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HP to Install Netscape on all new PCs
TJ Parisi writes "News.com is reporting that HP / Compaq will begin to install all PCs sold in the US and Canada with Netscape. Users will be prompted with the option to set either Netscape or IE as the default browser." From the article: "The agreement, which the companies are set to announce Monday, is the first browser distribution deal with a major PC maker since the end of the browser wars in the 1990s, according to Netscape, a division of Time Warner's America Online subsidiary."
The sad part is the fact that this is considered news. The browser wars is something that really shouldn't of happened. By choosing sides in the browser wars it causes everyone to loose. The netscape supporters are forced to browse incompatible web sites. IE supporters are now stuck with a huge target for security attacks. If we all just refused to join sides and went with using both or a third browser (There wasn't that many other ones back then that were up to snuff in the mid 1990s). Then we may have a different world, perhaps one where web developers create Standard Compliant Pages.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I guess they aren't worried about Netscape anymore.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
I thought Firefrocks, Oprah, and Lynch are all that is still competing with Internet Exploder...
-:sigma.SB
WARN
THERE IS ANOTHER SYSTEM
Netscape still exists?
What?! no firefox option!
Why doesn't a company use Firefox instead of Netscape? Surely the brand-name of Netscape has lost most if not all of its luster/weight by now...
about a decade too late to matter.
"Is this just useless, or is it expensive as well?"
You know, HP, it's hard to market a computer as "fast" or "productive" whenever it's bogged down with excessive pre-installed software. I'm sure that Netscape will also be set to load at startup with everything else that's installed, eh?
Must've been paid to do so or they would've chosen Firefox & Thunderbird.
Why not install Firefox? Netscape is just a UI clusterf**k of what Netscape was. This will make people go " see.. see.. alternative browsers just suck! ".. *Sigh*
Tell me what you believe...I'll tell you what you should see.
er??? wot? Is it just me, or can't these people make up their minds?
Why not a good browser that people use like Firefox?
Wow, its good to see HP getting with the times... the times being 1991...
Netscape is about seven years late. I want to understand why they didn't do something like this when they were battling M$ in an anti-trust lawsuit. Well, yea it makes sense. You can't do something and go to court saying that your competitor is doing a similar thing at the same time. Gotta wait till 2005
Really? About time...
Wonder why they didn't try this 5 years ago.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
And what if the user clicks cancel? what is the default?
Im a gamer, not a grammer major. This post is full of spelling and grammer mistakes.
How much do we need to pay to have Option 3: Firefox ?
I would be suspicious. I can't tell you how much AOL crapware I had to uninstall and/or purge from the registry when I bought a Dell (don't). The fact that AOL has Netscape now would just make me wonder...
Just give me IE. I guarantee the first two pages I'll visit are mozilla.org and opera.com. Then, no more IE. No crapware for me!
blah blah blah
Of the two, which is the default selection?
That's like asking someone to choose between two pieces of excrement. Why not a choice between Opera and Firefox instead?
web design experiments
who analy raped netscape when i wasent looking? seriously i used it in 1997 and it was good but every new version just seems more bloated and slow
...it will be Netscape 3.0.
And this is NEWS because? Netscape is always 2 revs behind it's open source brother Mozilla/Firefox.
Who cares if it's installed, its downloadable
Wrong browser.
... a major vender includes FireFox? Wouldn't that be better?
First post!
why Netscape? Bundling Firefox or Opera I might understand, but I dont have a clue why they would bundle Netscape. What advantages does Netscape have?
Oh, my emachine that I bought several years ago came with Netscape, so HP is not the first to do this.
Are we going to see Firefox and Opera on more machines, or is this just another attempt by AOL to infect the world?
"We specifically chose the Netscape browser because od its ability to run both the Triton (IE) and Gecko (Firefox) rendering engines" Sounds like a smart move on part of HP. Does opera allow choosing multiple rendering engines?
My HP doesn't have anthing plugged into the VGA, you insensitive clod.
This is surely good news, yet I wonder how many of those who would buy from HP actually care what browser they use. In fact, they probably will just be confused by this. Sad, but true (in my own purely anecdotal experiences).
"As you say - certain behaviors minimize the HIV risk and writing Slashdot tripe on Friday night is by far the most secu
Why not install Mozilla Firefox? Oh, I see- it's just more bundled AOL junk that HP gets a little money from AOL to put on there.
