Is Netscape the Browser for the Next AOL?

Posted on March 17, 2002

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by Adrian Roselli (aardvark)

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Adrian Roselli

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User since: December 13, 1998

Last login: January 03, 2012

Articles written: 85

There have been many rumors on developer forums over the last week or so that AOL is testing Netscape in the AOL software. They've all been just rumors until recently, when some news sites have posted quotes from real, live AOL representatives.

AOL spokesman Jim Whitney confirmed on Thursday that a beta version of CompuServe has shipped with Netscape as the browser, and that they've been testing it since the fall. He also stated that they'll be testing Netscape with the AOL service as well, which has a worldwide customer base of 34 million users. AOL 8.0, due to ship in the fall, is likely the earliest version of the AOL service that could integrate Netscape.

With AOL's purchase of Netscape in 1999, and with AOL letting its agreement with Microsoft to use Internet Explorer as the browser of choice expire in January of 2001, some feel it's just been a matter of time before AOL would start to roll Netscape out as the default browser for the AOL service. Microsoft isn't so convinced AOL will move its user-base away from Internet Explorer given that AOL has been threatening it for years but hasn't yet moved. This, of course, ignores the January lawsuit AOL filed against Microsoft. Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan said, "AOL has had the ability to change browsers since they purchased Netscape back in 1998, so it's not surprising that they might make that decision. But Internet Explorer is by far the best technology because it provides users the best experience on the Internet. But the decision remains AOL's."

Jupiter Media Metrix analyst David Card walks away with the best quote to date, when commenting on whether or not AOL would really make the shift to Netscape from Internet Explorer: "Serious software companies don't ship open source. They may start with it but they build products on it. You just have to be serious about the business and I don't think they are serious (about Netscape)."

Some news bits:

AOL testing new, improved Netscape
AOL 7.0 tests Netscape browser
AOL with Gecko Beta Released over at MozillaZine, where they ask for people to beta test the software.
AOL Beta Testing Gecko-Based Browser, many discussions follow.

Track new links in the comments below, I think we'd all like to see the progression of this story.

A founder of evolt.org, Adrian Roselli (aardvark) is the Senior Usability Engineer at Algonquin Studios, located in Buffalo, New York.

Adrian has years of experience in graphic design, web design and multimedia design, as well as extensive experience in internet commerce and interface design and usability. He has been developing for the World Wide Web since its inception, and working the design field since 1993. Adrian is a founding member, board member, and writer to evolt.org. In addition, Adrian sits on the Digital Media Advisory Committee for a local SUNY college and a local private college, as well as the board for a local charter school.

You can see his brand-spanking-new blog at http://blog.adrianroselli.com/ as well as his new web site to promote his writing and speaking at AdrianRoselli.com

Adrian authored the usability case study for evolt.org in Usability: The Site Speaks for Itself, published by glasshaus. He has written three chapters for the book Professional Web Graphics for Non Designers, also published by glasshaus. Adrian also managed to get a couple chapters written (and published) for The Web Professional's Handbook before glasshaus went under. They were really quite good. You should have bought more of the books.

15 comments on this article. Log in to add your comment | Rate this article:

I hope it happens

Submitted by jobarr on March 17, 2002 - 22:41.

I really hope they do switch. It would FORCE people do be more standards compliant or they'd lose a big chunk of their viewers!

This is a step in the right direction...

Submitted by chozsun on March 18, 2002 - 10:52.

I have stopped using the Netscape browser a longtime ago because I simply outgrew it and it had too many bugs for me to hold on to it.

That said, this is a step in the right direction for AOL Users. They actually get to use a real browser to surf the web.

This is also a huge step in the right direction for Netscape itself. Call it saving grace, salvation, whatever... this prevents Netscape from becoming extinct.

If so-and-so million people start using a real browser, I wonder what will the Force feel like to have that many souls enlightened?

Netscape is the worst

Submitted by trav on March 18, 2002 - 11:52.

Why would they use Netscape when IE is obviously better? You can work for hours creating a site that looks good and is complient with W3C just to see it turn out looking like crap when viewed in Netscape. I've always said AOL sucks and now they are proving it.

I hope not

Submitted by agraetz on March 18, 2002 - 13:01.

I hope they don't make the switch. It would really keep things a lot easier if AOL sticks with MSIE. I mean, come one, it's a browser. It would nice to not have to worry even more about how Netscape can mess with my web pages. :)

its not that bad if....

Submitted by profpsx on March 18, 2002 - 14:32.

It will not be that bad if they use Netscape 6.2... which my guess will be the one the pick unless they are idiots... NN6.2 dose a decent job of keeping up with IE 6, and if they do switch it will not be that hard for us developers & designers to make the change.... Most of us have to code for all browsers so the change would not really effect us..... I say bring it on... my life as a developer is already crazy.. whats one more problem...

Mozilla .99 >= IE 6

Submitted by jobarr on March 18, 2002 - 14:44.

I would imagine they'd actually use a NEWER version of Gecko from Mozilla than from NS 6.2 because otherwise it would be very very stupid. Mozilla .99 is fast and stable AND renders almost everything correctly (I can't think of anything off hand that has looked weird unless it was the designer's fault). So no, IE is NOT obviously better anymore. Mozilla no longer has many bugs at all (at least no more than IE). I finally switched to Mozilla .99 from IE 6 because of this.

