I would add that some kind of Java and Flash functionality (plug-ins) should be available for the inworld browser, especially since it seems to be a regular Mozilla client. I suspect that inworld access to web "objects" will in time be more important than access to actual HTML web-pages, since applets can auto-play in the same way as Quicktime and music streams for the greater part. Web access is needed by the user individually, but web "display" mechanisms are urgently needed in the general inworld environment.

That said, there also needs to be an option for the user to launch their own external browser for web urls if required, either in preferences or as a "follow through" button in the Linden browser itself.

Not sure about others, but it's way faster for me in my 3-year-old laptop to open a separate dedicated instance of Firefox/Opera and navigate with them, than trying to do so in the Mozilla browser embedded in the SL viewer. And I don't mean things like typing a URL. Even simple things like clicking on links or scrolling down along a webpage are a lot slower in the viewer.

(Related: I'd like it if LL opened their new search facilities to external browsers too, so I can use my faster browser to search for stuff.)

That said, I know some would like this feature to avoid having to alt-tab all over the place and such, and with a powerful enough system the performance hit wouldn't be that noticeable.

Add it as an option so those of us who don't want the bloat/extra features can still use the lighter and smaller viewer. Maybe something like the 'basic' viewer pack, and an additional 'plugin' pack to install on top of it, or something like that.

This engine already plays sounds, try going over to YouTube in it.

The arguemnents for not wanting to leave the viwer are simple: leaving the viewer means that there is window overlap, the viewer and the browser can share information more easily, such as cut and paste between them, and the in world browser can more easily be used in the context of search for or editing information.

We are going to get flash and other capabilities as aprt of HTML on a prim, and while they would be very very useful, getting the browser to usable, from almost usable, is much less effort and invovles, in many cases, simly making visible things that are already there.

If you want to easily share information, especially via improved cut and paste, perhaps we should improve that instead of improving that neutered web browser?

I dont want another desktop environment inside my desktop environment.

I could list a million reasons why this is a good idea, but since I've already did that once, I'll just point it to a (very old) entry on my blog: http://gwynethllewelyn.net/2005/06/23/slhtml-merging-the-old-2d-world-with-the-new-3d-world/

(This comment and the subtasks were created in the in world client for example)

http://sexsecond.blogspot.com/2008/02/wikihud-and-jira.html

Describes how to replace notecards with MediaWIKI, without using php or other out world programming.

But to use it you need to paste or type out a weblink in chat so you get that clickable link. Then clicking on that opens up the browser.

Not sure if it's in other SL clients as I've been mostly on the RC.

I can say I would love a option to be able to open up a webpage in SL, it does it much faster than me having to open up my own browser.

The only problems with this primitive browser is the text is a little edgy and I can't view vids from youtube.com.

Which a few of my friends tend to pass around youtube links around.

So if this can be made into a solid feature and one that can be turn off for those that don't want it. Then I'll be one happy person.

http://cubistscarborough.com/jsmb/jsmarkerboard3.html

Works fine in Firefox and Safari on Mac, but not in the built in browser.