As I downloaded KDE 3.2 RC1 some while ago and KDE 3.2.0 today, I started using Konqueror as my primary browser as it has improved immense since 3.1. Now I want to share some ideas for improving Konqueror the Browser.
First of all, it would be really nice if Konqueror could instantly switch between the filemanager and webbrowsing profiles when a URL of the other type is entered. So, if I have Konqueror open as filemanager in my home directory and I click a bookmark which points to a website, it would be nice if Konqueror could automatically load the webbrowsing profile; the toolbar/sidebar configuration for filemanaging will only hinder browsing.
To extend on this idea, some more settings could be added to the profiles, like whether the 'Up' icon should be displayed. This icon is only useful when when in filemanager mode and is confusing when browsing.
Finally (and maybe this fits better in a separate request) it would be nice if Konqueror (and the webbrowsing profile in specific) could offer a Google bar in the way Firebird and Safari do this.
I also filed this as bug #74097 but I wanted to know your reactions on this. Btw, I'm trying to implement the Google bar myself right now, if some useful comes out of it, I'll let you know 
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Fix HTML/JS/DOM support first!
Don't worry about Google bars or adding new gui candy until the basics are done.
Konqueror still has some big holes in it's support for Javascript, XML, CSS and DOM. And I'm getting tired of seeing Konqueror choke on web sites (episteme.arstechnica.com for example) because of it.
Finish KHTML & friends first. Then play with the toolbars.
Lalala
Sounds like an ideal job for you.
Google toolbar
I don't like to have a hardwired google toolbar. Why not have a search bar in the location bar (similar to firebird) and make it configurable to one of the acronyms you like (and which are already there).
Even better would be to do like Galeon does with Smart Bookmarks. When you have a smart bookmark in the bookmark toolbar you get a field to enter e.g. your search terms into. Same behaviour as the google toolbar.
Advantage:
- Per default Konq UI is not cluttered with search field
- you can have as many fiels as you want as long as they fit on your bookmark toolbar or a second bookmark toolbar (e.g. I have some smart bookmarks for each webapp in my company. helps to ease my work a lot)
- fully configurable to what user wants
Disadvantage:
- it's not obvious for the beginner user that easy search functionality is available
- need to extend bookmarks for that
Just my .2cent
I don't see the first change
I don't see the first change you mention an improvement. Besides it would be quite difficult to tell when to switch profiles.
I quite like the "Up" icon and I find it useful in most of the sites I personally browse. It may puzzle some newbie, so maybe its appearance could be changed to remove the association with the "history" icons.
As for the Google bar, well, again, I personally don't find it is needed, since the gg: shortcut is already there. On the other hand, it does no harm, so if you feel you want it, go ahead and do it.
Luciano
No need for GoogleBar
I don't think there's need for wasting space with a googlebar if you can do a google search by typing "gg:" in the location bar...
Re: No need for GoogleBar
I don't really agree. A separate google bar is still more clear to the user (and it saves 3 keystrokes).
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Arend van Beelen jr.
http://www.liacs.nl/~dvbeelen
You can save 3 keystrokes now already...
...just choose your preferred search engine in Configure Konqueror... > Web Shortcuts > Default search engine.
Re: You can save 3 keystrokes now already...
Yeah, I know this exists, but I still don't think it's the ideal solution. Mozilla (not Firebird) has this exact same feature as well (default search engine) and I see a lot of people not using it because it's not clear to them, but if someone sees a small extra bar with a Google icon they immediately recognize it. Finally, if you have this extra bar, you can optimize the location bar more for not searching. For instance, if a single word is typed, no longer search for that word using the default search engine, but prepend www. and append .com to it.
Of course, I don't want to force a Google bar on you, I just believe it would be a good addition.
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Arend van Beelen jr.
http://www.liacs.nl/~dvbeelen
Probably better would be a drop-down-button...
...next to the go button. Like the current Google bar. Single click gives you Standard search, everything else via submenu.
I am not really a KDeveloper so someone else has to do it though...
cya
Go ahead doing it so... All I
Go ahead doing it so... All I ask you is to provide me an option to turn it off and not to hardcode the search engine.
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Henrique Pinto