Internet Explorer 5.0 --
The Internet Explorer 5.0 Developer's Preview Release offers a number of new features over IE 4.0. Most of the new additions won't be immediately apparent upon loading IE 5.0, but like the introduction of DHTML (Dynamic HTML) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) in IE 4.0, the new features in IE 5.0 will definitely change the way web sites are developed in the future. The most notable change is in IE 5.0's support for second-generation Dynamic HTML. The new DHTML Behaviors allow developers to build re-usable scripts that any web page can reference for use. If this sounds similar to CSS, it is -- just as Cascading Style Sheets enabled you to separate the format of a page from its content, DHTML Behaviors now allow you to separate the actual dynamic behaviors from the content as well.
Additional changes in v5.0 include dramatically improved TABLE rendering performance for fixed tables as well as improved performance for pages with Dynamic HTML content (which has also been given a more efficient rendering engine), XML (the future of the web?) support, multiple CSS class support, dynamic properties for any and all page elements, dynamic relative/absolute positioning support, full drag and drop object model support (move content across frames or even into other applications), and persistence technology (allows any element to retain its current state even when a user leaves a page and later returns to it). An overview of the new features is available at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie5/overview.htm.
The bottom line is that Netscape has a ton of catching up to do, as Internet Explorer 5.0 (and to a large degree IE 4.0 as well) has left Communicator far behind in terms of technology, especially when it comes to Dynamic HTML and XML support. Look for more and more sites to release IE 4.0/5.0-only content as the gap between the web browsers continues to widen. Even if you don't want Microsoft to dominate the web browser market, Internet Explorer is still tough to turn down considering its many advantages over Communicator -- IE is faster, more reliable, fully integrated with Windows 98, and far ahead of Communicator in its support for emerging web technologies. Here's to hoping Communicator can fight back with an outstanding 5.0 release of its own.
Pros: · Extremely quick browser, · Excellent mail client (Outlook Express 5.0), · Second-generation Dynamic HTML support, · Freeware, · Dynamic Behaviors
Cons: · Some bugs exist in the Preview Release (no surprise), · No significant interface improvements over IE 4.0
New in v5.0: Dynamic Behaviors support, improved table and DHTML rendering, multiple CSS class support, XML support, persistence technology, CSS positioning; Overview of Changes
Upgrade Meter: 5
Netscape Communicator --
Netscape Communicator is an interim release between Netscape Navigator and the next major release (version 5.0) which is expected to take Netscape Communications Corporation several steps closer towards the goal of integrating the web browser and the desktop operating system. Like its chief rival (Internet Explorer 4.0), Communicator is a fourth-generation browser that seeks to expand the role of the client far beyond simple web browsing. While the next release of Netscape will focus more on integrating the web browser with your desktop (a theme that has just begun to emerge with the inclusion of Netcaster in the suite), the Communicator release focuses on building critical communications capabilities around a much-improved web browser. The 'net suite that has emerged as a result is the most powerful of its kind currently on the 'net.
The six core applications that make up the Communicator suite are the Navigator web browser (v4.x); Netcaster, a channel-based "push" technology client designed to dynamically deliver information to your desktop; Composer, an inline web editor that supersedes Navigator Gold; Messenger, an e-mail client; Collabra, a discussion groups/Usenet news reader; and Conference, an impressive real-time audio conferencing tool that counters Microsoft NetMeeting and supplants the CoolTalk client. The app that has so far garnered the most attention and debate in the new release is Netcaster, which we've reviewed separately here. Additional new features include support for multiple users via a user profile manager tool as well as a new floating toolbar similar to the one included with Microsoft Office. The toolbar allows you to quickly switch between each of the applications and can also be docked in the lower right-hand section of each application for quick access.