Just "gittin-r-done," day after day.
Does Netscape have anything on Firefox/Thunderbird anymore? Why not just go with the Mozilla apps instead?
From the Article:
"Netscape 8 is based on Firefox, but lets users switch between both the Firefox and IE browser engines."
I hate to say this, but if you're just going to wrap some pretty pictures and a few extra features around the IE rendering engine, what's the point? It's still IE under the hood. Hopefully the Firefox engine will be on by default. If the use becomes more widespread then maybe web developers will try to be a little more standards compliant and reduce the use of IE-specific technologies.
Love sees no species.
Now if only they had gone all the way and installed Firefox. Still, brand recognition has its place, and this is a good example of where it can be used for a good purpose (less successfull phising and virii!).
--
the best Firefox extensions!
What venders need do is roll out some useful applications with new PC's, not options for more of the same sort of applications.
/. and like the idea of dups. O.o
*cough cough*Perhaps these venders read
...too bad the Firefox Corporation isn't paying a Tier 1 box seller to install the best browser in the biz.
It would have been nice to have three options on their setup screen.
Well, surely it wasn't because no one had shipped a free browser that didn't suck rocks and could actually match IE6. No, it was probably that monopoly/strong arming thing I keep hearing about.
I'm surprised HP chose Netscape over Firefox. What was the rationale behind their decision?
The PC Weenies: 11 Years of Online Tech 'Too
This is good news; I'm guessing that the threat of HP making a BIG fuss will stop Microsoft from changing any of the OS discounts that HP get. Even if Netscape isn't used; the fact that the icon is there is good; The netscape icon represents another way to view the internet... too many people right now think IE IS the internet. Just that slight change in perception is a start.
If Microsoft is buying a controlling stake in AOL, as has been reported, how long will this deal hold?
Im so happy Netscape is being preinstalled. Opera or Netscape would have been a significant choice
Great! Now users can use Netscape instead of Explorer to navigate to www.getfirefox.com
Don't worry! Microsoft will buy AOL so they'll win no matter what the customers choose.
Best Buy can have you arrested
Users will be prompted with the option to set either Netscape or IE as the default browser
What would be selected by default? Many users will just go with the default...
First a question about WEP on Win, now it's big news that HP is giving away a free browser.
Of course, I'll get modded down as flamebait by the fascist moderators, but that's life and my karma can handle it. If you can't laugh at my post at least laugh at my sig...
"Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
Has anybody heard of any reaction from Microsoft on this? It would be interesting to see what they have to say. I'm sure they're not happy about it.
Bradley Holt
from The Book of Mozilla, 7:15
A steaming cup of soykaf would be real wiz right now.
Seriously, is there any reason to use it instead of Firefox or Mozilla?
English is easier said than done.
Lets avoid a good browser (Mozilla or NOW free opera) and go with crippleware rebranded piece-o-crap Netscape.
;-(
Where's my default banner-blockers? Thats right, that takes away money from web sites.
Where's sane web-surfing rules already loaded in? Cause they dont care if you get hit by the next crapware-of-the-week.
Where's a cornucopia of tools and plugins to modify (dare I say improve) Netscape? Oh yeah. AOL instant messenger.
No thank you.
The answer may be obvious, but why not firefox + thunderbird instead of the quite "heavy" netscape suite ?
Plus the fact that netscape sounds sooo 90's while firefox got some momentum lately...
anyway, my 2 cents...
System.out.println("coucou");
Hmmm....looks like HP computers will now come with a sacrifice of your privacy...preinstalled!!!
Requiem
Antivirus software that didn't expire, novice computer users would be much better off.
I honestly didn't even know Netscape still existed...
Is this a sign of the monopoly finally being broken?
I suppose anything's better than IE, but why not go with the more popular (and probably better, but I haven't tried netscape lately) Firefox or the more advanced (and now gratis) Opera?
Le français vous intéresse?
I never stopped using Netscape but I fear this will not bring back many users. The users who care will switch to Firefox or Opera. The rest will use what they use at the office which for most of use is IE. This is like buying a computer that comes with Corel WordPerfect. It is better than Office but if it is free it can't be any good.
Today's vices may be tomorrow's virtues.
