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Netscape-Branded ISP Launching February 2004
Guppy06 writes "I'm too lazy to change my homepage in Netscape 7 to something else, and that's where I discovered an ad leading towards what appears to be a trial run of a new Netscape-branded ISP. While this isn't as momentous as, say, Netscape bundled with AOL would be, they seem to be aiming at Juno and NetZero with their price of $9.95/month ($1.00/month to participate in the trial run ending in February). This may just end up being a fizzle, or it could be part of a two-pronged attack on MSN by AOL."
If this is true, I have to wonder what if anything it will do for Mozilla's exposure.
C|N>K
I have been hearing ads on the radio for it here already. Sounds like one of those accelerated/compressed dial-up services.
EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
And they won't be bundling Netscape/Mozilla either, but will be bunding IE.
I know that Netscape is merged with AOL (AOL bought it actually *rolls eyes*). I think that if this ISP was made, it would be good. But ONLY if it was cable or DSL. Dial-Up is too slow, and has been around for too long. And hopefully it wouldnt be as crappy as the AOL browser is.
I came. I saw. I got the T-shirt
because everyone knows the netscRape brand and would provide a great service to have a linux installer! had a friend who ditched linux cuz he didn't have a friendly isp. would this be step one in mass acceptance? is aol really that smart anymore? ?? ? i thought they would buy red hat back when the rumor was on slashdot. ho hum. we'll see :)
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel
I've been hearing commercials for Netscape as a broad-band-like ISP in Canada on the radio lately.
They are going to have a tough go of it, competing against Telus.
They claim,
"Netscape Online Accelerator uses advanced web acceleration technology to increase the speed of dial up service, using your existing phone jack and modem without the expense of high speed services such as DSL or a cable modem. No additional equipment is required nor is there any waiting for installation"
Sounds like some sort of caching strategy to deliver content faster.
Overall, sounds like a step backwards to me. I'll stick with my Shaw 300KB/second cable-Internet for $30 Canadian a month.
Ironically, the browser software included in the sign-up package is a Netscape-branded version of Internet Explorer.
Pretty sad when your browser sucks so much you don't trust yourself enough to use it.
"Brand Necrophilia"
...but is there anyone who associates Netscape with anything other than ugly bloatware? If you want to sell a product, is plastering the Netscape logo all over it the best way to go? When someone says "Netscape", images of "RealPlayer" and a bunch of crappy "Subscribe to AOL Now!" icons come to mind.
Is there something I missed (which is quite likely)? Doesn't AOL sell 'net access already? Why do they want to include NetZero and Juno in this? Do I smell buyout?
This looks stupid. If you need dialup (who does nowadays?), get dialup worth your money-- that is, NOT costing $10 (which will be what this costs after March).
I don't see what's so special about "Netscape" dial-up.
---
Never criticize religion on Slashdot. You will be modded down for "Troll" no matter how factual it is.
By doing this, AOL not only gets to split their already-fleeing-like-rats-from-a-drowning-ship userbase, but they also get to cash in on the incredibly lucrative and growing dial-up internet market. And of course, the crowning touch, capitalizing on the Netscape namebrand, which everyone associates with fast, quality service. Good move, AOL!
While this could be part of a 'two pronged attack' on MSN, I highly doubt that. It will most certainly be a fizzle if they are merely offering basic dialup service. Unless they have a standard 'dialup accelerator' or some other value added feature that sets them apart from the rest of the dialup services, there's not much more room in this market IMHO. Unless of course they start this as their 'basic' level of service and offer a very cheap broadband solution along side (eventually). I fail to see that happening so long as DSL lines have to be bought from SBC and cable lines bought from Comcast. ~Dan
This may just end up being a fizzle
Fo shizzle, my nizzle.
It just cheapens the Netscape name, one for which many of us still have fond memories. I would guess some of the key original Netscape programmers are pretty sad too.
I already posted a comment about this once, but I'll never forget how sad jwz's resignation letters were.
