ViOS's topnotch 3D rendering makes it a must-see for those interested in where Web browsing is headed.

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ViOS, which stands for Visual Internet Operating System, creates a 3D environment, the information for which is housed on the company's servers. Instead of sending data-intensive graphics over your connection, the software keeps graphics and texture information on your computer, rendering the 3D world for you on the fly. This should keep the surfing relatively fast.

Navigation of the 3D world is reminiscent of first-person shooters such as "Quake" or "Half-Life," minus the blood and gore. You can walk or run through this world either from your virtual point of view or behind an avatar you choose from a gallery the software provides.

The ViOS virtual world is composed of dozens of small cities or, as ViOS calls them, Regional Centers, each with its own theme. For example, there are regions for Computers & Internet, Education, and Shopping.

Navigation on the Fly
The ViOS 3D world contains elements to help you navigate your way more easily. Floating in the sky are blimp-like entities with icons inside of them. These are the subcategories for the category you're currently in. For instance, when we were in the Computers & Internet category, several of these blimps floated around. Placing your cursor over one lets you know what subcategory was under it (e.g. Networking, Web Design, or Hardware). Instead of walking all the way to a subcategory, you can click on the blimp and fly through space to get there. It's a neat experience.

What's even neater is that you can meet other users and explore the 3D world together. There are options to Follow or Lead in the exploration, depending on your mood. There are also 3D chat rooms where you can enter and chat with other users who have their own avatars.

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