Revision 1109267794 of "Avant Browser" on enwiki

{{short description|Freeware web browser created by 
 Che}}
{{one source|date=February 2010}}

{{Infobox software
| name                   = Avant Browser
| logo                   = Avant_Browser_Logo.png
| screenshot             = 
| caption                = Avant Browser 2013 Build 110
| developer              = Avant Force
| released               = {{Release date|2004|01|30}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avantbrowser.com/new.aspx?uil=en-US |title=Avant Browser - What's New in the Latest Version? |publisher=Avant Force |access-date=2016-10-16}}</ref>
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|reference|edit|Q790181|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date    = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|Q790181|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| operating system       = [[Windows]] ([[Windows 2000]] and later)
| size                   = '''Lite:''' {{nowrap|4.46 [[Megabyte|MB]]}}<br /><!--
                        -->'''Ultimate:''' {{nowrap|62.9 MB}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avantbrowser.com/download.aspx?uil=en-us |title=Download - Avant Browser |publisher=Avant Force |access-date=2016-10-16}}</ref>
| genre                  = [[Web browser]]<br/>[[Feed reader]]
| license                = [[Freeware]]
| website                = {{URL|avantbrowser.com}}
}}
'''Avant Browser''' is a discontinued [[freeware]] [[web browser]] from a [[Chinese people|Chinese]] programmer named Anderson Che with the browser engines [[Trident (layout engine)|Trident]], Gecko and Webkit  the user can switch between. It runs on [[Windows 2000]] and above, including [[Windows 8]], [[Windows 8.1]] and [[Windows 10]]. [[Internet Explorer]] versions [[Internet Explorer 6|6]] through [[Internet Explorer 11|11]] are supported.

==History and development==

Avant Browser was largely inspired by [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]], the first major browser to have a [[multiple document interface]]. The developer's objective was to wrap a comparable interface around the [[Browser engine|layout engine]] used by [[Internet Explorer]], thereby achieving Opera-like [[human factors and ergonomics|ergonomics]] without suffering the frequent problems that browser had rendering pages tested only in Internet Explorer. In fact, it was initially released under the name "IEopera", though this was soon changed due to trademark concerns.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Later, Avant's developer, Anderson Che, has concentrated on adding user-requested features, and Avant was among the first browsers to have [[Pop-up ad|popup]] blocking, advertising server blocking, and one-click disabling of potential security vulnerabilities such as [[ActiveX]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and [[ECMAScript|JavaScript]].

The Avant Browser's default search engine is a version of the [[Yahoo! search]] engine renamed ''Avantfind'' and is given a custom look. Other search engines are available via the address bar's "Quick Search" facility, and instructions on how to change the default to an engine of the user's choice have been posted by the very active Avant Browser [https://web.archive.org/web/20070808122127/http://forum.avantbrowser.com/ user community].

The community has also created other tools and extensions for Avant, including registry files which allow it to use the Information Bar and other security enhancements of Windows XP SP2.

The developer also used to have a sister project known as Orca Browser, an Avant-like shell of [[Mozilla]]'s [[Gecko (software)|Gecko layout engine]] as used in [[Mozilla Firefox|Firefox 3]] using similar approaches to [[Flock (web browser)|Flock]].<ref>[http://www.orcabrowser.com/ Orca Browser homepage]. Retrieved 2008-12-12.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lifehacker.com/399134/orca-browser-is-avant-for-firefox|title=Orca Browser is Avant for Firefox|access-date=2014-09-02|date=2008-07-23|first=Adam|last=Pash|publisher=Lifehacker}}</ref> Orca Browser project is now discontinued. [[Gecko (software)|Gecko layout engine]] was included in Avant Browser version 2012 Ultimate edition, alongside the traditional [[Trident (layout engine)|Trident layout engine]].

Avant was one of the twelve browsers offered to [[European Economic Area]] users of [[Microsoft Windows]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm|title=Microsoft offers browser choices to Europeans|access-date=2014-09-02|date=2010-03-01|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

===Avant Browser 11===
Avant Browser 11 (build 130 released on January 26, 2011) includes support for many toolbars that are compatible with Internet Explorer, a facility for users to create their own scripted toolbar buttons, and a password and form-filling wizard. 

A native [[Internet bookmark|bookmark system]] was also added n place of sharing Internet Explorer's ''Favorites''. These bookmarks may be stored online with [[web feed|feeds]], [[autofill]]s, and browser settings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/software/356374/avant-browser |title=Avant Browser review|access-date=2014-09-02|date=2010-03-12|first=David|last=Bayon|publisher=PCPro}}</ref>
This allows the user to synchronize any number of Avant installations on different computers. Avant can still share Internet Explorer's ''Favorites''. This option was reintroduced by the developer after some users lamented its loss.

Another innovation is that Avant may now be run from a [[USB flash drive]] (or other portable storage device such as an [[MP3]] player) without needing to be installed. In conjunction with Avant's session saving facility, this allows the user to halt a browsing session on one PC, move to another and resume viewing the same web pages.

===Avant Browser 2012===
Avant Browser 2012 Ultimate edition (build 3 released on October 25, 2011) added the [[Gecko (software)|Gecko layout engine]] (the rendering engine used by [[Mozilla Firefox]]), and the most recent release (build 168 released on April 6, 2012) also included the [[WebKit|WebKit layout engine]] (the rendering engine used by [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]]), making Avant Browser a three-engine browser. Layout engine is selectable by the user.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://download.cnet.com/Avant-Browser-Ultimate/3000-2356_4-12692733.html?tag=downloadRatingModule |title=Avant Browser Ultimate|access-date=2014-09-02|date=2012-06-24|publisher=CNET}}</ref>

There is also a lite edition which contains only the Trident layout engine.

==Features==
[[File:Avant Browser screenshot.jpg|250px|thumb|right|An early version of Avant Browser]]
Avant allows users to synchronize their bookmark, feed and setting storage. There is a portable version that can be used without installation. It uses a low amount of resources due to all pages running in a single process and is compatible with many Internet Explorer toolbars and add-ins, including Google toolbar. Further it has an RSS reader, 21 themes to change its appearance, a translation feature, supports proxy servers, white and blacklists for domains such as advertisement servers and an option to quickly block unwanted page elements.

It supports 15 languages.

==See also==
* [[List of web browsers]]
* [[Comparison of web browsers]]
* [[Internet Explorer shell]] browsers
* [[List of feed aggregators]]
* [[Comparison of feed aggregators]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.avantbrowser.com}}

{{Web browsers|desktop}}
{{Aggregators}}

[[Category:Windows web browsers]]
[[Category:Internet Explorer shells]]
[[Category:Portable software]]
[[Category:2004 software]]
[[Category:News aggregator software]]