Netscape 7.2 To Be Released August 3rd 263
Following up a story from May, linux2004 writes "for those who thought Netscape was dead after firing all their staff and spinning Mozilla off into a non-profit foundation, then think again. It was announced a while back that Netscape would continue releases of their browser suite and now the release date has been confirmed as August 3rd as a free download or by buying a CD. I don't think it'll take the attention away from Firefox but will be a decent upgrade for those using Netscape 7.1. The 7.2 release will be based on Mozilla 1.7 and will probably have the usual Netscape additions."
Good. (Score:4, Funny)
Netscape additions (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah! And not only AIM, but Viewpoint Media Player, and Winamp, and "FREE AOL!" icons for my desktop and my Start Menu...
I can't wait.
Re:Netscape additions (Score:2)
Re:Netscape additions (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Good. (Score:2)
Oh man! (Score:5, Funny)
Netspace is not dead!
Doom III is out!
And both of them on the same day... Crazy... This must be some conspiracy against slashdot users
Re:Oh man! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Oh man! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Oh man! (Score:2)
I imagine AOL wants to keep Netscape around for thier budget ISP.
here's "why netscape" (Score:5, Insightful)
Corporate execs are more comfortable with a known brand name. Even though Mozilla (and FF, Camino, K-Meleon, etc) are based on the same code, they are not "Netscape". When execs are made aware of the faults and deficiencies of IE, they may think "I wish it was still like the old days, when we could at least choose between IE and Netscape." Lo and behold, here's Netscape 7.2. If you mention Opera or Firefox to them, you'd get blank stares.
Also, some of these execs want an all-in-one solution, not a perceived patchwork of FF+TB+whatever to meet basic internet needs.
Plus, "Mozilla" sounds like something only a geek could love. "Netscape" sounds like a polished product, like the marketing team actually spent more than 5 seconds to think of it. That's important to execs.
it's not the first time... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:it's not the first time... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:it's not the first time... (Score:3, Insightful)
New Book? (Score:2)
The best idea (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:The best idea (Score:4, Insightful)
now i think netscape, i think bloat
mozilla is today what netscape was years ago, and when you add the netscape monicker, that just brings the image of quality downward
Right. (Score:2)
Sorry, but "netscape" always suffered from bloat. We don't mention it much here because of the intense IE hate mongering. But bloated it was, bloated it is. Netscape was never anything but bloat, but it was "our" bloat, not "M$" bloat. Besides, since "years ago" you where doing wheelies in the street on your bike with a banana seat and a sissy bar, exactly what version of NN where you talking about? NN6?
Re:Right. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The best idea (Score:2, Interesting)
half-baked? (Score:2)
The integrated AIM is the selling point that will get me to upgrade to Netscape 7.2 from Mozilla 1.7.
A Netscape branded Firefox would be great. First of all because Firefox is a pretty stupid name, and regular users don't remember far back enough to associate Netscape with 'bloat' all the time. Making Firefox 1.0 The next Netscap
Re:half-baked? (Score:2)
What the hell are you talking about? I've been using AIM for years. It's trivial (read: very very very simple, even for a chimp) to turn off the auto-start, auto-login options. Infact, two checkboxes sit immediately over the 'Sign In!' button. It's easy:
Just uncheck both. That's one problem s
Re:The best idea (Score:3, Insightful)
Naw, a better idea is just to use firefox in the first place. Then you don't have to worry about what netscape is doing.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:The best idea (Score:2)
It seems to me that AOL gave up on Netscape after the last release, just because MSIE had so much marketshare.
Wait, what's this? A bunch of news reports advising people not to use MSIE anymore? I'm sure AOL saw this and decided to switch gears, and fast.
We all know that the new Netscape is just basically Mozilla with a bunch of advertising type of stuff and AOL software bundled up, but people li
Re:The best idea (Score:4, Informative)
Well, since the formation of the Mozilla Foundation in July 2003 then Mozilla was totally independent of Netscape, they did get some cash off them and they still host some of mozilla.org's FTP mirrors (others are hosted at various volunteers) but now mozilla.org are not controlled by any way with Netscape. I'm sure they've done what they can to help Netscape with this release, but the Foundation are concentrating on standalone apps now rather than the Netscape style suite.
