BEIJING, Sept. 17 —Maxthon released version 3.0.3.3 Alpha of its new browser, Max-3. This version is available for download at http://dl.maxthon.cn/mx3/mx3.0.3.3.exe. When the complete version of the browser is released early next year, Max-3 will be the Internet’s first browser to use automatic-detection hybrid technology to power its display of Web pages.

Online update is available in 3.0.3.3 alpha of Max-3.

Javascript speed is 9% faster in this version than the last one.

Changelog

Framework
*fixed problem that as default browser external links are not opened in correct mode
*fixed login problem when proxy is set in IE
*fixed display problem of gif user avatar
*fixed display problem of favorites folder icon
*fixed a crash problem when incompatible sites list is updated
*fixed problem that pressing Enter does not complete edit/addition of favorite

Webkit Core
*updated V8 javascript engine to 1.3.11, performance is further improved

New Features Include Music Silencer, a Really Useful ‘Blank’ Page

BEIJING, Sept. 16 — Maxthon International today released version 2.5.8 of its popular browser. The award-winning, free software may be downloaded at Maxthon Browser Download Center .

Many people listen to music when they surf the Internet, but unfortunately the experience is very often disturbed by other music and advertising pitches coming from Web pages. The new mute browser function in Maxthon 2.5.8 is made to solve this problem. By clicking the mute button in Maxthon’s status bar, all sounds from Web pages will be muted without affecting other applications. So, users can listen to music or surf late at night without worrying about any startling sounds bursting from their browsers.

An edit menu, a standard part of most software other than browsers, is being added to Maxthon. The menu provides the standard cut, copy and paste operations found in other programs.

A new login mechanism allows users to log in as in previous versions or to browse Web pages without logging in. When a user logs in, any changes in settings or favorites are automatically saved online. Later they can be retrieved to restore damaged settings or for use with someone else’s PC.

A clear history menu has been added to the search bar to provide users control over what information that has appeared in the search bar remains and what is deleted.

A new built-in feature, Quick Access, is similar to a plugin called Speed Dial that Maxthon users have had access to for several years. When a Web page would ordinarily be blank, Quick Access displays a sidebar containing some frequent and recently visited sites along with nine configurable sites shown in a grid of thumbnails.

The Float Button, which allows users to enlarge and save graphics, now has a Block Ads menu to block advertisements that manage to slip past Maxthon’s normal ad defenses.

A more comprehensive list of changes for developers is found on the Maxthon Changelog .

by Maxthonguy

M A X T H O N
Don’t Surf the Web. Seize it!

A story by Zhao Qian in a recent edition of Alibaba.com (http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/business-in-china/100168060-1-chinese-browsers-putting-heat-internet.html) details how Chinese browsers, led by Maxthon, are nibbling away at Microsoft Internet Explorer’s hold on the Chinese browser market. The following is the story in full:

Microsoft melting

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (eltiIE) browser, which once dominated the Chinese Internet world with 96 percent of the market, has seen its share shrink to 57.8 percent due to the growing popularity of domestic brands.

It’s the lowest level in Microsoft’s history in China as domestic brands such as Maxthon,Tencent TT and Qihoo360’s 360 Secured Browser now account for 31.1 percent of the country’s browser market, according to data by iResearch.

The 360 Secured Browser’s share has increased 50 percent from each previous quarter for three consecutive quarters, with its market share currently at 8.4 percent, iResearch said.

“According to my research, nearly 96 percent of China’s Internet users have used an IE browser at some time in their lives, but only 50 percent of them keep to it regularly now,” Ding Li, an iResearch analyst who collected the data told the Global Times. Ding added that a Microsoft insider told him that the company’s market share in China dropped again in the first half of 2009, but “the exact percentage hasn’t been disclosed.”

Ding also added that, before Maxthon and Tencent TT were launched in China in 2004 and 360 Secured Browser was available in 2008, the Microsoft IE browser was king with only a small number of users opting for other foreign browsers such as Firefox or Opera.

Finding a niche

Ding said the Chinese browsers are chipping away at Microsoft’s dominance by finding unique niches and “adopting advanced techniques and updating their products continuously.”

For instance, the 360 Secured Browser is known for its strong anti-virus software.

“Safety has become a top priority for people when choosing a browser,” Qihoo360 President Qi Xiangdong told the Global Times. “The 360 Secured Browser uses its ‘isolation mode’ to block any Trojan horse virus.”

Maxthon, another domestic browser brand in China, also features its own technical triumphs popular with Chinese users, Ding said.

Maxthon’s Online Favorites function that allows users to bookmark their favorite sites and access them from any computer and its automatic form filling function both make it popular, Ding said.

Chen mingJie, CEO of Maxthon, told the Global Times that his company is negotiating with some Chinese online shopping websites, including taobao.com, “we have cooperated (deal not done yet) with some online shopping websites including taobao.com to help them safeguard their online transactions.”

“We are also developing a new generation of browser called 3.x which will enable users to browse websites a dozen times more quickly than before,” Chen added.

Numbers matter

The Tencent TT browser developed by Tencent, whose QQ software is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in China, is banking on its popularity to push the TT. QQ already has more than 300 million users at present.

“Its users are Tencent’s most prominent advantages,” Ding said. “If TT can combine QQ software with its Tencent TT browser, it may become a browser with the biggest amount of users in the future.”

But older users, those born before the 1960s, still prefer the IE browser, because they have less interest in the newly developed browsers and it is the browser they are most familiar with, said Ding,

“Most of our users were born between the 1970s and the 1990s and we are trying to attract those born before the 1960s to use our Maxthon browser,” said Chen.

Localization

In addition to IE, there are other overseas developed browsers used in China, including Norway-based Opera, Google’s Chrome and Firefox, although they haven’t become very popular due to cultural differences.

“The page and function setup for Firefox doesn’t cater to Chinese user habits,” Ding said. “And the users need to download the program and install some plug-in units by themselves before using Firefox. So it’s not popular with Chinese users,” said Ding.

While Opera claims it has the “fastest browser on earth,” it has a stronger market share on mobile phones, personal digital assistants and smartphones, said Ding

Chinese users don’t spend a lot of time “playing with” browsers; they just want them to be quicker, safer and easier to use, said Maxthon’s Chen. “Even though Google’s browser uses many of the most advanced technologies from all over the world, it still hasn’t gained popularity in China. Some Google Chrome functions aren’t even compatible with some Chinese websites.

M A X T H O N
Don’t Surf the Web. Seize it!