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@Vlad
Hey there! First time commenter here.

I was introduced to Kagi by a colleage roughly half a year ago, and I love it. Who would have thought that being able to find proper things that you search for without being bombarded by sponsorships/ads is such a great QoL improvement. I've recently switched to an annual professional plan, and will continue to stay here as long as Kagi provides great value/experience as it does now, so keep up the great work!

I became aware of Orion a while back, but brushed it off as it seems to be mainly for Apple OSes, and still is. Just got back to Orion recently for some experimenting, and the features and promises are looking bright and exciting, and so I decided to commit and just got an annual Orion+ subscription. Unfortunately, I won't be able to use it for anything outside of work, as my main PC is not MacOS. But I truly hope that this will help bringing Orion to other platforms sometimes in the future.

I do have a couple of questions, however. Why Webkit, and not something like Gecko engine? The choice of Webkit makes technical sense, as it is fast, not memory-hungry, etc. as you and others have mentioned. I'm sure you've probably did some testing/research and utlimately chose Webkit. That being said, from a user point of view, being stuck with Apple OSes exclusively doesn't seem to be a great place to be. Gecko is already cross-platform, built and maintained by a separate experienced dev team, so it does everything Webkit does, if not better. I understand the resource constraint you and your team have to work under, but it is hard to convince someone to spend their money on a product based on a promise that they will be able to use the browser on their platform someday in the future, so you're stuck with a chicken/egg situation just like what @Jurist2907 said above.

Anyway, apology for the long post. I hope we will see more exciting things coming in the near future. Keep up the good work 🙂

P/S: Firefox could do this on Android already, but being able to install extensions in Orion on iOS is a mind-blowing experience. What voodoo black magic did you and your team do???

P/SS: One feature I would love to see in Orion is the equivalent of Firefox's Multicontainers. Not sure if this is already supported or where to raise the request, but it would be nice to be able to use this.

  • Vlad replied to this.

    suppaionigiri

    I do have a couple of questions, however. Why Webkit, and not something like Gecko engine?

    The answer is simple. There are over 100 browsers out there and all of them are free. For a new browser ( that is also paid!) to succeed it has to be absolutely the best for a given platform. So on macOS it has to run WebKit, the best, most performant rendering engine on the platform, built by the OS manufacturer.

    What voodoo black magic did you and your team do???

    No magic, just the ambition and skills needed to build the best possible browser.

    One feature I would love to see in Orion is the equivalent of Firefox's Multicontainers.

    You can find and upvote it on this website.

        22 days later

        Kagi Windows user here. As it currently stands, I don't really have a reason to support Orion+ with a lifetime account since I can't even use the product, though I'd love to the moment Windows is supported. Will the Windows version of Orion be WebKit-based too? That would definitely be a good way to differentiate yourselves from the competition as I am not aware of any browsers actively developed on WebKit for Windows. Not sure if there's a reason for that or if it's just the status quo.

        Are you willing to swap out rendering engines based on the OS it's being built for? If so, how would affected development in regards to fragmentation? Much appreciated.

        • Vlad replied to this.

          ADL We would use web rendering engine that is most native to the platform. Yes this does mean that our job will be twice as hard. But nothing we do is easy and we rather do things right.

              a month later
              8 days later

              I totally +1 this, and would even go that far as to ask for fdroid availability, that would be awesome!

                a month later

                Vlad By saying you, "would use web rendering engine that is most native to the platform", does this mean we are finally in the works for a Windows browser?

                • Vlad replied to this.
                    a month later

                    CostcoFanboy I am sure if 10000 people agreed to pay $100 or the equivalent for this you would see substantial movement on this. I very much wish the team had the resources to address my issues (which are much smaller than this worthwhile but substantial investment) but in the meantime I continue to come back to it as a superior option where it is available.

                    Otherwise, the question is how can we as community supporters of Orion bring 10K+ paying users to the platform?

                        bzgnyc Thanks for constructive message. Most people are used to browser falling out of the sky and being free. Building a browser that is built only to serve its users and funded by the same is a very different matter.

