AOL Releases Client for Mac OS X with Gecko Browser

DietFluffy writes "America Online released an update to their Mac OS X client. The built-in browser is powered by Gecko! However, America Online plans to stick with Internet Explorer for their Windows client. Will this make web designers think twice about tailoring their web pages to Internet Explorer? Or will they ignore this, given that the Windows client will still have Internet Explorer as the default browser?" And if this goes well, will the Windows version eventually use a Gecko-based browser, too?

Comments

8.0 Uses Gecko

[spring]

The Win32 / 8.0 version of the AOL client does use Gecko as the rendering engine.

Re:8.0 Uses Gecko

[Ami Ganguli]

We don't know that yet, and in fact the latest beta reverted to IE.

AOL has been really coy about their plans in this regard. Nobody knows what they're up to. Latest evidence suggests that Gecko will go to smaller platforms first (Compuserve, Mac) and larger platforms later on. This makes some sense for AOL, since it reduces the risk of alienating their mainstream customers.

Re:8.0 Uses Gecko

[jmu1]

Compuserve, as it is, is not AOL. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL/TimeWarner. The latest release of the AOL "browser" was reverted to IE. Why? Who knows. I'd love it if they used Gecko, but it doesn't seem that it was working as they had planned. As for Compuserve, they really wouldn't care if it tanked or not, so they just threw that client together in a haphazard manner. Not meaning to argue, but it's just the facts.

Re:8.0 Uses Gecko

[Captain Large Face]

AOL is indirectly using Gecko under Compuserve 7.0 on Win32 already.

Since Compuserve is part of AOL, it would seem logical that AOL will follow where Compuserve has been. Whilst there is no evidence per se, it seems that this announcement would pave the way for such a move.

Re:8.0 Uses Gecko

[MindStalker]

Don't worry too much, its common knowledge that there is a AOL beta with gecko in it, then that there was a later AOL beta without gecko in it. So nobody really knows whats going to be in 8.0 though the speculation is that IE will be in 8.0 if 8.0 comes out soon. While gecko will be in 9.0, but if 8.0 doesn't come out soon they may switch depending upon how well the Mac test goes.

Re:8.0 Uses Gecko

[Darren Winsper]

AOL no longer has that deal with MS. It expired last year IIRC and they couldn't negotiate a new deal. MS wanted AOL to drop Real and go with WMP, but AOL refused.

No Big Deal

[InKonu]

Gecko or IE, it doesn't matter since any AOL users can still use whatever darn browser they please.

InKonu

Mac IE != Windows IE

[salimma]

Mac IE is a totally separate product from its Windows counterpart. I'm not too sure about whether it exposes itself as a DCOM component like WinIE, and thus is easily embeddable into other programs, but its rendering engine is definitely different - MacIE passes Mozilla's rendering tests, whereas WinIE does not.

On the other hand, MacIE has incomplete support for certificates - try going to a site with a certificate from an unknown (to IE) provider in MacIE and it would not let you in (in version 5.1 and under at least).

Besides, they already have a browser product that uses Gecko - the one used by their subsidiary, Compuserve. It makes sense to migrate AOL on Windows last, since there is no pressing need.

Re:Do we hate AOL today?

[CynicTheHedgehog]

Isn't AOL reducing the number of popups as a result of some customer survey?