If HP was shopping around for an alternate browser to IE, why turn to Netscape? Why not Mozilla (Firefox), Opera, or something else entirely? And why, if there were any rumblings about this beforehand, did the (other) browser companies (even if not seeking a profit), push their own, free products to reach a wider market?
I am not criticizing the HP's decision, I am just genuinely interested to know why. It is interesting in TFA that Netscape 8 can apparently switch between a Firefox and IE core, for widespread compatibility. Can others offer insight?
I didn't know they were still scaping the nets. At first glance this looked completely inane, but I guess "...Netscape 8 is based on Firefox, but lets users switch between both the Firefox and IE browser engines." That's almost snappy. Makes a fella wonder exactly how this switching mechanism works. I'm on the verge of interested, but a quick visit to http://www.netscape.com/ makes me think Netscape might be more interested in "...Jenna Bush's Latest Surprising Escapades" than being my browser choice. Doesn't look like they're into Linux much, either. So much for a blast from the web browsing past.
3rd option? Put firefox in there.
This may have been a coup 6 or 7 years ago, but this is a waste of bandwidth on today's internet.
H-Paq is a company on its way down.
Netscape lost the war and continues to lose market share even to its own offspring.
Sounds to me like they're scraping the bottom of the barrel for any press coverage they can drum up. Cuz god knows you can't download and install it yourself. And the OS doesn't have its own default-browser setting menus. Oh wait, you can. And it does.
Why not include Firefox? Or Opera, for that matter. Choice is good, and choice between free things is even better.
When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl
Huh? People still use Netscape?
I don't even understand why it's an option. Most people given the choice will choose IE out of ignorance, while Netscape is safer and takes away most compatibility issues.
Jay | http://oldos.org
Even if Netscape is chosen at install time, IE is still installed. And if Netscape is chosen, I have the feeling that it probably defaults to IE (instead of Netscape's own) rendering engine. http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/help/nav_help.jsp# nav_swapping
http://www.rayn.net . Funny. Stuff.
do they remove all the IE code from the OS? And if so, where do I sign up?
working hard or hardly working?
7 years or so too late...
I can't even understand why the Netscape name is still alive after all this time, it has gone through constant failures until the point where I don't even associate anything good about the name anymore.
I can't even see what good this deal does AOL, and it sounds like they payed a huge pile of dollars for a deal like this.
My <1000 UID is with a hot chick
Netscape is still a piece of shit. Install Firefox for god's sake or at least Mozilla. Yuck.
The more you know, the less you understand.
no option for firefox, then forget it
Isn't Netscape a dying product (to be replaced by firefox, sunbird, thunderbird, etc...), and if so why are they installing this product instead of firefox. I understand they are both gecko based, but doesn't Netscape contain a lot of other cruft?
Visualize Whirled Peas
WHY? Let me ask it a different way: good god, why?!?
/. article recently about them firing all of their good engineers? Obviously, there's almost no one left with brains left at HP, at least not in whatever department choose to make this idiotic decision.
I used netscape back during the 4.0 days, when it was the best browser available for Linux. Even then, I hated it.
Now, there are SOOO many better browsers. Frankly, IE with active X disabled is better than netscape. Firefox beats them both. For Linux, there's konqueror (and firefox as well). I use a combination of Firefox/Camino/Safari under OS X. There is not ONE scenario under which I would use Netscape.
Why wouldn't they do a bundle with Firefox? Or Opera, now that it's 100% free.
Netscape's time has come and gone. There are much better IE alternatives available now.
Then again, HP is not exactly on the leading edge of tech anymore. Some would say they haven't been for quite some time... wasn't there a
That being said, I am happy to see anything that detracts from IE marketshare. Not because I hate MS (although I do to a degree), but only because I think that competition forces innovation. Look at how things were in the 90s when IE and Netscape were battling it out, we saw all kind of changes in the browser software. Hopefully we'll see something that like occur again.
Only time will tell.
Just like driving a car:
(D) to go forward
(R) to go backward
HP reports that their cost of building a Windows based PC has tripled due to losing 'preferred vendor' status from Microsoft.
Seriously though... it will be interesting to see how and if Redmond responds.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
Seems like no one cares
Why not FireFox instead?
CDE open sourced! https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/
How does this help the newer open source browsers (Firefox, and even Mozilla) when they are making users think that the only other option is a browser that has been dead for a good number of years now. If we want Firefox to gain marketspace we need to offer it.