The primary draw of Netscape has always been the web browser itself, and despite an intriguing handful of supporting applications, the web browser continues to warrant the most attention. While the majority of changes in the web browser are more cosmetic in nature than revolutionary, there are quite a few new features that will appeal to Navigator fans. The most obvious changes have been made to the toolbars. First and foremost, the rather plain and dull icons of Navigator 3.x and earlier releases have been replaced with attractive 3D icons that put Internet Explorer's icons to shame. Additionally, there are three individual toolbars (including a cool new customizable personal toolbar), each of which are collapsible, meaning that the toolbar can be minimized in order to give the browser a larger viewing area. Another new feature is the ability to drag web links (as well as mail, FTP, and news links) into your bookmarks collection or onto your personal toolbar. The back and forward icon buttons work as before with your left mouse button, but clicking on the icons with your right mouse button now allows you to choose a web page from your history listing.
Additional cool new features include support for cascading style sheets, layering and absolute positioning, dynamic font support, the ability to make global font size changes (one of Internet Explorer's early proprietary features), inline support for PNG graphics, an integrated AOL Online Messenger client, an enhanced kiosk mode, and improved OLE support. While internal support for ActiveX Controls is still missing, there are several third-party plug-ins available that will allow you to use ActiveX Controls within Navigator. Of these, NCompass ScriptActive and Sir Browse-A-Lot are the most notable. Overall, while this should indeed be considered the next major release of Navigator (version 4.0), the web browser in Netscape Communicator definitely doesn't mark as revolutionary a progression as the earlier major releases of the client did. Still, Communicator definitely adds features to the web browser that make it more user-friendly and appealing to use.
Next to the web browser, the two Communicator clients most likely to be used on a regular basis are the Messenger and Collabra Discussions. Both are updated versions of the mail and news clients included in Netscape 3.0. New features in the Messenger include an integrated spelling checker, mail filters (solid but nowhere near as powerful as those included in IE 4.0's Microsoft Outlook Express, Pegasus Mail, Pronto Mail, and several other mail clients), IMAP4 support for server-based management of mail, inline support for message encryption, intelligent HTML sending/receiving capabilities, HTML message composition tools (using the Composer client), global address books (using three popular people search engines), and a revised interface.
The Collabra Discussions client offers an entirely new interface for reading news groups; it can also be integrated into the Messenger interface allowing the two clients to work together or separately at your option. Like the Messenger, the Collabra tool lacks advanced filtering capabilities and is rivaled by several independent clients (including Agent and Anawave Gravity). Additionally, other than being able to manage discussion groups with the Collabra 3.0 Server as well as compose and view HTML messages, Collabra Discussions doesn't have much to offer over its predecessors. In fact, it's debatable whether the inline newsreaders in earlier versions of Netscape were more user-intuitive and efficient at routine browsing of news groups; personally, I'd much rather have the newsreaders in Navigator 1.x or 3.x than the current client.
Of the final two applications in the Communicator Suite, the Conference tool is unquestionably the more revolutionary tool. The Composer is essentially the same WYSIWYG web editor included in the Netscape Gold package, with the additions of a spelling checker (shared with the other Communicator clients), support for Composer plug-ins, and a slightly improved feature-set and user interface. The Conference client, on the other hand, is an entirely new conferencing tool that puts Navigator's old CoolTalk client to shame. On par with Microsoft's NetMeeting application, Netscape Conference offers many of the same features, including real-time audio capabilities (similar to Internet Phone), a text chat and collaborative whiteboard tool, voice mail capabilities, group browsing sessions (similar to PowWow and Virtual Places), and file exchange capabilities. Conference also utilizes an ultra low bit rate codec (RT24/29) from Voxware that aids in the client's outstanding performance.
Overall, Netscape Communicator is the most impressive suite of Internet applications currently available. Communicator excels against Internet Explorer 4.0 in nearly every area, including offering an overall better browser (ActiveX support notwithstanding), better mail and news clients (advanced filtering capabilities notwithstanding), a solid inline web editor that surpasses IE/Word's inline web editing capabilities, and a conferencing tool that is on equal footing with IE's companion utility, NetMeeting. While IE 4.0 does offer the powerful and innovative Active Desktop, it's still too early to tell whether this feature will be able to live up to its hype. While the gap between the two major browsers continues to narrow, in its latest incarnation Netscape still reigns supreme as the best overall browser on the 'net.
