ASHLAND OR -- May 11, 2004 -- Open Door Networks today introduced software that lets Macintosh users experience the World Wide Web's increasingly visual nature in an innovative new fashion. "Envision: a new way to experience the Web" presents images from Web sites outside the confining windows of traditional Web browsers. Instead of requiring Web content to be clicked through, Envision helps users experience the "sights" of the Web in new ways, including:
Envision also gives users easy access to the textual Web content underlying any images that pique their interest.
"The Web has evolved into such a visually rich place that users need tools beyond their Web browser to fully experience it," said Alan Oppenheimer, Open Door's president and a creator of the original AppleTalk Network System. "Envision provides Mac users with one of those tools." A free beta release of Envision for Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later is available immediately off Open Door's Web site at http://www.opendoor.com/envision/ . The release includes a number of sample "Web shows" that highlight the new technology.
Key features of Envision include:
Converting non-linear, HTML-based Web sites into enjoyable visual experiences presents a number of challenges which Open Door has had to address with Envision. For instance many users will not want to see the buttons, banners and other icons from a site, but some users may well consider these graphics as parts of the overall site experience. Envision thus has to intelligently choose which parts of a site to display, while also providing users with intuitive options for overriding its choices.
Beyond providing a new way for Mac users to experience the Web, Envision can also help those Macs become part of the increasingly wired (or unwired) home. Whether on a living room coffee table, or feeding a TV or wall-mounted flat panel display, an Internet-connected Mac running Envision creates a new fusion of art, entertainment and information.
Open Door expects to ship the final version of Envision by July. Pricing has not yet been determined.
Open Door Networks, Inc. has been a leading provider of Internet solutions for the Macintosh since 1995. Open Door was founded by Alan Oppenheimer, co-creator of the AppleTalk Network System. Open Door's mission is to provide Macintosh users with Internet solutions that are as easy-to-use and as powerful as the Macintosh itself. Open Door Networks is based in Ashland, Oregon.
"Envision: a new way to experience the Web" is a trademark of Open Door Networks, Inc. Other trademarks are held by their respective owners.