All posts seem dead.
Doing testing right now about it.
You know, lately HP seems to be wanting to partner with anyone to help unseat MS. I mean they made the deal to put iTunes on all their computers, not sure if they're still doing so. And now this. I mean I can't say I mind at all... but it's just funny to see. Oh well the more people we have using something other than IE, even if it's Netscape, the better.
Sadly, I'm not sure that it's enough. I fear that most people will see "Netscape" and remember the older browser, pre-Firefox and opt against Netscape as their default browser. Either way, it's nice to see more options available.
My lame blog.
Come on guys be daredevils, how about open office as well (in for a penny in for a pound).
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Why not Firefox? Who uses Netscape anymore?
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
About time other browers get main-stream recognition.
google.slashdot
It seems to me that most people who would choose netscape over Internet Explorer wouldn't use IE anyways. If they know enough that they want to stay away from IE they can figure out how to download Netscape or Firefox or Mozilla or Opera, etc. etc. So it seems to me that while this looks like a good deal on paper it's not going to diminish IE's strangehold on the browser market anytime soon. However it is really good news to see companies giving people a choice to microsoft.
Check out my life
Jeebus. Just bring back the calculators and VMS, already.
I use Macs for work, Linux for education, and Windows for cardplaying.
Firefox, please?
...but will users know which option they really want, or will they select IE because 'everybody else uses it?'
Hope be with ye,
Cyan
Maybe this way the user base of Mozilla-based web browser will grow a little, as the Firefox rise seems to be losing momentum.
--
Superb hosting 4800MB Storage, 120GB bandwidth, ssh, $7.95
Kunowalls!!! Sexy wallpapers (NSFW!).
Why couldn't they add Firefox as a choice? Still, if people do switch away from IE, it will be a good thing, considering how much tech support time is eaten up by spyware from IE.
I wonder if HP will be taking a hit on pricing on copies of Windows, ala Intel?
My Quadra 950 can beat up your honor student.
Netscape is a shell of its former self. AOL would love to leverage itself the way that Microsoft does with IE. I think its great to give the consumer the choice (as if they have one when it comes to IE) but wouldn't an open alternative be more warmly recieved by the community? I'd be extremely suprised to see MS even bat an eye at this, they know they've already crushed Netscape long ago.
Now if they offered Firefox that'd be a story worth telling. Surely HP wants the consumer to see this as a positive, hence the reason for offering "Netscape" that people "have heard of before."
I know what you're thinking. Did I forward 65,535 packets or 65,536 packets?
Okay... but why not Firefox?
Bad news:
;-)
Triton lives on as a rendering engine for Netscape... still vulnerable, and if your parents get one of these new HPs, you might still have to do the ad-aware ritual on Thanksgiving.
Good news:
IE's marketshare drops again. More sites will feel pressure to accept non-IE browsers (making it easier for your family to use non-IE browsers for all tasks). Microsoft feels pressure to make IE7 better, and Steve Ballamer destroys another chair
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
How many HP marketroïds does it take to screw a light bulb ? And to look like a bunch of idiots ?
aurelien
"Netscape, a division of Time Warner's America Online subsidiary."
Thank God they changed it from AOL Time/Warner.
Speaking of Netscape, it's been out of the game so long is it even worth using anymore? If by using netscape will users be targeted for AOL spyware/ads? Is Netscape even secure and/or modern in 2005/2006?
"Jeremy, you need to get to an internet cafe and cut and paste some appropriate sentiments about me from the world wide
let's start this off right.
short version from wikipedia:
--------
Netscape Browser (version 8.0+)
AOL's latest Netscape releases, starting in 2005, are known as Netscape Browser. AOL chose to base Netscape Browser on the very successful Mozilla Firefox, a re-written version of Mozilla produced by the Mozilla Foundation. This release is not a full internet suite as before, but is solely a web browser. Other controversal decisions include the browser's being made only for Microsoft Windows and its featuring both the Gecko rendering engine of previous releases and the Trident engine used in Internet Explorer.
AOL's acquisition of Netscape years ago made it less of a surprise when the companied laid off the Netscape team and outsourced development to Mercurial Communications.
