New Netscape Browser Prototype Available

An anonymous reader writes "Mozillazine.org writes, "AOL has released a new prototype of Netscape Browser. This new version is almost identical to the first prototype but it's based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0 rather than 0.9.3. The browser does not contain the proposed new design concept or any new features, though there are some performance improvements. As before, only registered testers can download the prototype from community.netscape.com/nscpbrowser. MozillaZine ran an in-depth preview of the first prototype.""

Comments

Why? stealing Mozillas thunder or what

[gilesjuk]

They've just rebranded and repackaged firefox, why bother? it's stealing their thunder to help promote AOL.

Anyone can tweak and rebadge an open source project, sure they're not breaking the GPL. But you have to ask yourself why would they do it?

Re:Why? stealing Mozillas thunder or what

[hendridm]

Well, they did pay for it. I wouldn't call it "stealing" their thunder.

Re:Why? stealing Mozillas thunder or what

[Tough Love]

Anyone can tweak and rebadge an open source project, sure they're not breaking the GPL. But you have to ask yourself why would they do it?

Excuse me, but its a basic principle of open source that you can modify it to suit yourself. AOL is working very much within the spirit of open source. I say, go ahead and tweak and fiddle. Hey, if the AOL browser comes up with anything cool, it goes straight back into Firefox, right?

The best possible result is, AOL comes up with something they like and instantly swings another, what is it, 10% of IE users over to Firefox overnight.

Re:Why? stealing Mozillas thunder or what

[Joe Tie.]

KHTML has been Apple-backed ever since Safari development started.

Still, KHTML was really nice even before Safari development started.

Re:Why? stealing Mozillas thunder or what

[andreyw]

Not nice enough to pass the W3C test suite though. Thankfully, thanks to Apple, we're past that.

... Profit?

[DeathFlame]

1) Color Scheme No one likes
2) Move the menus from there top left location to the top right...
3) In fact let's just move completely away from the familiar IE look people are used to, and scare them off
3) Built in Toolbars most people don't want
4) ...
5) Profit?

What has AOL done to Netscape?!?

[IO ERROR]

Now that Firefox and Thunderbird have taken on a life of their own, is "Netscape" still relevant? Why would I want to use Netscape (or even Mozilla) instead of Firefox/Thunderbird/all my favorite extensions?

Don't get me wrong, I like having more options to choose from. I just want to know why, at this point, I should choose Netscape? After all, that MozillaZine review basically said the interface was horrible...

Re:What has AOL done to Netscape?!?

[Fnkmaster]

Dwindling? They axed all browser development some time ago and fired all the old Netscape developers. Netscape is only a low cost ISP, and an AOL brand now. AOL outsourced the development of the new Netscape-branded, FF-derived browser to some other company, they couldn't even do it in house.

Actually, I think they realized FF was becoming popular, decided they could squeeze some more brand equity out of the Netscape name to promote their Netscape ISP offering, and that's what motivated this decision.

Netscape leaves a bad taste in the mouth

[Anonymous Coward]

We are sorry, but you will need to enable cookies and Javascript to use your Screen Name with this site.

Click here to return to Netscape Channels or here to try again after you have enabled cookies and Javascript in your browser.

http://my.screenname.aol.com/badbrowser.psp?site do main=channelsns&authLev=1&siteState=OrigUrl=http%3 a%2f%2fchannels.netscape.com%2fns%2fforum_center%2 fforumsmemauth.jsp%3fseamlesswebtag%3dhttp%253a%25 2f%252fcommunity.netscape.com%252fn%252fpfx%252ffo rum.aspx%253fwebtag%253dws-nscpbrowser%2526redirCn t%253d1&RefUrl=http%3a%2f%2fslashdot.org%2findex.p l&source=login&lang=en&locale=us

sorry but visiting Netscape reminds me of visiting a domain squatters site or those other seedy portals, hijacked by their demands and presenting as little content as possible with maximum advertising prominence, why anyone would want to visit Netscape by choice is a mystery, its a horrible experience

uggh

Brand Recognition

[Eric Hysen]

This looks a lot like the iPod+HP strategy to me. Netscape is still a fairly well-known brand, and many users will probably trust a browser from them more than they would from a company they know nothing about (Mozilla). Despite the fact that the Netscape Browser is inferior to Firefox, it's still easily better than IE and will help reach the goal of reducing malicious programs that spawn through Microsoft's security holes.

Re:Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe trying to get someone to swtich would be easier if they heard "no, there's no IE, but theres netscape"

The sound of...

[SunPin]

nobody downloading this program.

I doubt the /. effect will happen here.

Can someone tell me

[afstanton]

exactly why anyone would want this when they can already get Firefox?

Re:Linux

[naylor83]

These days I think saying it has Firefox would do more good than saying it has Netscape. Firefox has a much better reputation - Netscape seems to (somewhat unfairly so) be having a hard time ridding people of the memory of it's good old bad days.

The Official End of Netscape Browser

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, you saw it before, and here it is again:

With 'Display like Internet Explorer' enabled, Netscape uses IE to render pages, sends the user-agent of your installed version of IE to websites

Translation: The New Netscape is Internet Explorer. The new netscape will catch ActiveX controls, viruses, spyware, and all the other good features of IE.

Average Joe user will download the new netscape. The first page that doesn't display right they'll switch to the NetscapeIE, and they will never switch it to Gecko. Then their machine gets plugged with spyware, then it becomes:

"That Netscape Mozzarella thing is no good, I got infected anyway. What a bunch of fakers"