Netscape

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Netscape
The logo of Netscape for most of its history
Maintainer:	AOL, Netscape Communications Corporation, Mozilla Foundation
Stable release:	8.0.3.3  (August 8, 2005) [+/-]
Preview release:	Not applicable  (N/A) [+/-]
OS:	Cross-platform (prior to 8.0), Microsoft Windows (8.0 and above)
Genre:	Internet suite
License:
Website:	browser.netscape.com

Netscape is the general name for a series of web browsers originally produced by Netscape Communications Corporation, but now developed by AOL. The original browser was once the dominant browser in terms of usage share, but it now has only a relatively small number of users.

The rest of this article gives an overview of the various versions (and names) of Netscape. Though a multitude of different names have been used, the browser has always commonly been referred to simply as "Netscape".

Contents 1 Netscape Classic releases 1.1 Netscape Navigator (version 1.0-4.08) 1.2 Netscape Communicator (versions 4.0-4.8) 2 Mozilla-based releases 2.1 Netscape 6 (versions 6.0-6.2.3) 2.2 Netscape (versions 7.0-7.2) 3 Mozilla Firefox-based releases 3.1 Netscape Browser (version 8.0+) 4 Release history 5 See also 6 External links

Netscape Classic releases

Netscape Navigator (version 1.0-4.08)

Main article: Netscape Navigator

Netscape Navigator was the name of Netscape's web browser from versions 1.0-3.04. The first beta release versions of the browser were released in 1994 and known as Mosaic and then Mosaic Netscape until a legal challenge from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (makers of NCSA Mosaic, which many of Netscape's founders used to develop) led to the name change to Netscape Navigator. The company's name also changed from Mosaic Communications Corporation to Netscape Communications Company.

The browser was easily the most advanced available and was therefore an instant success, becoming market leader while still in beta. Netscape's feature-count and market share continued to grow rapidly after version 1.0 was released. Version 2.0 added a full mail reader called Netscape Mail, thus transforming Netscape from a mere web browser to an Internet suite. During this period, both the browser and the suite were known as Netscape Navigator.

Version 3.0 of Netscape was the first to face any serious competition in the form of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0. Netscape, however, easily held off Microsoft's challenge and remained the number one browser.

Netscape Communicator (versions 4.0-4.8)

Main article: Netscape Communicator

Netscape 4 addressed the problem of Netscape Navigator being used as both the name of the suite and the browser contained within it by renaming the suite to Netscape Communicator.

Netscape Communicator debuted in 1997 and added many new features and was very successful, despite increasing competition from Internet Explorer 4.0. The Communicator suite was made up of Netscape Navigator, Netscape Mail and Newsgroups, Netscape Address Book and Netscape Composer (an HTML editor). A standalone version Netscape Navigator was still available, but this was discontinued after version 4.08.

There were significant delays to the release of Netscape's next major version and Communicator therefore aged badly over the many years it was still used. As a result, the more up-to-date Internet Explorer 5.0 became the market leader.

Mozilla-based releases

Netscape 6 (versions 6.0-6.2.3)

Main article: Netscape 6

In 1998, Netscape took the brave decision to open-source Netscape Communicator. The source code was duly released. An informal group called the Mozilla Organization was formed and funded by Netscape to co-ordinate the development of Netscape 5, which would be based on the Communicator source code. However, the aging Communicator code proved difficult to work with and the decision was taken to scrap Netscape 5 and re-write the source code. The re-written source code was in the form of the Mozilla web browser, which, with a few additions, Netscape 6 was based on.

This decision meant that Netscape's next major version was severely delayed. In the meantime, Netscape was taken over by AOL who, acting under pressure from the Web Standards Project, forced its new division to release Netscape 6.0 in 2000. The suite again consisted of Netscape Navigator and the other Communicator components, with the addition of a built-in AOL Instant Messenger client, Netscape Instant Messenger. However, it was blatantly clear that Netscape 6 was not yet ready for release and it flopped.