Forcing sites into compliance? Bleh!

Submitted by Shatai on March 18, 2002 - 21:21.

The dream that has been noted by so many readers of certain nameless other news sites and Evolt that AOL's adopting Netscape will magically make lazy webmasters stop in their tracks and say, "I want to appeal to more visitors!" is a little backward. AOL users are still a very specific crowd to want to support, and even with all of AOL; Netscape's percentage of browser usage in the home will be only marginally better. While yes, it'll make Netscape compatability more attractive to corporate web designers who want to have that "AOL keyword: oursitehere" on their commercials; it's not going to do even the slightest for the average home designer with a server or two (a huge percentage of the 'Net population). On a closing note: I use Netscape.

Mozilla

Submitted by arnaud on March 19, 2002 - 10:25.

I think they won't take the whole Netscape 6.2, but only the core, Mozilla...

Arnaud

Submitted by Shatai on March 19, 2002 - 16:50.

I'm quite aware of the Mozilla core, and you're right to point that out-- Mozilla does still have the inherent problems rendering my HTML/4.02 compliant pages as they are in Internet Explorer. I'm not sure who is the culprit of bad rendering, Mozilla for not rendering or Internet Explorer for improperly rendering my HTML ending with the results I want; but still, the average web master will not go to the trouble to download Mozilla or Netscape to test it with their site which, mind you, chances are have "Best viewed in Internet Explorer" scribbled on the bottom.

Up with Mozilla/Gecko

Submitted by taftman on March 20, 2002 - 16:21.

Personally, I find 200% more bugs in IE5mac and the three prominent versions of IE for the windows machines than I find on any iteration of NS6.2 or Mozilla on either browser. I test everything I develop very extensively and i find that Mozilla is the most stable and most standards compliant browser I have ever used. To me, anything but coding for total standards complaince is a hack, and this totally shines on Gecko browsers.

I jumped for joy when I heard that AOL will make Mozilla/N6.x its installed browser, thats a huge hit to M$ and thats good and its also a great victory for the W3C. IE 6 is pretty good, actually way good, but the older ones cause me huge headaches (5.0, 5.5) and they are still everywhere.

We need 2 or more browsers again, seriously, I refuse to allow one single company to decide how and what I can code.

end rant

Standards, Bugs, past, present, future

Submitted by vern on March 24, 2002 - 22:14.

I've seen some comments here about IE adhering to standards more closely than Mozilla, to which I would ask whether you are reading the MSW3C version of The Standards.

Face this fact: The Gecko engine and Mozilla (and Netscape, and maybe AOL 8.0) is a work in progress, and it is a work moving toward W3C compliance. It already does a fine job, and when bugs are filed for non-compliant behaviour, they are addressed.

Consider Internet Explorer for Windows... by far the more widely used browser, yet the browser with the worst support for PNG. One might think that is not such a big deal, except that the world of PNG knows quite well that the Macintosh version of IE is among the BEST in its support of PNG. Mozilla, by the way, is not too shabby, but isn't quite at the IE-Mac level yet.

IE for Windows and IE for Mac are quite different in their support of HTML, XHTML, CSS, and in general, all aspects of web publishing. Hey, any deviation from the standard makes the job of creating content more difficult, but here one must content with which platform the user is on as well. "Best if viewed with IE 6.0 on WindowsXP" is something I haven't seen yet...

The past lessons with Netscape 4.77 and older have been learned, and the present shows still some differences between web standards and web implementations. However, lets not let browser bugs and developmetn schedules cloud the consideration of web browser software as tools, not as battlegrounds.

Gecko in AOL 8.0 would mean something very significant. 34 Million subscribers to AOL service would have an opportunity to use software that has been developed by people who do their work in the open and who are willing to share what works and what doesn't with the world. The Microsoft way, as anyone who has gone through an Office->Office97->Office2000->OfficeXP upgrade path knows, is to continue to add features to make upgrades and loyalty the only options.

There's a reason Apache is so high on the list of http servers on the net... the price is right, there is a support network for those who need it, there are commercial support entities for those who feel safer that way, they publish their sources and their products work. Open source projects tend to get better over time, and the upgrade fees are astonishingly reasonable. Add Gecko to the growing list of open software that works.

Finally, I've got some pages that pass XHTML and CSS validation tests at W3C that render as intended using Mozilla AND IE... on the Macintosh! IE for Windows destroys the page content. Hmmmmm. And forget about those PNG logos on the Windows IE brower. I guess they follow the MS standards.

all browsers have their flaws.

Submitted by sasha22 on April 1, 2002 - 16:55.

And to which netscape version are you refering? Every version has its flaws. Every browser has its own quirks. Many tricks used to make netscape "happy" are completely w3c compliant. But then again, it would have to depend on which version you are refering to...

I get rather tired of listening to people use netscape as a scapegoat for their own poor coding practices.

As for browsers, Opera 6.1 is my choice, and it is often just as fickle (or sometimes more fickle) than netscape is. Even Microsoft has taken notice of this little "giant" and has taken great pains to "squash" them by purposely closing them out of msn.com.

I do not want to see a single monopoly (*cough*microsoft*cough*) take over the web. I am glad to see someone (netscape/aol) is going to bite back. I will always cheer for the lesser of 2 evils.

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