Netscape Combines Browser Features

[zippyjuan]

Netscape Combines Browser Features
May 19, 2005 9:54 AM EDT
NEW YORK - The newest Netscape browser combines the best features from Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer and the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox but no longer tries to commandeer all search traffic to its own engine.

America Online Inc.'s Netscape 8.0 now uses Google as the default search engine. A test version of the free browser had used the Netscape engine.

Out Thursday, Netscape 8.0 also lets users choose AskJeeves, and AOL says it is in talks with Yahoo as well.

Netscape also switches the placement of the boxes into which users type in search terms and Web addresses. Recognizing the growing use of search for navigation, the search box now has the more prominent spot on the left.

IE remains the dominant browser, but many users complain of its numerous security vulnerabilities and lack of modern features like tabbed browsing, which lets you visit multiple Web sites without opening multiple browser windows.

Firefox addresses those issues, but some sites won't work because they're tailored for IE. The new Netscape, which is only available for Windows PCs, addresses that quandary.

It displays most sites using a Firefox engine that's embedded in Netscape's software. But, when it deems a site relatively safe, it uses the IE software engine that is built into Windows.

[Jeffbx]

Netscape still makes a browser?

[Hiro]

Netscape still makes a browser?
I think AOL is holding onto a dying department at this point.

[Thesifer]

Netscape makes Firefox.. Just under a Different name.. They are still around.. and have been.. Just kinda buried the Nutscrape Name a Bit.

[Itsme]

Published: May 26, 2005, 11:46 AM PDT
By Ingrid Marson
Microsoft has alerted consumers that Netscape's latest browser appears to break the XML rendering capabilities in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Dave Massy, a senior program manager for IE, warned users in a blog posting that after installing Netscape 8, IE will render XML files as a blank page, including XML files that have an XSLT transformation.

Microsoft did not make clear what versions of IE were affected, but a user of the DeveloperDex forum said he experienced the problem on version 6 of IE, which had been patched with Windows Service Pack 2.

Microsoft said it is investigating the problem and will work with Netscape to resolve it. It advised a "workaround" of uninstalling Netscape 8 and editing the registry settings.

One reader of the blog said the rendering problem could be a problem with IE, rather than Netscape. He suggested that such a feature could be useful for Microsoft as it would deter users considering a migration from IE to Netscape.

But another reader, Chris Beach, came to Microsoft's defense. "Cue endless conspiracy theories about Microsoft's 'dirty tactics.' Honestly, the rubbish you (Microsoft) have to put up with...my heart goes out to you guys. Keep up the good work with IE 7," he said.

This issue could be another blow to Netscape, which released Netscape 8 only two weeks ago. Just a day after launching Netscape 8 and touting the browser's security features, the company released an update to fix several serious flaws.