Later versions of Netscape 6 were much improved, but the browser still struggled to make an impact.

Netscape (versions 7.0-7.2)

Main article: Netscape (web browser)

For the version 7 series, the suite became simply known as Netscape, the name everyone else had been calling it for years. The browser inside continued to be known as Netscape Navigator.

Netscape 7 was released in 2002 was a direct continuation of Netscape 6 with very similar components. It picked up a few users, but was still very much a minority browser.

In 2003, AOL closed down its Netscape division and laid-off or re-assigned all of Netscape's employees. mozilla.org continued, however, as the independent Mozilla Foundation, taking on many of Netscape's ex-employees. AOL continued to develop Netscape in-house, but, due to there being no staff committed to it, improvements were minimal.

Mozilla Firefox-based releases

Netscape Browser (version 8.0+)

Main article: Netscape Browser

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 controversial 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 company laid off the Netscape team and outsourced development to Mercurial Communications.

Release history

• Netscape Navigator 1.0 – December 15, 1994
• Netscape Navigator 1.1
• Netscape Navigator 1.22
• Netscape Navigator 2.0 – September 18, 1995
• Netscape Navigator 2.01
• Netscape Navigator 2.02
• Netscape Navigator 3.0 – August 19, 1996
• Netscape Navigator 3.01
• Netscape Navigator 3.02
• Netscape Navigator 3.03
• Netscape Navigator 3.04 – October 4, 1997
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.0 – June 1997
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.01
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.02
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.03
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.04
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.05
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.06 – August 17, 1998
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.07
• Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.08 – November 9, 1998 (last release for 16-bit Windows and 68k Macs)
• Netscape Communicator 4.5 – October 19, 1998
• Netscape Communicator 4.61 – June 14, 1999
• Netscape Communicator 4.7 – September 30, 1999
• Netscape Communicator 4.71
• Netscape Communicator 4.72
• Netscape Communicator 4.73
• Netscape Communicator 4.74
• Netscape Communicator 4.75
• Netscape Communicator 4.76
• Netscape Communicator 4.77
• Netscape Communicator 4.78
• Netscape Communicator 4.79 – 2001
• Netscape Communicator 4.8 – August 22, 2002
• Netscape 6.0 – November 14, 2000 (based on Mozilla 0.7)
• Netscape 6.01 – February 9, 2001(based on Mozilla 0.7)
• Netscape 6.1 – August 8, 2001 (based on Mozilla 0.9.2.1)
• Netscape 6.2 – October 30, 2001 (based on Mozilla 0.9.4.1)
• Netscape 6.2.1 (based on Mozilla 0.9.4.1)
• Netscape 6.2.2 (based on Mozilla 0.9.4.1)
• Netscape 6.2.3 – May 15, 2002 (based on Mozilla 0.9.4.1)
• Netscape 7.0 – August 29, 2002 (based on Mozilla 1.0.1)
• Netscape 7.01 – December 10, 2002 (based on Mozilla 1.0.2)
• Netscape 7.02 – February 18, 2003 (based on Mozilla 1.0.2)
• Netscape 7.1 – June 30, 2003 (based on Mozilla 1.4)
• Netscape 7.2 – August 17, 2004 (based on Mozilla 1.7)
• Netscape Browser 8.0 – May 19, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.3)
• Netscape Browser 8.0.1 – May 19, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.4)
• Netscape Browser 8.0.2 – June 17, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.4)
• Netscape Browser 8.0.3.1 – July 25, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.6)
• Netscape Browser 8.0.3.3 – August 8, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.6)
• Netscape Browser 8.0.4 – October 19, 2005 (based on Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7)

See also

• Mozilla
• The Book of Mozilla

External links

• Netscape.com
• Netscape Browser
• The Netscape Unofficial FAQ
• Netscape Browser Archive
• Origin of a Browser: The Netscape Museum
• Netscape Version Guide