Pros: Impressive suite of 'net apps, excellent control of the HTML language, Java, support for tons of plug-ins
Cons: Lacks ActiveX support, the mail and news clients could be more intuitive and powerful
New: Dynamic HTML support, integrated Netcaster push technology, performance enhancements, more
New in v4.06:
Smart Browsing "What's Related" (drop-down toolbar lists similar sites), Smart Browsing "Internet Keywords", NetWatch content filter (with PICS support), integrated Macromedia Flash plug-in, enhanced JDK 1.1 support, fixes for Long Filename Mail and ClassLoader Java vulnerabilities; Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 5 - My only question is what new features will be included in the official release of v4.5 that aren't already offered in the new 4.06 release?
New in v4.5 PR1: Smart Browsing/"What's Related" (drop-down toolbar with a list of similar sites), roaming access, 3-pane integrated mail/news interface, "My Netscape" icon, improved IMAP performance and network efficiency, support for multiple mail accounts (only with IMAP servers), Palm Pilot synchronization capabilities, mail/address book import; Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 5
Operating Systems / Latest Versions:
Windows 95/98/NT: Official - v4.06. Preview Release - v4.5 PR1.
Macintosh: Official - v4.06. Preview - v4.5 PR1
Windows 3.x - v4.05.
Unix: IBM AIX, Digital Unix, HP-UX, SGI IRIX, SunOS, Linux, BSDi, and FreeBSD. Official - v4.06, Preview - v4.5 PR1.
Internet Explorer --
The folks at Netscape Communications Corporation (NCC), the developers of Netscape Navigator, finally have reason to worry, and for good reason. While the early versions of Internet Explorer created little more than a small ripple on the 'net, massive improvements over the last year have led to the emergence of an excellent web browser that has already made more than a few big waves in the 'net community and will likely be making many more in the near future. Like Netscape, Internet Explorer has introduced several exclusive features, some of which are still not available from other browsers -- the most notable being Microsoft's answer to plug-in modules, ActiveX Controls. Proprietary features that originated with Internet Explorer but have since found their way into other browsers include extended tags for the <FONT> attribute, marquees, background sound support, a dedicated search page for the largest search engine databases on the Internet (Infoseek, Lycos, and Yahoo), global font sizing, inline AVI video support, and client-side image mapping.
Many other features are also standard fare for Internet Explorer, including centering, advanced tables support, transparent images, integrated mail and news clients, inline FTP support, spawned processes for opening multiple windows, and strong support for web security (PCT, SSL 2.0, and SSL 3.0 security technology). While Internet Explorer is currently only available for the Windows 3.x, 95, and NT platforms (a beta release is available for Macs), the client is offered in a wide variety of languages, including Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, and more. One downside to Internet Explorer is that the most recent releases tend to be available only for Windows 95/NT. Support for Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.5x as well as Macs and various flavors of UNIX tend to follow several months thereafter.
The latest release of Internet Explorer (v4.0) shows that Microsoft is no longer content for its browser to just match Netscape feature for feature -- it wants to render the current champ obsolete. While the gap between the two browsers has narrowed considerably over the last year, Netscape has continued to retain a slight edge over the contender, an edge that could very well evaporate entirely as IE 4.0 saturates the marketplace. IE 4.0 will of course be bundled with both Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0 and should represent many of the most noticeable changes in the new OSes; additionally, the next release of The Microsoft Network (v2.5) will include IE 4.0 and many of the nation's largest internet providers have already signed on to support the new browser. With IE 4.0 to be found on every Windows 98/NT 5.0 desktop as well as everywhere else you turn, don't be surprised to see Netscape's market share take a beating over the next few months.