--------
detailed version from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape_Browser
Off topic: I was siting behind someone with a slick new laptop today running Windows XP. I was admiring the crisp, clean LCD when I noticed the guy was not only logging onto an account with administrator rights but he was using the account Administrator! Yeesh.
Netscape 8 is based on Firefox, but lets users switch between both the Firefox and IE browser engines.
Keep this in mind. This is Netscape 8, possibly the ugliest browser out there. It uses Firefox's rendering engine (Gecko), but also has the ability to use IE's rendering engine if needed.
FTA:
Netscape 8 is based on Firefox, but lets users switch between both the Firefox and IE browser engines.
So now IE is still kind of the default browser -- when the site doesn't render properly, they will just switch the rendering engine to IE and go on like normal. It resolves nothing, as websites are not encouraged to fix their bugs.
Links:
Netscape Browser 8
Screenshot of Netscape Browser 8 -- The goggles! They do nothing!
Details on Netscape 8 UI Flaws
Too bad they are loading it with Netscape 8 and not one of the better designed (graphically) Mozilla projects. It's like they took a book on bad interface design and puked out the GUI.
At least more people will be using the Gecko engine, which should help fight the standards black-hole that is IE.
Per Square Mile, a blog about density
Why the F or How the F did Navigator become Netscape? I'm waiting for the day that Windows becomes Microsoft or Photoshop becomes Adobe. Becauase after that, next comes the apocalypse when we all die.
I must say, that I find Netscape antiquated. I know it is based off of a modern codebase, but its look and feel, compared to SeaMonkey is just not too my liking. As always your Mileage may vary. Hammer :)
omg first mod me offtopic!
pants
Offer Firefox.
Other than Firefox?
For those that would die defending it, Freedom
has a sweet taste that the protected will never know.
It's good to see more diversity in the browser arena. Innovation and creativity flourishes under diversity. Go-go-gadget netscape!
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
... for 1997. Do they have a secret plan to offer Firefox in 2026?
Why Netscape? Why not Mozilla Firefox, which, to me, is easier for users to adapt to from Internet Explorer? Netscape throws all kinds of things at you and it's not all that good looking from the first run.
-Eric Smith
...What's netscape?
from the article:
It's been a long time since I've used Netscape. I wasn't aware it could use IE to render its html. What are these security features, and is anyone besides HP convinced that they represent an improvement over firefox?... why not Firefox? I personally have not tried Netscape 8, but does that feature which allows it to use the IE rendering engine really make the browser safer?
More zilla on the net can only be a good thing, but forcing that horrible horrible UI on anyone really isn't fair. I only hope that the words Mozilla or Firefox don't appear anywhere within the actual browser. The last thing the Mozilla foundation needs is anyone thinking that terd has anything to do with Mozilla/Firefox.
btw in system setup how many people these days are even going to pick Netscape over IE as their default browser? There is a whole generation of Net users out there never even used or heard of the old Netscape browser.
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
So they're basically installing Firefox on every HP, right? If I read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape correctly. Netscape 8.0 is Firefox with a facelift and it's distributed by AOL. Well I suppose this is a good move. It will boost FireFox numbers.
"Icons for the browser, which will be customized with links to HP and Compaq Web sites, will appear in the Windows Start menu"
Plus I'm sure AOL is installed, which means AIM will be installed, and I don't even want to guess what else is installed by default as well.
It is cool that Netscape is installed with the PC and your given the option to have it as your default browser. I am not a mozilla fan, but that would have been the better choice, unless there is something planned for this deal besides just giving customers a better browser.
TruePunk | Games
In a perfect world HP would be giving users the choice between IE and Firefox. Instead, they get a choice between two notoriously bad browsers. NS may have gotten slightly better over the years, but I still remember the hell of getting web pages to work in NS4. It's sad that money is always the driving force behind change, but that fact isn't changing any day soon.
... but WHY did it have to be netscape? Why not firefox??? yes, it says users can switch between the gecko and IE cores, but please, firefox is lighter and faster.
But netscape still doesnt cut it compared to Firefox.
even though they're basicly the same netscape still reminds me too much of IE.
They both have that nasty (l)userfriendly corporate aftertaste.
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
No one has any comments? It somewhat surprises me that HP is going with Netscape and not Firefox; yea, the latter is community-driven and not backed by a large corporation (I don't know if Mozilla Corp. counts), but comparing the time-to-patch for the two products, you'd think they'd choose the best for their users.