This one predates the recently slashdotted article about myths in open source by many years, and probably was the first one to call attention to the fact that (his own words) "you cannot just take a project, sprinkle it with the magic pixie dust of 'open source' and make it magically work".
And this one made me so sad when it came out I threw away all plans of making a career in computer engineering. Again his own words, "sometimes the only way to win is to not play".
Yes, he's kinda dramatic in a mexican soap opera way, but then I was 17, and was deeply struck.
I don't understand this.
The Netscape ISP brand has already been tried, and AOL dumped it. The ISP was low cost.
This was done in the UK a few years ago, it lasted for not long. I don't know whether the Netscape ISP was also introduced to other countries, though.
Given the outright incompetence in the overall strategic vision at AOL/TW, there's no telling if this new plan is an act of foresight or of desperation.
Still, I have to say that it makes sense to leverage both the Netscape and AOL brands. They're obviously positioning Netscape as the low-cost bare-bones option for dialup ISP service, and I bet that subscribers will be incessantly prompted to upgrade to the features found on AOL.
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
... they're going to offer sub-standard service, and then blame Microsoft for having an MSN shortcut on their desktop when they tank.
Am I the only one picturing that this will be just like AOL, except uglier? :P
Oh, relax, kids. This is meant to be a joke.
"Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile. Life may be scary, but it's only temporary."
This is what I get on my mac... Macintosh Users The Macintosh operating system is not supported at this time. Netscape currently supports Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Please check back in the future for a Macintosh version of Netscape!
Well, someone please send AOL a clue. When I see messages like, "The Macintosh operating system is not supported at this time," I feel like walking over to the code-monkey and smacking him upside the head. Why?
1) Hey, I might have Windows computer, but I'm at a Mac now and I want more info.
2) It's a friggin' ISP! Cripes, just tell me the dial-in number to use and I'll be OK.
3) The closing statement of "Please check back in the future for a Macintosh version of Netscape!" is MS-worthy in its FUD. Netscape certainly is available for Macs. Just b/c your proposed ISP doesn't "support" them, no reason to lead people to believe that Netscape is a Windows-only product.
I wondered when netscape would do anything to fight for it's very existance. It's lack of any new money-making strategy for the past decade has baffeled me.
Netscape has accomplished very little, and I'm not too sure that the ISP route is too promising. The internet boom spawned dozens of the "free" ISP's and almost all crashed and burned with the exception of NetZero and Juno that adopted a real money strategy before the crisis. While this one isn't free, it sounds like it offers very few innovations over the otherrs besides price, and because the competition is still fierce, I feel that there is very little money to be made in that area. In other words, it can be accomplished... but with what profit.
Don't invest in Netscape again just yet!
Thank you, and happy Chanukah
I just shot coffee out of my nose.
Especially if they could figure out some way to download images in the background, and maybe throw in some chat rooms. Linux types would also appreciate a command line interface, so they could just jump directly to any part of the service by typing in a keyword. Yeah, that'd be cool.
The service seems very AOLesque. It does not seem to be a straightforward PPP account, but yet uses AOL's shadowy dial-in-software system.
A Netscape Navigator toolcircle?
AOL is getting hit from the top and the bottom. High Speed Access is erroding their customer base from the top, and Low Cost Dialups are attracting customers from the bottom. Having their own low cost Dial Up will allow them to at least get some money from people who are leaving them for a cheaper alternitive. Using the AOL brand name for the cheaper service would cause confusion (Why am I being billed 23.95? I saw an ad for 9.95!) so they needed a different name for it. They already own the rights to a well known name associated with the Internet, Netscape, so it was a natural choice.
Quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est
To me, the Netscape brand means browsers. After IE, it's probably the best known brand of browsers on the market. I've always thought the point of branding was to create a rock solid identity for a specific product, and then extend that product to new areas. For instance, Taco Bell creates a brand for Taco Bell tacos, and through incessant marketing convinces people that the slop actually tastes good. Then, once that brand is strong, they move on to marketing Taco Bell brand taco shells, that you can buy in any grocery store. You can see how there's a connection here, and how somebody who likes TB Tacos would be more likely to buy TB taco shells in the supermarket.
