First Peek at Netscape Navigator 9 186
lisah writes "Netscape released a beta version of Navigator 9 (Linux.com shares corporate overlordship with Slashdot) today that includes several new components while giving some old ones the boot. This release will no longer ship with mail or composer but does have URL correction, a pre-populated RSS feed menu, and a neat clipboard in the browser's sidebar that will hold links to websites you want to visit again but not necessarily bookmark."
Brand power (Score:3, Informative)
I first started using Netscape back in 95 and used it for years till IE5 came out. After that I just got stuck with IE and used Opera here and there but I always had Netscape in the back on my mind. Hey its its based on FF and works good I'd switch to it just because it was my first browser.
No mail or composer since Netscape 7 (Score:4, Informative)
Didn't Netscape drop mail and composer a while back? Let's see...
From Netscape's Browser FAQ [netscape.com] (emphasize is mine):
If I recall correctly, Netscape 7 was based on the Mozilla suite (now known as SeaMonkey) and included those components, and with version 8, they based it on Firefox (which never included mail and composer) and went back to calling it "Navigator".
You'd think that "journalists" might research their stories a little bit.
Nothing new here, move along... (Score:3, Informative)
This reviewer apparently has not used any recent releases of Netscape (as I have). I am currently using Netscape version 7.2, now, to write this article (I abandoned Internet Explorer a long time ago due to security issues; I only use it when I get a site that will only work with IE). I have Netscape 8.1 installed, but I don't use it a whole lot, because (1) they moved the menus from the left side to the right side (2) they removed the print button, and (most significant) (3) they removed mail and composer. Without mail as part of the program it has reduced functionality. With mail as part of the program I can just click on 'Window' and 'Mail' to send a message; otherwise I have to go to the start menu and find whatever the hell the program is that is the mail suite spun out of Mozilla, Evolution? (I looked it up in the start menu; it's called Thunderbird.) I used to use composer and sometimes I use it when I need to build a table, so while it's unfortunate I can live without it. Mail and composer has been gone since at least 8.1, was this guy unaware of this?
Paul Robinson — My Blog [paul-robinson.us]Could try Seamonkey (Score:4, Informative)
The Seamonkey suite is the ongoing project of the original Mozilla Suite. It has the functionality of Netscape 7 (plus some) as well as the updated support of the rendering engine from Firefox 2 and other security updates. (see the news release [mozilla.org] for more info.
Disclosure: I have been running Mozilla suite and now Seamonkey since about 1999.
Re:Could try Seamonkey (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:4, Informative)
Old Netscape --> Mozilla
Mozilla --> Netscape 6-7 (at the time, Moz was Netscape's testbed)
Mozilla --> Firefox
Firefox --> Netscape 8+
But yes, as far as I'm concerned, the name may have gone one way, but the core of what Netscape signified ended up as Firefox.
Re:goddamit! (Score:3, Informative)
Also, in TFA, it says it's based on firefox.
SeaMonkey (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Nothing new here, move along... (Score:2, Informative)
Netscape 7.2 is based on Mozilla 1.7.2. There have been many security and stability updates since then. The latest version is Mozilla 1.7.13.
However, some time after the release of Mozilla 1.7.5, if I remember correctly, it was announced that the Mozilla Foundation would cease development of it. Developers didn't like this, and the SeaMonkey project was born. The latest SeaMonkey is SeaMonkey 1.1.2, equal to the latest Firefox 2 version, as they share the Gecko rendering engine.
I urge you to upgrade to the latest SeaMonkey. You'll find that it's almost exactly the same as Netscape 7. SeaMonkey will find your profile and start using it (same format). Of course, best to back-up your profile folder just in case.
I realize it's a joke, but... (Score:5, Informative)
For instance, Firefox 2, SeaMonkey, 1.2, Camino 1.5 and Netscape 9 all use the same major version of Gecko. Unless you're dealing with something controlled by the UI -- extensions, for instance, or the search box on the toolbar -- they're going to treat your code more or less the same. You'll start seeing bigger differences in screen size and platform.
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:4, Informative)
-and-
B) From the "What's new" page on Netscape 9:
That being said, I don't see anything in Netscape that I want that isn't already in Firefox.
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Could try Seamonkey (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/news.ht
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaMonkey [wikipedia.org]
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:1, Informative)
NCSA Mosaic -> Spyglass Mosaic -> Internet Explorer 1.0
But even with that, no source from NCSA Mosaic was used in Spyglass Mosaic: Spyglass mearly licensed the technology and trademarks.
In other words, NCSA Mosaic was a dead end.
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:3, Informative)
Total Rewrite --> Mozilla
Re:Netscape eh? (Score:2, Informative)