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fahimf@email.com

Scope

Scope is a multi-tabbed browser which displays web pages using either the IE or Mozilla engine - or both if you want to compare pages side by side. In addition to being extremely fast, Scope is very, very lightweight - only about 250k for the whole program!

Features

  • Extremely lightweight and fast
  • Uses both the IE and Mozilla engines and allows you to choose which one should be your default engine
  • Allows you to view multiple pages at the same time in a multiple document interface (MDI)
  • On-the-fly download and security features which allow you to customize your browsing session without having to go to your Internet Options everytime you want to change your settings - like disable/enable JavaScript
  • Blocked URL feature which allows you to not have certain URL's open up at all in Scope - great for Popup ad blocking :-)
  • LinkGroups which allow you to save a set of open browser sessions and re-open them later simply as a menu selection - much like your Favorites.
  • Easy access to your IE Favorites and the ability to modify them from within Scope itself.
  • The ability to save the last pages you were viewing and reopen them when Scope is next run.
  • The ability to start Scope with many different options including a LinkGroup, your own URL (not IE home page), last viewed sites etc.
  • The ability to have the tab bar at the top of the screen or the bottom of the screen.
  • The option to have a single line tab bar (with scroll arrows when it gets too large to fit in one screen) or a multiline tab bar.

Screen Shots


IE and Mozilla sessions side-by-side

Multiple Pages in one window

Full-screen multiple sessions

The License :-)

FAQ/Known Defects

  • Mozilla will not work with Scope or Scope locks up when trying to use Mozillla. This might be due to the fact that the Mozilla control that Scope uses is not properly installed even though you have Mozilla installed. To install the Mozilla control:
    1. Install or build mozilla
    2. Open a DOS prompt, change to your Mozilla bin directory (e.g. "cd c:\mozilla\bin")
    3. Type "regsvr32 mozctlx.dll"
  • You have to click on the Toggle Images and Don't run JavaScript buttons twice to toggle them. I know of the issue but it seems to happen only the first time.... I'm looking into it.
  • The address bar auto-completion is irritating. Yes it is :-) I can't figure out how to turn it off since it should be turned off if you turn of auto-completion in IE but I'm told even that doesn't work. The good thing is that you don't have to type in the www part if the address is in your history and if it isn't and it's a .com address, you can simply use CTRL+ENTER to add www. to the beginning and .com to the end without having to do any typing at all.
  • The Close All and Close options on the tab context menu should be switched. You will have the mouse pointer over Close All on the tab context menu if you have the Scope window maximized or the Scope window very close to the bottom of the screen. Otherswise, the context menu will appear with the cursor over the Close option - so were I to switch it, another portion of the users (those who don't maximize Scope) are going to start crying foul :p
  • The positions of address bar, toolbar etc. cannot be saved. This is currently not supported but will be in a future release.
  • "The SCOPE.EXE file is linked to missing export SHELL32.DLL:523" error message when trying to run Scope. This is due to having an older version of Shell32.dll not because Shell32.dll is missing. This problem usually occurs on older Win95 machines. The current solution is to uninstall your version of IE (if it is 5.0+), install IE 4.0 SP2 with Active Desktop support, then reinstall your current version of IE (5.0 or 5.5). IE 5.0+ does not update system files when it is installed - hence the necessity for this roundabout solution.

User Testimonials

  • I passed on a copy of Scope to a colleague who is following the NCAA tournament. That way he can have windows open to monitor multiple sports sites and game stats at the same time - seems like just what a sports junkie needs. (Brian Wolven - 16 Mar 2001)
  • I'm kind of a scope evangelist here in Caracas, most of my friends use it, and it's installed in all of my home computers (although it's not referred as scope by my mom, but as "netscape with the tabs"). (Tico, Carcas, Venezuela - 05 Jul 2001)

   

Copyright (c) 2001 Fahim A. Farook