But with this Netscape thing, I don't get it. If Netscape isn't a brand name for a browser, what is it a brand name for? And what does a browser have to do with purchasing internet access?
The funny thing here, is that AOL/Time Warner already owns the top brand in ISP's: AOL. So why not come out with a $9.95 "AOL-Light", which you then cajole customers into upgrading to full-fledged AOL? Using Netscape as the brand for an entry-level ISP makes no sense whatever, whereas extending the AOL name makes perfect sense.
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
AOL is losing money to companies that are offering a cheaper service so now when a customer calls and wants to cancel they can offer them a cheaper service and still keep their customer.
Get Movie Posters
find a real hobby
THis is merely a way for AOL to try to keep a few of the customers that it has been losing recently. Standard AOL is too expensive and/or too slow. People have been jumping ship for faster or cheaper service.
So, if they can offer a cut down service (that may appear somewhat faster) they can keep a few of those jumpers, and stave off the financial debacle for a while.
During the latter part of Albert Einstein's tenure at the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton, management decided to ramp up its hiring efforts. One day a slew of new hires were brought in to be introduced to the great man. "Dr. Einstein, this is an amazing honor", said the first newbie. "I'm thrilled at the opportunity to work with you because, while I'm not half as brilliant as you are, I do happen to have an IQ of 180". "Outstanding", replied Einstein. "I'm sure we can have many profitable discussions regarding quantum mechanics". The second hire revealed that his IQ was 150. "Excellent", said Einstein. "There are many research areas in relativistic mechanics where we can work together". The third man stepped forward and admitted his IQ was only 110. "But you do enjoy the arts, that is quite satisfactory", said Einstein. "I myself enjoy playing the piano, rather badly I'm afraid". Finally the fourth man stepped forward and said, "Dr. Einstein? Uh, like, my IQ is only 60! So what now?" Einstein paused for what seemed to be a full minute, cupping his jaw with his hand, occasionally stopping to mutter "hmm... I see". Finally he smiled at the man and said, "So Mr. ----, have you heard of any exciting new branding strategies in corporate America?"
and therefore will be sucktastically slow. Aol has a shoddy slow network that has been overloaded ever since they went to all you can eat dialup. If your gonna use cheap dialup, go for flex.com (note i am not a customer, but thats who i recommend when people need a decent dialup).
Lawyers, MBA's, RIAA? A jedi fears not these things!
We discussed this in October ("AOL to Launch Discount 'Netscape' Internet Service", to the tune of 358 comments.
-Waldo Jaquith
No this isn't a flame its the truth. This is being marketed to people who are just looking for the cheapest price and who don't give a damn about the browser. No revolutions here. THe people won't even notice cause it'll be so customized you couldn't tell it form real stock netscape. Just a bunch of cheapskates using a dying form of internet access. If anything I'd be insulted if my favorite browser was getting marketed to the bottom barrel crowd.
uses advanced web acceleration technology to increase the speed of dial up service
It may just be a matter of time before this potential consumer misrepresentation attracts the attention of the trial attorneys. It certainly has riled up its share of consumers who were expecting cable-modem speed service from their tired POTS line.
Then again, if they can sell colored water advertised as a miracle diet drug ("just take three hours before bedtime and don't snack after taking it"), they can get away with dialup broadband.
Glad you spent the time finding the old story, I didn't wanna put in the effort.
Fact: Afer the disastrous merger, the TW people are re-gaining control of AOL/TW.
Fact: The AOL name is mud in the business world and approaching mud (slurry?) in the consumer world.
Fact: AOL has few friends among those regaining control of AOL/TW.
Predictions:
1. AOL/TW will drop the AOL part and revert to Time-Warner.
2. TW will start migrating AOL's content (such as it is) to TW branded properties.
3. AOL will start migrating its dial up subscribers to the Netscape branded service. "Just a name change."
4. Finally, AOL will cease to function as an ISP, and will channel everything through AOL.com, which will also eventually just whither away.
