Feature Friday: Internet Channel FAQ
Since Nintendo and Opera released the final version of the Wii Internet Channel I have been asked many questions regarding the software and how it works. So I decided to take today’s Feature Friday and turn it into a FAQ sheet. If you have any questions that you would like answered please feel free to email them to me and I will track down an answer for you and post it here. I’ll do my best to keep this FAQ updated as new questions come in.
Question: What is the Wii Internet Channel?
Answer: The Wii Internet Channel is a web browser that you can use on your Nintendo Wii console.
Q: Who made the Internet Channel?
A: The Wii Internet channel was made by developers from both Nintendo and Opera software.
Q:What can I do with Internet Channel?
A: Almost anything you can do with a regular PC/Mac/Linux based browser you can do with the Wii Internet Channel. Check email, get the latest news, visit your favorite website, and of course read Wii Rally.
Q: How many versions are there?
A: As of right now there are two versions of the Internet Channel. The first version was the “trial version” which was released in December 2006. The second version was the “full version” of the software and was released in April 2007
Q:How much does the Internet Channel cost?
A: As of right now the software is totally free. Once you buy a Wii that is. It is available from the Wii Shop Channel free of charge until June when it will cost you 400 Wii points.
Q: Does the Internet Channel support Flash?
A: Yes the browser supports Flash 8 and lower. So far there have been no plans announced to include support for Flash 9
Q: Can I restrict what websites the young gamers in my family can access?
A: Kind of. The Wii does have parental controls but they only allow you to enable or disable the Internet Channel itself. The Wii does not allow you to block individual websites.
Q: Can someone use the Internet Channel to access pornographic material?
A: Again kind of. The Internet is full of porn but to get access to most sites you require a valid credit card number. I would say that it is no easier to access porn on the Wii than it is on a computer. Still there is no substitute for parents visually monitoring what their children do online.
Q: Is the Internet Channel secure?
A: Yes. The browser has built in security by McAfee. There was a vulnerability in the trail version which has been fixed in the full version. Seeing as how the Wii OS is very different from the Mac/Linux/Windows I know of no viruses that exist.
Q: Can I play my favorite Flash games using the Internet Channel?
A: Yes! the browser supports Flash 8 and lower. Websites which offer games and other content specifically designed for the Internet Channel are pooping up all over the net.
Q: Where can I get more information about the Wii and the Internet Channel?
A: You can visit www.wii.com , www.opera.com or www.nintendo.com for more info.
Have a question not answered here? Send me an email (mephistar@gmail.com) or by clicking on the Contact Me link located on the Wii Rally sidebar.
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