If Netscape decides to make a Netscape 8.0 based on Firefox, great for them, but Firefox is now becoming a brand in its own right.
Speaking of funding (Score:2)
I'll probably send a small gift either way, but it would be nice to know.
Re:Speaking of funding (Score:2)
Re:Speaking of funding (Score:2)
August 3rd? (Score:2, Funny)
- First-person browser: Seventh installment in the ground-breaking NETSCAPE series
- Enhanced storyline; winner of multiple awards for graphics,sound,and action
- Spine-chilling, bloodcurdling, altogether unfriendly environment
- Music by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
- One of the most highly anticipated titles of 2004
take attention away from Firefox? (Score:3, Insightful)
Netscape might not be as advanced and bleeding edge as Firefox or Mozilla but at least it has the name recognition that the non-geeks require.
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:3, Interesting)
But it's still good that a browser with long time name recognition is still in the race and it gives people choice, and choice is good if it's standards compliant choice. Many web stats show that Mozilla is above it's Netscape branded cousin now in market share but I still know people who were happy with 7.1, these people preferred a suite and perhaps Netscape use their marketing dol
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:5, Insightful)
While this is very true you forget that most people don't get their news from the online sources that we (those that actually care to stay up on the news and CE) do.
I don't know a single person outside of my more computer literate friends that knows that IE has vulnerabilities or what Firefox is. In fact, a quick check through my webserver logs finds that the just about the only people using FireFox are those that are coming from slashdot URLs.
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2)
Salt Lake Tribune [sltrib.com]
The Age [theage.com.au]
Sierra Star [sierrastar.com] (CA)
Sun-Sentinel [sun-sentinel.com] (FL)
News-Press [news-press.com] (FL)
News-Leader [news-leader.com] (MO)
The Scotsman [scotsman.com] (guys in skirts)
etc... [google.com]
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2)
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2, Interesting)
Summarizing: Netscape nowadays is almost as minoritary as Firefox for Joe user.
[Writing this post on Mozilla 1.7 BTW]
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2)
No one that is an average user thinks about "buggy, bloated, and slow." Average people just don't care about that. They care about what is easy to use and doesn't require any thinking.
Re:take attention away from Firefox? (Score:2)
Glad to hear it (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Glad to hear it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Glad to hear it (Score:2)
Re:Glad to hear it (Score:5, Informative)
You can mess around with the message that is send, so for instance you can report that you are internet explorer running on a commodore-64.
Re:Glad to hear it (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Glad to hear it (Score:2)
Only reason is the Netscape mail extension (Score:4, Interesting)
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Thunderbird will support Netscape mail, being proprietory.
Re:Only reason is the Netscape mail extension (Score:2)
I stopped using Netscape/Mozilla for mail many moons ago, tho', and while I believe that Mozilla Mail still uses mbox files, I'm not sure about Netscape... Or Thunderbird, come to think of it...
Re:Only reason is the Netscape mail extension (Score:2)
He means accessing Netscape webmail through the mail client. Netscape webmail is accessible like a normal mail account through Netscape 6 and above but it's not available through standard IMAP.
You're right Netscape, Mozilla and Thunderbird store messages in the standard 'mbox' format
Re:Only reason is the Netscape mail extension (Score:2, Informative)
- support for the extended IMAP for accessing free netscape.net accounts (as you said)
- support for syncing your address book with your netscape.net account address book (very handy to keep your address book on all your computers in sync)
- on Linux Netscape 7.X has always shipped with extra fonts, which IMHO are very decent, and were better than any X fonts a few years back (unfortunately these fonts only seem to be available
An open-source warning? (Score:5, Interesting)
Bit of a cautionary tale perhaps?
Cheers,
Ian
Re:An open-source warning? (Score:3, Insightful)
It's called outsourcing.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Mozilla was paid by AOL. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:An open-source warning? (Score:2)
Re:An open-source warning? (Score:2)
Re:An open-source warning? (Score:2)
However, it looks like AOL have contracted some key foundation staff [blakeross.com] (see mention of the guidebook - he also wrote the Mozilla 1.7 Guidebook [blakeross.com] too) to help with this release, plus there's some ex-Netscape staff still working on other projects within AOL that could help out.
