Slashdot Mirror


Netscape 7.2 Released

scottfi writes "America Online has just released Netscape 7.2. Based on Mozilla 1.7, this latest version features better popup blocking, vCard support, an improved junk mail algorithm, better standards support, performance enhancements and several hundred other bug fixes. It also includes patches for recent security vulnerabilities. It is a little over a year since AOL shut down the Netscape browser division, laid off or reassigned the remaining engineers and withdrew from the day to day running of mozilla.org. At the time, they said that new versions of Netscape were unlikely. Earlier this year, they changed their minds and announced Netscape 7.2. More details about Netscape 7.2 are available at Netscape Browser Central, together with download links."

33 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. ....and I'm posting from it. by michael+path · · Score: 4, Informative

    I jumped the gun when I saw the article display. It installed quickly, renders pages quickly, but - just like Mozilla or Firefox - runs into all the same problems for sites designed with IE in mind (missing menu bars, etc)

    However, it's VERY lightweight (11.5MB installer for Windows), and the memory footprint is about 35% smaller than IE for the same page.

    Nice.

    1. Re:....and I'm posting from it. by Rock · · Score: 5, Informative

      A lot of "Internet Explorer only" sites are going to break as people download XP Service Pack 2. With ActiveX disabled by default, sites that depend on substandard proprietary techniques might finally die.

      One hopes that Microsoft follows through and removes ActiveX and other idiocies from their web-page building tools.

      -- Rich

      --
      - - -
      "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick."
    2. Re:....and I'm posting from it. by Yosho · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, I'm sure he means 7.5. Of course, 7.54 is out by now.

      --
      Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
  2. Article Text Stolen! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
  3. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by athakur999 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I believe it has AOL Instant Messenger intregration and the Mail component can check your AOL mailbox directly.

    --
    "People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
  4. Re:Why though? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Informative

    At my place of work we have recently flushed Netscape 7.1 for Mozilla 1.7. Users mostly don't notice a change and except for some caveats (like address books disappearing) for the most part the profile from netscape can be used with mozilla. You have to switch themes, too, because the classic themes in mozilla and netscape are not compatible. Also sometimes email disappears but if you grab the last digit of the X-Mozilla-Status: header from the emails, convert it from a string value to a number value, and xor it with 0x8 if it is greater than 0x8 you can undelete mail. I wrote a perl script to this but it's so easy to do that I won't bother to provide it :)

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  5. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by ticktockticktock · · Score: 4, Informative
    and the Mail component can check your AOL mailbox directly.
    and so can ANY IMAP capable client.
  6. That must be the Navigator-only version by sczimme · · Score: 5, Informative

    However, it's VERY lightweight (11.5MB installer for Windows)

    I just grabbed the full version (what NS calls the 'offline installer'):

    The Win32 installation .exe weighs in at ~24MB

    The Linux/686 installation tar.gz is ~16MB.

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
    1. Re:That must be the Navigator-only version by damiam · · Score: 2, Informative

      IIRC, that 24MB includes the JRE and other big stuff.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
  7. Some sites outdated by linuxci · · Score: 2, Informative
    Netscape need to update some of their international sites or pull them down. UK Site still says that version 7.0 is the latest! 7.0 was released about 2 years ago, and 7.1 is just over a year old.


    Also I've noticed English is the only language 7.2 is available for, will others be added?

  8. Re:Google in Search tab? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Edit->Preferences->
    Internet Search
    Set "Search Using" to "Google".

    Should be noted that Netscape outsources to Google for search capabilities.

  9. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by Xoder · · Score: 2, Informative

    They do IMAP now. Thunderbird's FAQ told me how to do it.

    --
    The previous sig has been removed due to /. protecting your best interests
  10. Re:How sad... by Sporkinum · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because AOL is trying to hang on to some of their subscriber base that is leaving by offering a low cost ISP. The ISP is called Netscape, and the browser is a nice tie in that they have already paid for.

    --
    "He's lost in a 'floyd hole"
  11. I think you're being a little over-dramatic by Trepidity · · Score: 5, Informative

    Most of the people who built Netscape, who were there from the old Mosaic days, left a long time ago, and many of them are fabulously wealthy. Neither Marc Andreessen nor Jim Clarke particularly need to work in the future to support themselves, and jwz took his money and is doing a semi-business/semi-hobby sort of thing by running the DNA Lounge nightclub in San Francisco (just to pick three examples).

    And even to the people there at the end, AOL was quite helpful. First of all, they vastly overpaid for Netscape, since they were sold it on the basis partly that they could use it as an embedded browser for he AOL client, while technically Mozilla was always too bloated and un-modular to do that well (maybe just now it's starting to get to the point where that'd be possible, but it wasn't when they bought it, or even a year or two after they bought it). Once they realized it wasn't much use to them, they didn't even just say "well, fuck you guys": they transitioned it to a new Mozilla.org foundation, and became the single largest donor (by far) to that non-profit foundation, giving them all the equipment they had previously been using (webservers, test build machines, file servers, etc.) and $2m cash.