Good riddance.
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
That's not something one would normally brag about in this forum.
AOL tried the low cost internet only thing awhile back.
It was called GNN (global network navigator), needless to say AOL realized it was competing with itself and promptly pulled the plug after figuring out that the only people that signed up left AOL.
Anyone else remember this service and the horrible client that was put with it?
hahaha pimp on playa
If Netscape isn't a brand name for a browser, what is it a brand name for?
It may get even more perverse than that. I'd expect some leverage from Microsoft (if it hasn't happened already ) for the bundling of the IE browser into Netscape's pseudo-broadband dialup.
Then you have a complete branding nightmare: your brand doesn't even include your brand. Netscape Internet - with Internet Explorer browser included. Yikes! (I would have paid good money to be a fly on a wall at this strategy meeting - and also have to believe that Scott Adams has been given another two years of material from this crafty move.)
So why not come out with a $9.95 "AOL-Light" The usual answer here - that "light" products end up cannibalizing the primary line - is probably correct. Most AOL users I know first-hand are not heavy Internet users. Sure, it takes god-forever to get anything done, but they're only on for a few emails, a web page or two, and they're off for another day or two.
AOL'd quickly discover more than half of its $22/month or more customer base paying $9.95. Not good.
So, the content play died. Reselling DSL died thanks to RBOC foot dragging and regulatory changes. Forget about forcing cable operators to open up their network - AOL doesn't have the time. And cross-branding AOL content to these folks just doesn't have any appeal, as AOL increasingly has become associated with training wheels for Internet access.
What's left? Quick! while the stock is listed on NASDAQ...
*scoove*
Oh, I am really happy that I let AOL, " We may optimize your computer settings to enhance your Netscape experience. If you have any questions regarding your Netscape account, please call 1-866-541-8233." Wow. Happy to hear that AOL won't make any changes to my computer that will be to my detriment. Any guesses on what "enhancements" AOL will add? I'll start the guessing with some easy ones:
1) Change default email program.
2) Change default email account
3) Change default browser.
4) Change browser home page (all browsers)
5) Add a load of bookmarks to your current settings.
6) Add **at least** 10 shortcuts on the desktop, start bar and quick launch menu for various AOL crap.
What are the slimier things you think AOL will do? Would they dare add AOL to "safe-sites" for pop-up blockers?
'course, I'm just paranoid. I'm sure the only "optimization" they will make will be too automatically set-up your dial-in account.
Are those designed for those weird lobster people where like all their fingers are fused together?
I'm too lazy to change my homepage in Netscape 7 to something else
my only question is why anyone would still be using netscape when mozilla seems to be far superior. or is there something i dont know?
Gyrate Dot Org - "Where high-tech meets low-life"
Much to my amazement, after moz on osx fscked up, as mentioned above, thought i'd see how it coped....amazed that they're suporting lynx on *bsd but not moz on mac os :)
gw@archer: -->uname -a
FreeBSD archer.xxxx776.org 4.8-RELEASE-p4 FreeBSD 4.8-RELEASE-p4 #2:
gw@archer: --> lynx http://isp.netscape.com/software/index.jsp
++++
Netscape Netscape Preview
Netscape [tan_line.gif]
Welcome to the Beta preview of the Netscape Internet Service.
Sign up to Beta test the new Netscape Service for $1.00 per month through February 2004.*
We need your help Beta testing the following features for the upcoming Netscape Service:
o Unlimited Internet Access
o Personalized E-mail Addresses
o Nationwide Access
o Access e-mail anywhere, from any Internet connection
o Top-rated Search, enhanced by Google
o 2-minute download to get started
Netscape - Just the Net You Need.
If you are new to the Netscape Beta preview, please select 'Create a Preview Account' to get started.
Create Preview Account
If you already have a Netscape Beta preview account, please sign in below with your assigned screen
name.
Enter Your Screen Name:
http://milkshake.dexy.org
Already some discussion of this here.
Breakfast served all day!