Even better, they are giving users a choice.
Sigs are for suckas.
. . . wait, I hate those jokes.
My first thought was that it was a shame they didnt choose to put the latest build of firefox on all the HP machines instead, but then I realised Netscape would be best for the opensource movement in general because
a) more gecko compliant browsers means more pressure for standard compliant code
b) installing several million extra copies of a single spesific build of firefox would encourage more exploits targeted at the one build, factionalising the gecko based browsers out there makes a single exploit for the whole group much harder to make
thats just my opinoin anyway...
OK, let me be the first to ask the obvious question -- why Netscape, and not Firefox or Mozilla? Aren't they basically the same codebase at this point anyway, with Netscape simply being a branded and skinned version of Mozilla??
Find free books.
What about Firefox?
This is great for monopoly-busting of IE and all, but it doesn't help the user from a usability standpoint. The new version of Netscape is still sub-par as far as browsers go; preinstalling Opera or Firefox would actually help users.
Once again, marketing triumphs over utility.
Have comments been blocked on this thread?
Netscape is bloated AOL-ware. I'd select IE as my default, then download Firefox (OK maybe not IE as my default but I'd certainly get Firefox, and most probably uninstall Netscape).
--- Why are you wearing that stupid bunny suit? | Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?
News.com is reporting that HP / Compaq will begin to install all PCs sold in the US and Canada with Netscape
This is good. But When MS buys a stake in AOL. HP will be back installing IE. I hope that wont happen
comments are still broken.. (karma be dammned, but my last comment apperently got deleted)
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
Netscape is a AOL product and I am sure AOL is paying HP to put a copy of Netscape on every PC. The Mozilla Foundation could never afford that kind of deal.
No way jose.. The current release of Netscape has more serious bugs in it's UI than IE and FireFox combined. That is not counting the security exploits that the browser has in it as well.
Now if HP went the Open Source way and loaded FF and TBird in it, i'd buy stock in the company and watch it soar.
So sorry.. But Netscape has fallen out of favor with the mainstream.
First rule of holes; When in one, stop digging.
So now we can advocate Netscape 8.0 that uses the IE rendering engine and really advance the adoption of open ... oh wait ... nevermind
I know, I know, the IE renderer is just an option, still, this won't really do squat for alternative browsers. Now, if this was Firefox by default, then it'd be a cause for celebration.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws-Plato
The browser wars is something that really shouldn't of happened.
SHOULDN'T *HAVE*!!!
The Netscape browser starts up really slowly compared to IE--they should have bundled Firefox.
"Yields falsehood when preceded by its own quotation" yields falsehood when preceded by its own quotation.
doh.
pants
Zaebal konkretno.
These days (since Netscape 6.0), Netscape is just a rebranded/skinned version of Mozilla. Well, except for the utter horror that is Netscape 8, but I won't go into that.
What's the deal? HP does nothing for free.
There's got to be something more attractive to HP here besides revenue sharing from landing one or two ISP accounts. (That's so 90's)
Did AOL simply fork over the cash? Hmmm, doubt it. Then what?
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html
This is really unfortunate. It is fantastic that even an 'option' is being offered, but Netscape had been installed on HP and Compaq computers in the past (Netscape 6.2.1) and nobody used it. What's going to change that now? The only option would be to make it the default -- and unfortunately, Netscape is not much more secure than Internet Explorer at the present time. They still haven't released a fix for the "critical" soft-hyphen IDN exploit, but Firefox had a new release with the fix out within a week. I can't see a whole lot of good coming out of this.
[insert witty comment here]
Netscape inludes firefox rendering, and you can easily set it during install/1st config to never use IE engine.
Why Netscape? AOL has the clout to make the deal and support Netscape for free. If HP will install it, they must have some support for problems. With Netscape, they can pass the buck to AOL. That and they probably needed the nudge.
As for MS, they just lost re: netscape and antitrust so they aren't going to openly oppose this.
This is very good news as many people simply use the browser that comes with their PC. They may have heard about Netscape and Firefox, but they probably will never download it.
If it's on their PC, they will probably try it and hopefully use it.
Having a non IE browser installed by default with the PC is the best way to increase market share.
