoming HTML 5 standard, such as the CANVAS tag, which can be used to draw vector-based graphics using scripting. It also supports Cascading Style Sheets 2.1 and 3, according to Torch Mobile.
Background
WebKit is a lightweight mobile HTML rendering engine derived from the KHTML rendering engine maintained by the KDE project. Webkit has become best-known for its use behind the scenes in Windows, OS X, and iPhone versions of Apple's Safari browser. It has also been used by Adobe, which based its AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) toolsuite on it. More recently, the WebKit engine has also been incorporated into Google's Android software stack for Linux-based smartphones.
Today, WebKit offers advanced support for "Web 2.0" features, including asynchronous Javascript (AJAX). Webkit has a reputation for having a smaller footprint and being easier to program than Gecko, the rendering engine used in Firefox and the GNOME desktop environment. (A mobile version of Firefox is under development, as we have covered previously here.)
In October 2007, Palo Alto-based stealth startup Wake3 announced its own Windows Mobile implementation of WebKit. The Wake3 browser was demonstrated at February's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which said on its website that a public beta will be launched "during the next few months." However, no further information has appeared.
Availability
The "final preview" of the Iris Browser can be downloaded from the Torch Mobile website, here. Unlike some other Windows Mobile web browsers, it apparently supports Windows Mobile Standard (non-touchscreen) as well as Windows Mobile Professional devices.
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