AOL is losing money to companies that are offering a cheaper service so now when a customer calls and wants to cancel they can offer them a cheaper service and still keep their customer
This is less than true; granted, AOL's suffered some encroachment on the bottom, but it's not nearly as significant as the destruction from above from broadband availability. Over 80% of the rural broadband customers the company I work for signs up comes from AOL - not from low-cost dialup. Those $5 to $10/mo. Internet users stay with their low-use plans. It's the $22 for AOL + second phone line to use all the included hours (at another $20 with taxes) = $42/month for crummy old AOL that gives consumers a very easy decision going broadband.
Consider AOL's focus the past 10+ years: "unlimited hours." They were never the low price; consumers that wanted a $10 or less service found plenty of local ISP options and in the past 5 years, Netzero, ad-supported dialup and various sub-$10 approaches flooded the market.
Reading AOL's 10Ks, they've been pretty clear that they don't see themselves in this market. Instead, they proclaim more of a value pricing model - lots of hours at a good price. The only problem is that their unlimited buffet quickly became a fare that was unpaletable to an increasing amount of consumers, especially those who spend more time online and were AOL's primary market. Somebody opened up a buffet next door, and for another $10-$20/month (about 50% to 100% the price of that second phone line, so in many cases, the consumer ends up saving money by switching), it's several dozen times the quality.
So I wouldn't expect they perceive this move as a defensive one. Perhaps, in fact, its a low risk (no AOL brand name at stake) move to test the waters on the sub-$10 market where they never have been strong. I'll contradict a previous post - this actually might make sense. After all, AOL's a cash cow and they're going to have to do something with all the dialup foundation to keep it competitive as the dialup market loses most of its upper 80% of consumer. They're going to be left with 100% price-based market.
Move the AOL operations over to the Netscape brand (and rebrand as AOL) and you've got another lease on life. This sounds to me as if non-AOL execs made this call. This is a move 1 year out from cutting over AOL to a low-cost, low-price operation and Netscape (in a rather perverse way) might actually end up being the beginning of the end of AOL.
Interesting move, Time Warner...
*scoove*
Macintosh Users
The Macintosh operating system is not supported at this time. Netscape currently supports Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
1. AOL/TW will drop the AOL part and revert to Time-Warner.
Didn't they already do this? I could be mistaken, of course, but when you go to www.aoltimewarner.com, it redirects you to www.timewarner.com, where I can't find a single thing that has the AOL and Time-Warner names together.
Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
Let me start by saying I worked for the parent company of the people creating most of the Netscape ISP software (client interface/ISP tools/billing).
AOL's concern was losing too many $29.95 customers, with nothing to show for it. POOF! How about keeping them at $10?
Also, as I see people saying that this "cheapens" the Netscape brand, there will never be another Netscape browser. Period. You want the same functionality, go see the Mozilla/Firebird group.
This may call itself Netscape, but it's still run by AOL, a company that is pretty well known for adding things to bills without authorization, charging even after people have canceled their subscriptions, and other nasty little business pratices. If the offer were from elsewhere I have some family members I would sign up for it today. With AOL, no thanks, it's not worth the risk.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
At this point I don't even want to see mozilla.org pick up the branding scraps from Netscape. AOLTW saw to it that those were beaten to a pulp.
Readers: our mission is clear. Help end users forget the nightmare that is now AOLTW/Netscape and get them over to Mozilla, pronto. All Time Warner can see is $$$, not that ditching Netscape browser development and rolling over for Microsoft puts them in vendor lockin in the long run.
Nobody seems to have pointed this out yet, so I will.
Imagine for a moment that you're a phone-support tech working at, say, Dell or some other consumer PC manufacturer. You get a call from a customer who says they can't "get on the Internet".
You ask this customer, "What Internet service are you using?" and the customer responds "Netscape".
Until now, anyone hearing such a response could immediately recognize that the user was talking about their browser, not their ISP (which is what the question referred to). Now, that conclusion can't be made.
With the introduction of this service, someone who is "using Netscape" is either:
Needless to say, this makes it difficult to ascertain which is the case when talking to a user who doesn't know the difference.