Re:An open-source warning? (Score:5, Interesting)
That's an interesting point. However, you're cutting out a whole lot of Netscape history. By the time Netscape released an Open Source codebase, it was already a doomed company. Creating the Mozilla project was a final defiant action. AOL's purchase of Netscape was both added life and final blow to what we knew as Netscape. It was an indication of Netscape's position as well as a corporate shift that caused a mass exodus of Netscape talent. But at the same time, it did present some continued corporate sponsorship to the Mozilla project.
The parent's timeline makes it sound like the decline of Netscape's employment started at, or was a direct result of the Open Source process. But this decline was already well underway. And it could even be argued that the Mozilla project maintained value in even a small number of Netscape jobs.
There is one major issue that would be easy to overlook. If Netscape had remained proprietary, it would have simply faded away with so many other codebases wiped out by the dot-boom collapse. And as many of us know, a failed product is not a great source of employment in itself.
Is Netscape Sun? (Score:5, Interesting)
Now Netscape is doing basically the same thing. Add in the other Linux vendors that offer something N$ and another with a price tag and spinoff of the old business model (lower optioned item at cost/loss to hook 'em and high-profit items to upgrade them later) is created.
The real question for the software world is if this is a viable model in the long run?
In OSS, there are quite a few individuals that keep the N$ items going, but is there much incentive for the priced offerings (other than businesses for support/peace of mind)?
It will be interesting to watch this trend unfold
Re:Is Netscape Sun? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Is Netscape Sun? (Score:5, Insightful)
This is hardly a new model.
--Azaroth
Re:Is Netscape Sun? (Score:2)
Re:Is Netscape Sun? (Score:2)
Re:Is Netscape Sun? (Score:2)
Netscape is still released freely while Star Office is released as commercial software. The only reason Star Office is commercial, though, is because there was a demand for both additional fonts (which are licensed at cost) and support. The only reason Netscape is free is because MS forced them to give up their shareware model by bundling a 'free' browser with Windows. Microsoft soaked the cost by creating a non-free upgrade to Windows 98 (98SE) and hiking the price by $20.
All of t
Firefox launch (Score:3, Interesting)
Does anybody take them seriously anymore? (Score:3, Interesting)
It's akin to MS taking the latest mozilla, turning it into IE.
Re:Does anybody take them seriously anymore? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Does anybody take them seriously anymore? (Score:2)
Re:Does anybody take them seriously anymore? (Score:2)
Room for a Firefox alternative? (Score:2, Insightful)
Now that the WWW is a scarier place, Mozilla is much more comforting to me than IE, but I miss some of the ease of IE when it came to the ability to play some of the "multimedia" out there.
Netscape was just as effective as IE when it came to that sort of thing, and if they can bring the "full flavor" back to the internet without
Re : Netscape 7.2 To Be Released August 3rd (Score:2)
Bigger, slower executable
HTML rendering/validation differences from *all* previous versions
More pain in developing webpages/sites, since there will be yet another browser in the market, and the yuppies in marketing and sales will scream their throats off for "compatibility" with it
Since it's basically Gecko... (Score:4, Interesting)
That's as long as Netscape don't introduce additional bugs into their branded version, of course.
Re:Re : Netscape 7.2 To Be Released August 3rd (Score:2, Informative)
Mozilla/Firefox/Netscape are all standards compliant browsers you don't have to design your website with any special code to achieve full compatibility with them. You would only have a problem if you have a non-standards compliant website, then you *would* have to rewrite it. But hey if you decided to have a non-sta
Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox (Score:4, Interesting)
Netscape - Same as above, but full of AOL branding.. built-in AIM, and all of their other bullshit.
FireFox - A lightweight, fast, extendable browser that's right for 98% of people who just watch to ditch IE.
