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| DownUnder | May 2002 |
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Netscape 6.2.x - ready for prime time? Recent news that AOL is testing a version of Netscape 6.x, as a replacement for Internet Explorer as the company's default browser, is sending shock waves through Web developer circles. Most developers now code their Web sites for IE and ignore Netscape, Opera and the other browsers with a smaller user base. Even though AOL controls only 5% of the browser market, and there is no guarantee that all those users would switch, 34 million AOL Web surfers is not a market that most Web developers can overlook or ignore. Even Web design software will be affected. Neither GoLive 5.0 or Dreamweaver 4.0 output standards-compliant HTML out-of-the-box, and have been cobbled together to work around the numerous incompatibilities between IE and Netscape that were the outcome of the browser wars. Does it work? I have been testing Netscape 6.2-6.2.2 under both Mac OS 9.x and Mac OS X for some time. The Mac OS X 6.2.2 port performs very well, probably because of its similarities to the other Unix versions and a higher level of testing. But, until we get a few more vital "native" applications for Mac OS X, I won't be spending all my time there :) Under Mac OS 9.x, Netscape 6.2.2 has a few small flaws. The Mail module can scramble its settings and it doesn't always remember how you like your Mailboxes laid out. Yet it does handle multiple e-mail boxes very well, and browsing and rendering are quite fast for such a large application. Netscape 6.2.2 also ships without any entries for "helper" applications, unlike previous versions, leaving it to the user to enter their own settings - a bad idea, when the average Web surfer has no idea what a MIME setting is. Overall performance is far less snappy than Netscape 4.7x, and slower than Internet Explorer for Mac. Nonetheless, performance is adequate, considering that the Microsoft alternative is two applications, both with their own RAM allocations. Swapping over We have been using Netscape 4.7 in the office for some time. Netscape 4.7 is fast and handles a single e-mail address well. More and more, however, Web developers are "coding us out" of sites, by using Javascripts, DHTML code, and scripting that is optimized for Internet Explorer. IE has around 80% of the browser market, and most developers simply do not test in Netscape. I have swapped over to Netscape 6.2.2 for my own Web surfing and I am beginning to test sites now in both Netscape 6.2.2 and IE 5.1 for Mac, plus the Windows versions. As I need to maintain numerous e-mail addresses it suits my needs, and gives me all my internet needs in one application. I will be swapping over the rest of the people in the office over the next few weeks as well, as all have commented on the improved interface in Netscape 6.2.2. Considering that the application has not strictly reached its "1.0" version yet, I feel that the application has great potential and can only get better. Where is this going? I have always felt that any sort of virtual monopoly in Web browser software destroys competition and innovation. Microsoft may have been successful in replacing Netscape with Internet Explorer on the world's desktops, but forthcoming developments such as .NET appear to be ushering in a new era of proprietary conflicts which will cost us all money and time. Whilst neither Netscape 6.0 or IE 6.0 are totally standards-compliant, we know Microsoft can code a browser that can deliver superb standards compliance - because they did with IE 5.0 and 5.1 for Macintosh. To my way of thinking, Microsoft still have a lot of work to do. Not just with security, which is the company's latest catch-call, but with standards and decent support for other computer platforms. If the company continues to only offer Windows development tools for its .NET initiative, and is actively canvassing Java developers to code under Windows using a "clone" of Java, Microsoft can hardly claim that they are not "locking out other computer platforms" or not protecting their Windows OS monopoly. If Microsoft would like to get the DOJ, Sun, Be and AOL Netscape off its back, and incidentally make more money, one of the ways to do it is to develop tools for all computer platforms. What could promote their products better than that? Jeffrey Zeldman, co-founder of the Web Standards Project, believes that the AOL browser swap would "strongly encourage designers and developers to author with Web standards supported by ... other browsers, instead of crafting sites optimized exclusively for IE." OS and browser wars With Apple Computer's move to a Unix foundation for Mac OS X, the new OS war looks to be developing into Microsoft vs. the Open Source community. And, while the Open Source community may not now be able to supply all our needs, Microsoft software is plagued by security flaws and is, and will always be, the prime target of hackers. If we are to have a choice - either in operating systems for our personal computers, or which Web browser we use - now is the time to put your foot down. If you don't want to be forced to use a particular piece of software, like you are with Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer, give it some thought. Try Netscape 6.2.2. It might be just the message Microsoft needs to start changing its ways. And it might help promote decent Web standards, instead of the combative, proprietary code we currently live with. And that would save us all time and money :) More reading Ian McPherson |