I've talked to people before who thought Netscape was their ISP. Not quite as common as thinking Yahoo is their web browser, but not terribly unusual. Now imagine how annoying it will be for tech support reps when they talk to a customer who's using Internet Explorer with Netscape's ISP and insists their browser is Netscape...
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
... who thinks their ISP really *is* netscape!
(and their browser is Yahoo)
I use Macs to up my productivity, so up yours Microsoft!
I talked with those representing the Mozilla project at Comdex/LasVegas, They said that they were going to roll out the netscape branded ISP service. That is the true part. The fase part is that Mozilla/Netscape (Which Trademark AOL owns) Will only be involved as the name of the service, the Browser of choice will be Internet Explorer. Name Branded Marketing Strikes Again.
really? i'd love to know of one. locally i think i have access to two. the first is my university, and only because i'm a student, for 20$/month (30$/month phone line=50$/month. plus added bonus if i were to say something online or host something on my home computer they don't agree of i can be expelled. joy.) or i can go with SaskTel for 50$/month (30$/month phone line=80$/month).
that's it. I'm in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, on Highspeed Cable (27$/month total) because it's the cheapest available. on the other hand i AM interested in switching to an ISP, dialup (>=3000Baud) or otherwise, if they do not have such a fscked up EULA/Lisence Agreement. even at the same price. so where are these 'dime a dozen isps'? i'm pretty sure sasktel drove the all out by now. but i'm interested in knowing whatever it is that you know here, even if it's solely that there are still places in the world where theres' actually competition and thus at least at somewhere descent isp service.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
i heard about this ALONG time ago, :P
why would u want an isp with a AOL ip
Macintosh Users
The Macintosh operating system is not supported at this time. Netscape currently supports Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
Please check back in the future for a Macintosh version of Netscape!
-- ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space!
From section A:
"Netscape may provide to you automatic Software and technology upgrades as the Preview Service is improved, and you agree to accept and to take no action to interfere with such automatic upgrades and related services."
Great. Yet another outfit that wants write access to my drive. If Counter-Strike wasn't enough to tempt me to allow a program to do what it wants on my system (Steam), there's not a snowflake's chance in hell that anything else will.
(An EULA is different from a service agreement, although usually the only penalty for not abiding by the service agreement is the termination of said service. So it carries a lot more weight.)
read above
Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam... ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam...
Vikings: Spam spam spam spam...
Waitress:
Vikings: Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
The CAN-SPAM law in the U.S. starts January 1 folks! I would conjecture that this new "ISP" will sell a LOT of cheap throwaway dialup accounts to spammers. They'll claim to have an anti-spam TOS but they will make more money from spammers looking for a cheap pipe for their turds than they will the average user.
ISP Waitress: Your account is being cancelled because of SPAM!
Viking Chickenboner: Spam spam spam spam spam... ISP Waitress: Would you like to open a new account now or wait until the 'morn?
Viking Chickenboner: Let's do it now, love, I've a huge tract o' spam that must go out tonight!
ISP Waitress: We do love our spam sir! Egg bacon and spam, egg sausage TOS and spam....
(repeat ad nauseam)
Nope this appears to be software accelerated dialup...as in special software on each end that compresses the data in one or more ways. Meaning you need more that just a broweser and a modem. This is done because the main bottleneck in is dial up service is...gasp...the analog phone line connection. They haven't written the software for macs at all yet. All the usual argument, low % of mac users, mac users can afford/have broadband.
Linux Works
I thought that Netscape had an ISP around 2001 or so, but nobody signed up.
Three, maybe four potential customers are shut out? Big whoop.
ISP - now there's a business I want to jump into these days. Not!
America (Land of the Free, Die, Osama, Die) Quality World Wide Interactive Internet Value Web On Line
And one of the mini-games is a module where you recognize sarcasm.
Now, imagine that just now, the words "MISSION FAILED!" appeared before your eyes and and you were spat back out at the main menu.