Hopefully this will pressure other manufacturers to follow suit.
Ryan
Please return RH7.1 and generally consider to stop robbing musemus.
Netscape, a division of Time Warner's America Online subsidiary.
/me sheds a single tear
My God, how far they've fallen. A once proud tech giant, now nothing more than a division of a subsidiary...
I am scientifically inaccurate.
Oho! you are talking about the browser. Jeez!! Which VC is backing them again after 10 years ?
I think this is actually a step in the right direction for computers. I mean we're geeks, so we know about Linux and alternate browsers, etc... but the regular home user still lives ignorant of anything outside of the Microsoft Box. At least something different is being done.
Ugh, could we have had a real browser, please? One that doesn't bastardize every desktop UI convention and trick people into a false sense of security by relying on the IE engine without telling you?
Seriously, vanilla Firefox would have offered them just as much opportunity to customize the L&F to be cluttered with HP branding to the point that it's unusable. That's what they're no doubt planning to do anyway.
Still, it's good news, even if only for the positive PR and the likely resulting reduction in the number of IE-engine users.
--GrouchoMarx
Card-carrying member of the EFF, FSF, and ACLU. Are you?
If AOL offered HP a bunch of money for this, then HP could have saved the same amount on future tech support calls and given users a browser they might have heard of.. something called Firefox.
Never mind that Netscape 8 has an ugly interface and the rendering engine switching is one of the lamest schemes ever to be thought up by an AOL PHB.
For $DEITY's sake AOL, now that you've killed Netscape, let us old school geeks remember it fondly... just let it die. Stop pissing on its grave. Assbags.
Given the choice, I would rather use Microsoft then the brain eating zombie that is Netscape.
However like most of the rest of us here, I will happily squish both back into a corner and use Firefox. (no I am not going to start a rant about Firefox)
Netscape Internet in their race to out slime PeoplePC and Earthlink has become the Trailerpark AOL. Cancel their service and it's a trip to an Indian callcenter and somebody begging you not to quit. With Zombies you can shoot them in the head, hard to do over the phone. I think the guy who tried to talk me out of shutting down the account would have wanted me to put him out of his misery.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
HP systems also come with Sun's Java virtual machine and a Sun JVM updater installed, which is a pleasant surprise as compared to the nonsense software you usually see bundled with PCs.
I hate you forever.
Information wants to be free.
Entertainment wants to be paid.
You just want to be cheap.
SeaMonkey
Your CPU is not doing anything else, at least do something.
I dont really grasp why not any OEM just takes Windows, slams a full stack of good Open Source like OpenOffice, Firefox, and brand the hell out of Windows making it possible to tell one manufacturers machine from the other? As of now the OEM's is nothing more than Windows peddlers that happens to sell some hardware on the side. With Open Source they have the chance to distinguish their offering from the others nearly for free.
Well, two browsers to choose from atleast makes people aware of the fact that there is a choice.
HTTP/1.1 400
"Fools!" cried their second in command, who most resembled Uncle Fester. He then made a great commotion with chairs in his office and moaned like a Wildebeast, "I will KILL NETSCAPE! I have done it before and I will do it again."
And he laughed a cruel laugh as he ordered his Developers to craft all manner of Evil for Netscape. "My master says this is His Platform and none can compete therein. HP shall be punished and blamed for their insolence." Before a single unit was shipped the trap was laid.
So the New XP, according to it's master's instructions, reported the offenders who dared challenge the The Browser and there was a great plague on device drivers for the unfortunate users and other dependents.
For Yeah, HP had not learned the Digital Research Lesson, and though they slew their own son, the Beast of Redmond is impossible to satisfy without perfect Obedience.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
...I immediately format any name brand PC that I have setup for anyone, myself included. Gets rid of all that junk the mfg's love to put on, any potential spyware, etc.
For an extra $39.95 you get the Gold Version which lets you actually compose web pages.
I see the brainless buffoonery that gave us the Pavillion pre-loaded with Windows ME is still alive and well at HP.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
"a division of Time Warner-America Online-Netscape-HBO-Turner Broadcasting Systems-New Line Cinema-Time Inc-"! :/
Excellent...
geezus god; how many times do you have to copy and paste this shit and sit there waiting for someone with -good- points to respond to it so you can flame them and get more karma i've seen the same one about 5 times
Now companies are just piling on. Perhaps just to see how long it'll be before Gates and Ballmer spontaneously combust in front of cameras and microphones.