The core web browser has long been Netscape's strongest point and the most difficult one for Internet Explorer to overcome. While the 3.0 release of Internet Explorer covered ground that was earlier lost to Navigator by adding support for Frames, Java, Plug-in modules, HTML Cascading Style Sheets, and ActiveX controls; enhanced security (including PCT technology); a Java Just-In-Time compiler; and tons of additional new features, it's the features introduced in the 4.0 release that are drawing the most attention. These are also the features that Microsoft is hoping will finally take the client to a level above and beyond its closest competitor. And although the 3.0 release underwent a massive interface change in order to improve the app's overall appearance and to make the client feel more like your desktop portal to the Internet, the consummation of this theme has had to wait until the release of IE 4.0. Will an entirely revamped interface and a slew of revolutionary new features be enough to surmount Netscape? The final verdict may still be a couple months away, but IE 4.0 has definitely made a strong case for itself already.
The most revolutionary (and likely controversial) aspect of the 4.0 release is the Active Desktop, which integrates Internet Explorer with your operating system and transforms your desktop into a virtual web page, complete with hyperlinks and support for ActiveX components. The Active Desktop also brings significant changes to the Windows Explorer, its drag 'n' drop capabilities (one area that still has room for improvement), the Windows traybar, all of the menu toolbars, and all of your desktop folders. The Active Desktop also allows you to add your own ActiveX components to your desktop or download samples from the Microsoft web site and third-party sites. Overall, the Active Desktop does make several impressive improvements to the Windows 95/NT operating system and to your desktop, but expect reactions to this feature to be extremely polar -- users will either love the changes or loathe them. Still, you can bet that this is one feature that won't be going away anytime soon (Windows 98 anyone?)
Next to the Active Desktop, the biggest change in Internet Explorer 4.0 is the addition of the Microsoft Outlook Express client, a mail/news app that far exceeds the capabilities of its predecessors (IE 3.0's Internet Mail and News). Advanced filtering capabilities in both the mail client and the newsreader, a more intuitive user interface, support for multiple user profiles, a newsgroup catch up feature, global address books that allow you to look up names and addresses using Internet white page directories, IMAP and LDAP support, and full inline HTML support for mail and news messages highlight an extremely impressive set of features in Outlook Express. One of the coolest features is the ability to send a web page as an e-mail message by simply selecting the "Send Current Document" option from the Mail icon menu. Outlook Express already edges out Netscape Communicator's Messenger and Collabra Discussions tools and even holds its own with the best of the standalone clients currently available. But if Outlook Express doesn't meet all of your needs, IE 4.0 gives you an alternative -- the ability to launch one of several popular standalone mail clients and/or newsreaders from the IE Mail and News icon buttons.
The web browser itself has received several major new additions and a multitude of minor changes for the 4.0 release. Of the new additions, the most notable include Dynamic HTML support, Active Channels (a channel-based push broadcasting system similar to Netscape's Netcaster client), inline support for the PNG graphics format, improved toolbars (although they are still not as intuitive or attractive as those found in Communicator), a parental rating system, and an improved Favorites folder. The best of the bookmarking folder's new additions is its web site subscription capabilities, which automatically notify you when a site that you've subscribed to has been updated. The newest release also gives users the ability to use the left pane of Internet Explorer for specialized 'net tasks. The pane can be set up to display your Favorites bookmarks, your web history folder, a dedicated search engine page, or a listing of available Active Channels. Overall, the latest release of Internet Explorer far surpasses earlier versions and definitely gives Netscape a run for its money. Considering that you can download and use Internet Explorer for free (with no strings attached), the battle appears to have tipped towards Microsoft's side for the first time. Will Netscape be able to recapture its lead or has the time for crowning a new champ finally arrived?
Service Pack Note: The Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 offers the following changes over the standard 4.01 release: Year 2000 fixes, numerous security patches, bug fixes for the top issues reported to Microsoft's product support team, and changes requested by specific corporations and Web sites for their intranet and Internet users.
Security patches in the service pack include the MK Overrun and Embed issues in Internet Explorer 4.01 and the Page Redirect, Buffer Overrun, "Freiburg" text-viewing, and Java redirect security issues in Internet Explorer 4.0. The Service Pack is currently available only as a complete web browser download, but an update that allows you to download just the Service Pack itself will soon be available.