                          6 days later

                          Hello Orion team,

                          I'm a user who has greatly enjoyed your application on macOS, particularly due to its focus on security, which I find superior to other browsers available on the market. However, I would like to suggest that you consider releasing a version of Orion for Windows.

                          I believe that many Windows users could benefit from the features and security that Orion offers. Expanding to this platform could reach a broader audience, benefiting both users and potentially opening new growth opportunities for your company across multiple operating systems.

                          I understand that launching an application on a new platform requires considerable effort, but I am confident that many users would be thrilled to see Orion on Windows. If there's any possibility of this happening, it would be great to hear more about it.

                          Thank you for considering this suggestion.

                          Best regards

                          Ways a user could utilize the proposed feature:
                          Secure browsing on Windows:
                          Orion is known for its strong focus on security, something that many Windows users would highly appreciate. By implementing the Windows version, users could use Orion to access sensitive websites, conduct online banking transactions, and manage personal information with greater peace of mind, knowing they are using a browser that prioritizes privacy and security.

                          Example: A user working from home could use Orion on Windows to securely connect to their work environment through a VPN, relying on the browser's advanced security measures to protect their connection.

                          Device synchronization:
                          Users already using Orion on macOS could benefit from a Windows version by allowing synchronization between devices. This means they could have their bookmarks, passwords, and customized settings available on both operating systems, enhancing continuity in their browsing experience.

                          Example: A user who owns both a MacBook and a Windows PC could start working on a project on their MacBook and seamlessly continue on their PC, thanks to Orion's cross-device synchronization.

                          Adoption of advanced privacy features:
                          With a Windows version of Orion, users would gain access to the advanced privacy features already enjoyed on macOS, such as tracker blocking and the ability to block unnecessary scripts. These features would help maintain a cleaner and safer browsing environment on Windows.

                          Example: A privacy-conscious user could use Orion on Windows to block intrusive ads and trackers while browsing websites that typically contain many tracking elements.

                          Comparison with other browsers:
                          Other browsers like Brave and Firefox already offer Windows versions with security and privacy features. Orion could position itself as a lighter alternative with a different focus on security, attracting users looking for a safer browsing experience without compromising speed or usability.

                          Example: A user currently using Firefox might switch to Orion on Windows after testing its unique features, such as faster browsing or better phishing protection compared to other browsers.

                          Integration with existing features:
                          Expansion of existing privacy functions:
                          The Windows version could expand the existing privacy function on macOS by including new Windows-specific options, such as integration with the operating system's native security settings or the ability to manage hardware access permissions (camera, microphone, etc.) in more detail.

                          Performance optimization:
                          Orion on macOS is already known for its speed. This feature could be optimized to work effectively on Windows, leveraging the operating system's resources to offer performance equal to or better than other browsers available on the platform.

                            Merged 2 posts from Orion for Windows Release.
                              5 months later

                              Hi, just writing to say that I would absolutely love Orion for Android. It's become my default browser on my Mac and on my iPad. Having both chrome and Firefox extensions is wonderful- so much so that it felt criminal not to purchase a lifetime license to support the development (so I did).

                              Great work!

                              • JJmk

                                • Post #78

                                Happy Kagi Ultimate user here (2 years+). I just paid for the Orion+ lifetime subscription to support a Windows build. I'd really like to have a replacement for the poor browser selection we have these days.

                                12 days later

                                Linux with nixos support would be awesome! Then that could have declarative for both Mac and Linux!

                                24 days later

                                Another happy Kagi user looking for Windows and/or Linux support.

                                I hope to add my vote with a lifetime subscription at a more convenient financial opportunity or when support is announced. Thanks!

                                  12 days later

                                  Well, I've only heard a rumor about Orion for Linux and found this thread. I hear you, you didn't have resources, but you got it all wrong

                                  Nobody's naive to buy a dream "please support our main operation and our vision of product priority, so maybe some day we will develop what you're supporting us for". Donating to kick start a project is a great idea, but please open a clear option "donate to make a Linux version" for example, and do not "burn" this money on other projects (platforms) because you're not having the team yet. That's the only way to encourage donations.