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."

Comments

Why use NS instead of Mozilla?

[wackysootroom]

Aside from being a propreitary product, what does netscape bring to the table that Mozilla does not?

Nostalgia

[AviLazar]

While Netscape is in my heart (well prior to AOL corrupting my teenage fav program) unfortunately netscape 4.7 was the last decent netscape. IE was so integrated that it flew past netscape :(
But in all honesty -why would I use netscape over firefox? Is there an advantage?

Re:Why though?

[linuxci]

Branding, your average PHB has heard of Netscape, not Mozilla.

Well funnily enough when I was looking at the Netscape home page I was redirected here. They're now using the Mozilla brand to push their browser:

Download the NEW Netscape® 7.2 browser (built with Mozilla) to take advantage of the latest security and popup blocking features and enjoy the best from Netscape.com.

Re:....and I'm posting from it.

[mobby_6kl]

>VERY lightweight (11.5MB installer for Windows)

compared to what? The latest Opera is 3.4 MB ;)

why? its all about the name

[deadmongrel]

Its all in the name. However crappy the software might be its name could have a push. If a non-techie was given a choice between mozilla and Netscape(which basically are the same) which one do you think they would choose? Sure mozilla has been heard in the news and articles, still Netscape was there for a loooooooooooong time.
having said that netscape is a bloatware. It used to be gold so to speak.

Re:Why though?

[wmeyer]

1. While downloading NS 7.2, Mozilla 0.93 hung.

2. Mozilla 0.93 doesn't render /. properly, most of the time; NS 7.1 does.
3. Mozilla 0.93 doesn't work on some log-in sites; NS 7.1 does (I hope 7.2 doesn't break that.)

What I want to know...

[Anonymous Coward]

is why my university insists on still using NS 4.0 in all of its computers ... even the new ones!

Re:Why though?

[drinkypoo]

Oh ok ok, here is my script. Please be warned that I am not a programmer (I am one who programs, but not as a vocation) and this is probably the absolute worst way to do this. It's just something I tossed together.

#!/usr/bin/perl
#
# nsundelete.pl - undelete messages not yet purged from netscape folders
#
while (<>) {
print STDERR $_ if ( $_ =~ "^Subject:.*" );
if ( $_ =~ "^X-Mozilla-Status:.*" ) {
chomp;
( $trash, $status ) = split(/\ /,$_);
print STDERR "Status: $status\n";
@chars = split(/ */, $status);
$chars[3] = $chars[3] - 8 if ( $chars[3] >= 8 );
print STDOUT "X-Mozilla-Status: " . join('', @chars) . "\n";
print STDERR "X-Mozilla-Status: " . join('', @chars) . "\n";
} else {
print STDOUT $_;
}
}

Note also that Slashdot may have inserted whitespace. I tried to replace all my greater than and less than symbols with the appropriate HTML entities but I might have missed something, so don't try this on your only copy of something and delete the source file before examining the output.

And finally, I LOVE PERL, MWAH!

Re:Why though?

[pebs]

With the success of the Mozilla project, I fail to see why anyone would bother running Netscape anymore....

Some people like the fact that Netscape's installer also installs plugins such as Flash. I knew one person (a non-techie) who couldn't get Mozilla working properly, but had success with Netscape and stuck with that. Having another browser with Mozilla (or even Gecko) at its core is a good thing. Lets just hope they keep up with security patches.

no OS9 version

[MyDixieWrecked]

not that I use OS9... well, this one last machine at work, here is running 9.

Although IE is the best browser for 9, it is lacking some more modern features (tabbed browsing, etc).

oh well...

Re:How sad...

[tomthebomb]

Are you talking about Netscape or SCO?

Windows Annoyances

[gfxguy]

I listen to Neal Boortz. Before you start booing, let me finish. He recently had a problem with his computer and spyware bringing it to it's knees.

He actually said that computer nerds can hold their calls with advice and "told-you-sos", he bought the computer into the shop where he purchased it (and hawks continuously on the air).

A couple of days later he was back on the air talking about what a great job they did cleaning off all the junk - and installing Firefox to keep it from happening again. He went on to talk about how great Firefox was, and that it was free, and why would anyone want to keep using IE, etc., etc.

AFAIR, he even included a link on his web pages to the Mozilla site.

Pretty good publicity from a famous talk show host, even if you don't like him...

Re:Why though?

[Guppy06]

"Download the NEW Netscape® 7.2 browser (built with Mozilla)"

It covers both bases. Management sees the word "Netscape" while the IT lackeys see "Mozilla."

Re:Does it matter? Opera's still the best browser.

[alexborges]

As an experienced web developer i get tired of this opera fans all over.

Ok, its a good browser. Its neat and all that.

BUT ITS NO ZILLA.

I mean. Is that thing XUL compatible? And what im really heading for here is: the web (as in html) is dead, long live the web (as in xaml/xul).

The only decent, multiplatform web browser/platform that will survive the advent of long horn will be mozilla.

So shut up about footprint, opera does not sport a hugely compatible XML suite, it doesnt sport decent, fully compliant, object oriented friendly ECMAScript, it will not sport (for the short term) and built-in svg engine (latest zilla's do).

So thats where the size comes from. Mozilla is a remote application delivery and execution platform. Its secure, ready, stable and very fast at what it does.

Granted, this is all obscurish for joe user, but this guy also needs email (zillas got it), with spam protection (zillas got it), with a good activedirectory compatible addressbook (zillas got it), with good support for HTML WYSIWYG editors out there (zillas got it). And throw in the geek bonus of AOL IM and/or IRC (pretty shabby, but zilla's got it) and somehow that footprint doesnt seem that big now does it?

If all you need is web browsing well ok, use the damned opera. But maybe then youll also wanna check out the lower memory gecko based thingies out there. Epiphany is the fastest little piece of software in unix (worth skwat, which takes out konqueror really).

So use your damned opera, just dont come crying to me when microsoft takes over the web with xaml and you have nowhere else to run but windows baby.