    All in all I don't think AOL are really the evil ones here. You don't see any other major companies donating $2m cash to mozilla.org.

  12. Re:How sad... by hawkbug · · Score: 5, Informative

    Easy - ad revenue. Have you tried using the latest Netscape release? It's horrid - I'd rather use IE. Ofcourse, I use Mozilla which is simply Netscape without all the junk ads and it's more on the cutting edge since Netscape simply rebrands Mozilla, and that obviously takes time to do - so by downloading the latest Mozilla, you're getting a better browser.

  13. MOD ABUSE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Why is there a political slant in the moderation here? Isn't that against the rules?

    Despite the fact that there is study after study proving the bias at FOX News, there is no provable bias in the news that CNN presents.

  14. Re:Why though? by iantri · · Score: 4, Informative
    Mozilla Firefox != Netscape.

    Mozilla = Netscape.

    The latest versions of Mozilla and Netscape are virtually identical, except Netscape has extra crap (like AOL IM).

    You are using a beta version of Firefox. Not the same.

  15. Re:Why though? by skt · · Score: 4, Informative

    The parent is a little misleading in that the address book does not normally disappear. One thing that mozilla can not do for licensing reasons is import the netscape 4 address book. Netscape 7.1, however, can automatically import the address book during initial profile migration.

    A migration from NS7.1 to mozilla does not cause data loss in the address book since they both use the same, new mozilla address book format. If I am migrating from Netscape 4 to mozilla, I usually export to LDIF from NS4 and then import it back into mozilla using the LDIF converter.

  16. Re:Google in Search tab? by silverfuck · · Score: 2, Informative

    Don't know if this helps at all, but since it is basically Mozilla underneath, you may be able to add the Mycroft search 'plugins'. They work great in Firefox, and it mentions Netscape 7 (although not 7.2) on the front page.

    --
    You know you've been IMing too long when you almost say 'lol' out loud to a non-geeky friend...
  17. This just in. by nortcele · · Score: 4, Informative

    Mosaic 9.0 has been released. The browser that really changed the world. Thank you Mr. Andreason.

  18. Re:Does it matter? Opera's still the best browser. by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 1, Informative

    Notes. Sessions. Mouse Gestures. Wand password manager. Complete control over pop-ups, Java, javascript, plug-ins, referrer logging, etc. Instantaneous back button. Etc, etc.

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  19. First post ... by ehiris · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... With netscape. This browser is either a lot faster then IE or it just gives you that feeling. I'm very pleased so far.

  20. Re:Right mouse button? by line.at.infinity · · Score: 2, Informative
    According to Mozilla 1.7 Release Notes:
    # A new option to prevent sites from using JavaScript to block the browser's context menu.
    So there should be support of this disabling-blocking (or whatever you want to call it), otherwise I guess you can stick with Mozilla. I myself haven't tried the new Netscape, nor do I think I will in the near future.
  21. Re:Does it matter? Opera's still the best browser. by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 2, Informative

    Opera has customisable tabs. I very much doubt that Firefox approaches the level of customisation that you can get in Opera courtesy of Sessions, etc.

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  22. Re:Does it matter? Opera's still the best browser. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Nothing earth shattering, but all of these make Opera better, IMO:

    Mouse gestures that don't require use of the keyboard (WTF?).
    Go to URL on the context menu.
    The ability to size tabs and treat the browser as a MDI window.
    The ability to reorder tabs.
    The ability to create states (a set of tabs that open to particular pages).
    The ability to start the browser with the last set of open tabs.
    Multiple searchs engines from the context menu.

    Is it possible to do all of this in Mozilla? I don't know. Maybe. But I didn't have to figure any of it out in Opera (except for the gestures).

  23. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are people out there who don't trust Mozilla.
    Why?
    Because it isn't run by a major corporation that they will be able to sue should there be any problems.


    That makes sense. And certainly is part of the reason FOSS is not more widely accepted in business. But it's an unwarranted idea. EULA's usually say that the software is used at your own risk and the vendor cannot be held responsible for coincidental, accidental, anecdotal, and total disasters.

    So even if there software is being written by a megasupacorporation, there's few legitaimate reasons you could sue.

  24. Re:which begs the question by shadwwulf · · Score: 2, Informative

    Ummm... you mean "raises the question"...

    See here for information on what "begging the question means".

    Sorry, a recently completed english class is still haunting me.

  25. Re:Umm... based on Moz 1.7 or 1.7.2? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It is based on Mozilla 1.7.2. The Gecko build date is 20040804 (August 4th).

  26. Re:Does it matter? Opera's still the best browser. by angrykeyboarder · · Score: 2, Informative

    It is possible to do all of that in Firefox and then some... I simply prefer Firefox to Opera. I've used both. I last tried Opera a few months back.