I am shocked to shit every time I see Netscape's name on something modern. They haven't had control of much at all in terms of market share since IE version suck (3.0?) in the NT 4.0 days. Then with AOL's drama back and forth with them over the years, why is AOL bankrolling the brand?
I'd call Netscape a failed brand name and I can't make sense of why money is poured into it to keep it alive. Does anyone have a page comparing browser use?
I haven't posted in so long, my sig is out of date.
Did'ent AOL already do this with Netscape as a ISP?
Oh wait that was only in the UK
www.netscapeonline.co.uk
"WebTV: bringing the Internet into the shallow end of the gene pool since 1995" - Martin Bishop
Ok, so forgive me for saying so.. but instead of fighting fire with fire, doesn't anyone think that perhaps AOL should refrain from branding their bundled version of netscape? It seems to me that the only way to truly get more customers/computer users interested in using a product is to offer non-branded, fully functional applications and utilities?
It seems to me that more and more people are searching for alternatives to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. This is mostly users who browse with GUIs under linux, and people who use browsers like Mozilla and Mozilla Firebird. We will always miss the days of Phoenix, and browsers that offered interfaces that had neat bells and whistles that are built on every year.. but let's not forget where they came from..
I think one of the only reasons that most people even still use Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, is because it's the familiarity and reliability that it's going to be there. Not only that, but with IE being integrated the way it is with Windows, it generally works faster, regardless of the number of errors. Additionally, the plug-ins for javascript and flash are built in, and easier to install and maintain than in other 'advanced' browsers.
I think the smart thing is this.. find out from the consumer what they'd like to see in their browser menubar. If they say they like the AOL brand, keep it.. but I am relatively certain that the majority of users will agree having an option would be best.. give the user a menu option to determine what icon they're going to be looking at for the next 10 hours while they surf through site after site.
Just my US$0.02. ~nahemah~
I'm too lazy to change my homepage in Netscape 7
/., but this is the lamest ever.
Guppy, I've heard some lame things at
You need a brain operation.
They set up a "netscape online" ISP in the UK, which has since been axed. It was back in the day when everyone and his aunt had started an 0845 "lo-call" isp, and then ran it off the profits from the telephone calls. The reason this one didn't make any money might have been something to do with the fact that you could use your netscape online username and password with AOLs freephone dialup. Although I don't know how many people noticed that.
I wonder if they'll manage to do the same thing again?
I'm curious as to how the American ISP market works. See, here in Scandinavia, dial up internet accounts have been free for years now.
That does however not include line usage, so you're still stuck with your telco's minute charge. In fact, there are (as far as I know) nobody selling "free" online hours with the service.
In central Europe, however, bundling a number of hours, or even an infinite number of hours, together with the service seems to be commonplace.
This is not a big issue here anymore, as DSL is now available for the vast majority of the population. Not like two years ago when I had to fight for my right to an internet service that was not charged per minute.
So how's the (average) situation in the USA?
Netscape is superior for the average user. AIM/iCQ is built into netscape, thats more important than every new feature Mozilla has over netscape. Netscape supports more plugins also. Mozilla may be better, but they have no idea what the user wants nor do they care. They buiild for what nerds like you want and thats why everyone uses bloated slow buggy hackable IE.
People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
I received a couple of CDs for their service. I never used the ISP although I did install Netscape Communicator (4.6? or 4.7?) from one for a friend.
I seriously doubt that they'll use the Netscape web browser with the Netscape ISP. They fired ALL of their programmers a while back. Why would they use it?
There are no employees left at the old Netscape buildings. They haven't even kept enough people to just rebrand Mozilla as Netscape again.
I recall a service called "NetCenter" for commercial ISP hosting.
Back in '98 or so AOL and Netscape launched a dial-up ISP in Britain, under the name NetscapeOnline. The UK homepage is still there but it's now a generic Netscape homepage.
It was cheap and you got a free CD of Netscape client software with a simple setup wizard, which was preferable to Microsoft's Windows-based one. This is back in the days of the abominable IE4, bear in mind.
