Netscape (version 7)

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Netscape

Netscape 7.2 under Windows
Developed by AOL
Initial release  ?
Stable release 7.2  (August 17, 2004) [+/−]
Preview release none  (n/a) [+/−]
Written in  ?
OS Cross-platform
Available in  ?
Genre Internet suite
Website Netscape archive

Netscape 7 was a series of proprietary cross-platform Internet suites created by Netscape Communications Corporation and then in-house by AOL to continue the Netscape series after Netscape 6. There were three main editions released from the Netscape 7 series; being Netscape 7.0, 7.1 and 7.2. In the last version, it consisted of the following major components:

The suite was originally superseded by Netscape Browser, later Netscape Navigator 9, and its Mail & Newsgroups client was succeeded by Netscape Messenger 9 in 2007.

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[edit] History and development

Netscape 7.0 was released in 2002. It was based on a more stable and notably faster Mozilla 1.0 core and bundled with extras like integrated AOL Instant Messenger, integrated ICQ, Radio@Netscape, and new features such as tabbed browsing [1]. The market responded to what was essentially a repackaged version of Mozilla Application Suite (swollen with integrated tools to access proprietary services owned by AOL) by ignoring it. Competition from mature and competent non-Microsoft alternatives such as the Opera browser and the regular Mozilla distribution was a major factor. A point release of version 7.1 (based on Mozilla 1.4) was similarly ignored.

On the Windows platform, the Netscape suite has long since become irrelevant. There are still some users of recent versions, but most of them are people who are unwilling or unable to switch from the outdated and crash-prone 4.x versions, since the newer browsers generally require more powerful machines for decent performance. On other platforms which do not have Internet Explorer bundled (such as Linux), the Mozilla suite was often used instead of Netscape. The rise of alternatives like Mozilla Firefox and Konqueror had also given it strong competition.

AOL announced on July 15, 2003 that it was laying off all its remaining development staff working on the Netscape version of Mozilla. Combined with AOL's antitrust case court settlement with Microsoft to use Internet Explorer in future versions of the AOL software, this seemed to mark the effective end of development on Netscape Navigator, the open source projects notwithstanding. Many believed that no further versions of the browser would be released and that the Netscape brand name would live on only as the name of AOL's low-cost dial-up internet service.

Netscape 7.2 was released on August 17, 2004, though AOL did not restart the Netscape browser division (instead, they developed it in-house). It was very similar to Netscape 7.1 and the only new feature in it was the Netscape Toolbar, which was developed by mozdev.org.

Though many had believed Netscape 7 would be the last version of Netscape to be released, AOL, in May, 2005, came out with Netscape Browser version 8. It included improved security and the ability to natively use the Gecko layout engine used by Mozilla and its derivatives. It also has Internet Explorer's Trident as a possible rendering engine to use, which enables the user to switch to its rendering system to display web pages that do not work well with Gecko. This use of the Trident engine allows the use of ActiveX controls and brings all ActiveX security problems associated with Internet Explorer.

Netscape 9 superseded Netscape 8 in October 2007, but Netscape's browser was discontinued altogether on March 1, 2008.

[edit] Release history

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