    --
    Scott

    ©20014 angrykeyboarder & Elmer Fudd. All Wights Wesewved
  27. Re:How sad... by janeil · · Score: 3, Informative
    What's sad is that this comment gets modded up so high! What junk ads? Netscape 7.1 has no ads, though the initial installment does allow popup windows from a bunch of servers. You just, uh, delete them. Personally I still like the sidebar. What you see on a web page is what you would have seen with Mozilla 1.4, which was, of course, "cutting edge" for a while anyway.

    And, for what it's worth, I believe one problem Mozilla has with many users is its constant revision. A new point release every few months. Creates a sense for the general user of unfinished product, or of something better in the newer version. Also an annoyance are the changes to themes and with Firefox, extensions, which work with one point release, but not the previous ones, or usually the future releases. Of course this is a flawed viewpoint, but there you are.

    Slashdotter's should also keep in mind that the really general user doesn't even know or care which browser they're using, which of course means IE.

  28. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I used NS 7.1 before I switched to Firefox last month (long story), and if 7.2 is anything like 7.1 was, it's more or less a suite of Microsoft alternatives.

    The core software is essentially Mozilla (less ChatZilla). The only big differences are the introduction of profiles for storing multiple configuration settings (for all those home users that have several people using the same user account, I s'pose), an "activation" process (yadda) that sets you up with a netscape.net webmail account (which I imagine is the same domain used by customers of that new Netscape-branded ISP, if such customers exist) accessable through Mail. Netscape Mail can also do a few things that Mozilla Mail can't do because of licensing issues, such as access AOL e-mail accounts and import mail from Netscape Communicator 4.7 directly.

    In lieu of ChatZilla it comes with an integrated AIM and ICQ client. Among other bells and whistles the client can be in a stand-alone window or in a sidebar. The only real downside is that you can't be in both AIM and ICQ at the same time (or has that been fixed in 7.2?). Note also that during the "activation" process that they'll use your pre-existing AIM handle as your user account name for your netscape.net webmail address.

    On top of that there are some other bundled apps, mostly other things that AOL also now owns. There's a Radio@Netscape ("Plus") client (think "Radio@AOL") that's still based on the old Spinner software as opposed to the Real stuff that you get as the stand-alone product (unforunately I could never get it to work). WinAmp 2.8 is included, along with a default "netscape" skin that tries to match the "Modern" theme in Mozilla (but fails, IMO) along with changing the title bar to read "Netscape Winamp."

    (I find it interesting that the versions of Spinner and Winamp included with 7.1 were both older versions that happened to be the last versions where they didn't suck, at least in the opinions of most people I've seen.)

    They also try to bundle a RealPlayer client, but I'll be damned if I'll install that. I'd assume that it's also been massaged to look like Netscape.

    And, because they're AOL, "Free AOL for (pi)e7 hours!" links will magically appear on your desktop and start menu, but they go away upon deletion.

    At any rate, it's probably not worth the download for you, but it might be worth sending your parents/grandparents/other people that get free tech support from you. Now when is AOL going to make Netscape its default browser? They saw the light in their CompuServe acquisition, so why not for their core customers?

  29. Re:Why use NS instead of Mozilla? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Informative

    Please see "C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Mozilla\chrome\icons\default\mai n-window.ico" on windows. Dunno if the other versions come with a ship's wheel icon but the windows version sure does. The small icon is much better than the big one.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  30. Re:Windows Annoyances by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Informative
    " I listen to Neal Boortz........a famous talk show host

    I'm sure I'm not alone when i say, Who?

    The Liberal Media [airamericaradio.com] Finally a response to ignorant hatemongerers."


    +1 Funny

    At any rate, he's more or less one of the "ignorant hatemongerer(ererer)s" you refer to, a conservative libertarian talk show host on AM radio. In a nutshell, imagine if Rush was against the War on Drugs and in favor of gay marriage.

    At any rate, a quick search on Google turns up these:
    07/20/04

    BYE BYE INTERNET EXPLORER

    My computer has now been cleansed. The good people at Vision Computers got rid of all the adware and spyware that had so clogged my operating system that the 'puter just quit working. Once the computer was back home and on line the very first thing I did was download the Mozilla Firefox internet browser. So long to Internet Explorer. It seems that every day some hacker somewhere finds a new security hole in IE that they then use to download rat feces into your computer. No more for me. We'll see if things stay clean for a while.

    07/22/04

    Since I switched to the Firefox Mozilla internet browser I have had not one single popup while cruising through the Internet. Not one popup. Not one spyware or adware file. Not one. If I had listened to the Winsome Web Wench when she told me to do this months ago I might have saved myself a spot of trouble.

    07/23/04

    What web browser is Neal now using? Mozilla's Firefox. The down side? Our online broadcast won't work with it. Now, some listeners have reported that they are able to listen online with a Mozilla browser by going directly to Stream Audio's website, clicking to listen to WSB there. I haven't been able to get that to work, even with pop-up blocking turned off, but it may be the software build I'm using. It's worth a try. --ww
    If anything, I think it shows that Firefox is ready for the non-geek crowd. If nothing else this has probably proved to be free advertising.