But ultimately it died when FRIACO launched - toll-free Internet access. In Britain and most of Europe, we pay for all local calls too (tho' long-distance is cheap). When toll-free Internet access was launched, it killed off most of the cheap/free ISPs.
Liam P. ~ "Intelligence is a lethal mutation." (me)
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They've spammed me twice. Imagine, not only can you sign up for an AOL clone, but you can get it already loaded with spam.
I'm starting to associate Netscape with lousy marketing, AOL and stupidity.
I took the bait, after all $1/mo. intro not a bad rate. YGWYPF. My experience: Abysmal load times, most pages reached 2-minute time-out. Toolbar is redundant [annoying] and upon connect you are hostage to their start page setting and sneaky background download. Connection appears to support only one data stream at a time and competing ISPs are virtually blocked. Broken cache or screwed up DNS I don't know but I already went through the 10-minute English as a distant second language cancellation routine (can't find my account, _some_ user dB). This will never win if others find similar results. yuk.
it wasn't me who wrote that(i wish i were that talented!). Rather, it was written by one Sean Kennedy (the fuckin man). I hope he publishes it one day, and when he does i will be one of the first to purchase it.
but you raise an important point, nonetheless. your absolutely right, it is their right as an isp to censor or not allow me to do certian things. However, it is also my right as their customer to tell them to shove it, because i beleive that all information should be free.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
was why i posted. because i do live in an outlier region, i suspect that people who live in places with higher capita per mile (such as tokyo or wherever the above poster is from) have a better choice of isp. and your post appears proof of this to me.
i may just quote you on this later on.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
1. it is conceivable, that a person could sauder together their own 120 baud - 480 baud modem. it is conceivable a group of induviduals eventually can concoct a higher speed dialup modem, but i'm really not seeing ever being to the level of expertise needed to manipulate data on the millions of bits persecond rate that higher speed cable and dsl connections do. these technologies came about on the back of other breakthroughs, if i understand things correctly, and they just seem so complex that i can't imagine ever building one. but a lower-end dialup modem? give me time and resources, baby.
2. Cost. 25$ is cheap, compared to everything else, but i've heard tell, and if i remember things correctly, the above poster alludes to, cheap dialup. there used to be FREE dialup in my old hometown (which turned to a pay service, allowing connection to the whole internet(whereas before it was just a small province/city wide network))...so i know right well it is possible for 25$ to seem high compared to dialup.
3. i dream of a day of using a handheld thin client over dialup from anywhere to connect to a text-only linux server and then doing whatever it is that needs doing from there, all from anywhere that has access to a phone line.
4. as technology increases, older computers are less and less able to connect to The Central Network(ie internet). putting a standard 386/486/p-i/ or even a newfangled 1GHz powered PC on the future ip8 network may turn to be futile...when the speed of your network goes up to 100GB/s or so, it's not going to be possible to connect these older boxes. so i'm starting now with the idea of feeder networks for slower/older boxes. to my knowledge, connecting an apple//e or era computer to ethernet/highspeed is futile mostly, but to a ppp/dialup/low baud connection? perhaps there is still hope for these older tech. this of course, goes a lot with #1.
4. censorship. to my knowledge ALL big broadband providers force CYA agreements onto their subscribers, which i am discusted by, and only really put up with it because there IS nothing else. but dialup in my dream does not suffer frome these things, dialup companies stand up to the riaa/mpaa/bsa. dialup companies are sane. or am i totally wrong in this matter? THIS and this alone is enough to discount the first of the posters(suggesting AOL), although cost does significantly as well.
hopefully this sheds a little light on why i would do a crazy thing like that.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
of all the posts in response to me, you are the only person to actually give me something in response to my quest.
although, as discussed elsewhere in this thread, it's not exactly a better option.
but it is AN option, so i suppose i should give thanks, and upgrade my worldview.
GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
From the VERY FIRST WORD in thier TOS found at: https://admin.isp.netscape.com/tos.php "Netscpae Beta Preview Terms and Conditions and Internet Service Member Agreement" I feel sorry for the confusion this will cause all the Nescafe' folks:)