IE casts a shadow over new Netscape
Netscape Communications launches the latest version of its Web browser amid mounting evidence that almost all Internet surfers are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer instead.
The new version, dubbed Netscape 7.0, does not stray very far from the preview version unveiled in May. The browser places particular emphasis on faster Web surfing and cross-promoting other content properties throughout AOL Time Warner, Netscape's parent company.
The browser also comes bundled with other software, such as the popular AOL Instant Messenger, AOL's Spinner Web radio service and RealNetworks's RealPlayer.
Still, the fanfare behind Netscape 7.0 has been muted by a report released this week asserting that IE has left Netscape with a mere 3.4 percent of the browser market, according to market researcher WebSideStory. That's down from 13 percent market share a year ago.
Netscape's battle with Microsoft, once dubbed the "Browser War," has been running out of steam over the past couple of years. The competitive practices Microsoft used to chip away at Netscape's lead in the browser market were the centerpiece of the government's antitrust case against the software giant. A federal court found that Microsoft engaged in illegal conduct in extending its operating system monopoly, but an appeals court ruled that the behavior did not extend to the browser market.
Netscape 7.0 was developed around the Web-rendering technology known as Gecko, which itself is the inception of the AOL-sponsored open-source movement called Mozilla. AOL has tested Gecko technology in its flagship online service and uses it in its CompuServe subsidiary. Although AOL continues to use IE in its America Online service, the tests have raised speculation that the company may swap Microsoft's rendering engine for Gecko.
Earlier this week, Mozilla itself released a new version of its open-source browser, dubbed Mozilla 1.1. The browser can run in full-screen Linux machines and can be used in versions of Apple Computer's Mac OS and in the Windows 95 operating system and higher.