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
<conspiracy type="MS">
Maybe MS paid HP to do this so that all the Joe Users will say, "See, Mozilla/Firefox/NutScrape do suck"?
</conspiracy>
I have no clue what would make a bunch of PHB's at HP think this is good idea. HP could have spent a _little_ money on research (hint: buy a report from WebSideStory) to see that the _ONLY_ browser users have been interested in besides IE has been Firefox.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
Since they are installing IE and a second browser anyway, they could have installed Firefox as the default browser with the "IE View" extension. Then the user would have a good browser, AND be able to use the IE engine at will. Heck, they could even easily set specific pages to use the IE engine by default while getting Firefox for everything else.
Netscape 8 is Windows only at the moment. Have they got plans for other versions or is this the final ruining of a once-cool browser.
Does a Christian soccer team even need a goalkeeper?
HP has been setting their default homepages to a branded version of Netscape.com for a long time. Dumping in the Netscape 8 browser is just another way of shoving the HP-Netscape portal down user's throats. It's the same reason they bundle iTunes to support the soon-to-be-replaced HP iPods.
Now if they'd just refrain from installing all the other crap like Easy Internet Setup, 30 WildTangent Spywa^h^h^h^h^hGames, Compaq Control Center, Crippled AntiVirus, and 3 Day Trial MS Office.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Nice link between ID and the anti-global-warmers. They probably are the same people anyway. (now if only I can delete the parent I can say I thought it up)
Found on some "what's new" notes for a product I was rolling out
"Optimised query by using where instead of joins"
So what if Microsoft DOES buy AOL as has been rumored last month?
Oh just wonderful, yet another piece of crap I have to uninstall... Why not do something cool like Firefox?
...becuase users of these PCs will no longer associate "Teh Intarnet" solely with clicking the little Blue E on their desktop. At least having the concept of multiple browsers is a good boost for anyone looking to diversify the browsers being used.
My 3D Texturing Skinning work (under construction)
Maybe it has to do with offering Netscape Internet to users. getnetscape.com I'm not sure but netscape has a "download accelator", might only work with netscape?
These guys are going for the crash so bad it hurts.
How about nothing bundling anything with my next PC? I don't want Windows. I want a free OS with no netscape. I WANT MY FIREFOX.
If I'm not mistaken "Netscape" 8 actually uses IE's rendering engine by default! I guess it's better than nothing but it is no different than providing IE or some other IE shell.
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares
Mozilla was the rendering engine of the old Netscape, derived from Mosaic.
If we all just refused to join sides and went with using both or a third browser
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent those last few years in college."
--Lewis Black
--
Don't fight Firefox! Let FireFox fight YOU!
Firefox does not include the revenue-generating Adware nor the components AOL pays OEMs to bundle.
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
So now I will have two browsers I don't use if I buy one of their computers... I am not impressed at all I'm afraid. I personally run Firefox (wouldn't touch anything Netscape has done thank you very much I don't want AOL stuff installed) and I know others who run Opera.
You missed "To bad" which means in the direction of or inclined toward. As opposed to "too bad" meaning quite a bit or more than needed.
You will not be demoted this time but your dessert ration will be cut in half for this oversight.
What are they hoping to accomplish with this? Do non-technical people actually care that they can choose between two different browsers? All that matters is that the web site renders correctly, and giving the user the option to choose Netscape doesn't accomplish this. The option to choose between Netscape and IE is as silly as allowing a customer to choose between equivilent brands of carpeting in a new automobile.
No, I will not work for your startup
Unfortunately, HP has selected a single platform (MS Windows) alternate browser, since AOL/Time Warner has yet to introduce Netscape 8 (8.02) on any platform besides MS Windows. As one who uses multiple platforms (MS Windows, Mac OSX, x86 linux, Solaris 10, and x86/ppc BSD), I refuse to use a browser that is platform-centric (I don't use Safari, either.)
While it would be nice to see HP put money and resources behind Mozilla (the suite) and distribute that as a multiplatform alternative,
there is another browser available that is (now) free and cross-platform -- Opera. It would appear that HP cut too much "meat" off the bone under the Fiorina regime, since such a choice should have been a no-brainer.