Re:Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox (Score:2)
As it is now, there are some weird differences, with Firefox missing some options that Mozilla has (e.g. "loop animations once") which make me use Mozilla even though I don't need the kitchen sink. IANAP (=Programmer), but the current situation could easily lead to duplicated effort.
Re:Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox (Score:2)
Re:Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox (Score:2)
This is good news (Score:4, Interesting)
Also it means there's a recent secure browser that people can switch to from IE if the pre-1.0 version number puts people off Firefox (I know the Mozilla suite is 1.7 but they never really did aim that one at end users and doesn't have the new extension management stuff Firefox will have).
If you look at the copyright notice in the Netscape Store article linked to in the story you'll also notice that the store is run by MozSource which is the retail arm of the Mozilla Foundation [mozilla.org].
bloated (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:bloated (Score:3, Informative)
- They've always used it, happy with it and don't want to change even though there's obvious benefits (the same sorta people who still use IE) - at least Netcape is standards compliant.
- Some people prefer the suite to standalone apps, Netscape builds on Mozilla by adding common plugins which make it easier for the normal user.
Having seen 7.1 (Score:2)
We offer NS 6 on our stations here in addition to the unremovable IE. Next time the images are updated, I'm going to lobby hard to replace it with Firefox current.current no matter what, and never look back.
Honestly. Netscape threw in their hand...why are they still at the table?
Who'sleft at Netscape? Who's compiling? (Score:2)
I would like to see versions of Netscape 7.2 for both Tru64 and SGI IRIX, but I doubt it will happen. If I knew who to contact, I would at least try to argue my case.
Mozilla is generally fine, but there are still those who want "their netscape".
Perhaps I should just change Mozilla to the modern theme and use the Netcape throbber, they'd never know the difference!
Re:Who'sleft at Netscape? Who's compiling? (Score:2)
I would imagine this was a move by Netscape, not SGI. Did they ever actually "support" Netscape? I think it was just a bundled freebie until Netscape pulled the plug on several of its unix versions.
The machines we use have an older version of IRIX, which has SGI's compile of Mozilla 1.0.something that you speak of. Sadly, I haven't seen newe
Useless (Score:2)
What this release is REALLY good for is for those mothers, grandmothers, and other uninterested people who know what Netscape is but can't be bothered to try this 'other' lizard. Arguably this market is small, as you can slip Mozilla right by them pretty easily anyway, but I'm s
Re:Useless (Score:3, Informative)
AOL Should've Donated the Netscape Name (Score:4, Interesting)
It's probably still not too late
Re:AOL Should've Donated the Netscape Name (Score:2)
If you say then they'd keep their customers and portal but allow Mozilla to brand their browser 'Netscape' then effectively they'd then be relying on Netscape for their marketing and you'd suffer from the problem of having to track down download links in the confusing mess that is their portal [netscape.com]
Netscape actually works better than Firefox (Score:2)
So I use netscape. Both NS and FF are better designed than MSIE, however.
Perfect Timing (Score:2)
I only say this since I run a small newsgroup (not even tech related, though I field all the tech questions) and have convinced several users to u
Re:Perfect Timing (Score:2, Interesting)
When I saw the icon up there... (Score:2)
Firefox will become as big a brandname as NN/IE (Score:2, Interesting)
Take a look at the front cover [smh.com.au] of the Sydney Morning Herald. [smh.com.au]
You can read the full article here [smh.com.au].
Kudos to MozillaZine for running an article [mozillazine.org] on it.
So yeah... people in Aust. are taking firefox seriously... most Aust. sites are getting hammered if they are not FF friendly.
Cheers,
M.
Evil MS and IE (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:aim (Score:2)
Didn't really have any advantages over the standalone one, the only time it was useful was in the days before AOL had an official Linux client, because the Netscape one would work when they were blocking the unofficial clients,
Re:No big deal (Score:2, Insightful)
If Gecko gets a significant share of the market (in whatever form - Netscape, Firefox, Camino, etc) then it might make Netscape's parent company decide to finally switch their ISP for muppets (AOL) over to a Gecko based browser too - particularly with all the IE security holes.
That would make me happy.
Re:No big deal (Score:2)
- Chris