Security Fix Note: The "Window.External" JScript Security Fix is included with the v3.1b scripting engine update for VBScript and JScript and fixes a potential security problem in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x (4.0, 4.01, and 4.01 SP1). When Internet Explorer encounters a malicious web page that uses a a JScript script with an extremely long string, the browser could close unexpectedly and the string could run arbitrary code. For more information about the JScript Vulnerability Issue, check out Microsoft's web page for the fix.
Pros: Extremely quick browser, excellent mail client and newsreader, Active Desktop technology, freeware
Cons: Netscape bests IE in several areas, most notably its cross-platform compatibility and core web browser
New: Improved Active Desktop and Active Channels systems, web site subscription capabilities; release notes
Operating Systems / Latest Versions: Windows 95/NT 4.x - v4.01 Service Pack 1.
Windows 3.x/NT 3.x - v4.01. Macintosh/Power Mac - v4.01. Unix (Sun Solaris) - v4.0 Preview 1
Netscape Navigator --
Only two short years ago, in late August to be exact, we were presented with what was then the world's most advanced web browser -- Netscape Navigator version 1.2. Netscape remains the best web browser, but the Netscape of today is far different from the one that emerged onto the 'net in the wake of the NCSA Mosaic juggernaut. The early releases of Netscape rendered Mosaic and the rest of the competition obsolete by introducing a long list of web browser 'firsts', including internal support for GIFs and JPEGs (including transparent, interlaced, and animated GIFs as well as progressive JPEGs), integrated news and mail clients, built-in File Transfer Protocol (FTP) functionality, concurrent access for multiple sites via spawned web browser windows, text centering, tables and forms support, spawned processes for saving files, advanced security for web-based transactions, and much more.
With so many unique and powerful features, it's easy to see why Netscape was able to garner an 80% share of the browser market at the zenith of its popularity. Netscape Communications Corporation (NCC) also ensured Netscape's popularity by making the browser available for download over the 'net. In addition, the client has always been free for educational and non-commercial use; commercial users are able to enjoy a free, unlimited evaluation period. Finally, with a 16-bit version for Windows 3.x users, a 32-bit version for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT users, a Macintosh release, and more than ten different releases for the various flavors of UNIX, NCC has done its part to make sure that the entire 'net community is able to benefit from Netscape's amazing features.
As the 2.0 release of Netscape evolved and early betas for 3.0 began to surface on the 'net, Netscape still enjoyed a huge lead over the competition -- its closest competitor being Internet Explorer 2.0, a browser far less powerful than its current incarnation. Not resting on its laurels, Netscape added even more essential features. The most important additions have proven to be enhancements to Netscape's expandibility and underlying functionality. The introduction of plug-in modules, which allow other vendors to create programs that work inside the Netscape environment, highlight the improvements made in these areas. Once integrated into Netscape, these modules add unprecedented power and flexibility to Netscape with technology like inline VRML (V-Realm and VR Scout), real-time audio and video (RealAudio and VDOLive), advanced scripting (LiveWire), 3D web browsing (WIRL), and animation for movies and games (Shockwave).
Perhaps the most hyped of its new features, inline support for Java gives further credence to the functionality and expandibilitiy improvements being the single most important new elements of the 2.0 release. Other new features for this version included support for Targeted Windows, Frames, Super/Subscript tags, client side image mapping, and inline HTML editing (through the Netscape Gold package). As was the case with the initial release of Netscape, other browsers have since copied many of these features, but for now Netscape continues to offer more features and more raw power than any other single web browser.
For nearly a year it seemed that no one would ever be able to close on Netscape's huge lead,
but the gap has narrowed considerably during the last few months. The release of Internet Explorer 3.0 and its own powerful set of features sparked a huge war of words between the David and Goliath of the Internet, Netscape Communications Corporation and Microsoft. Not to be outdone by the newest Microsoft release, version 3.0 of Netscape was released less than a week later. The latest incarnation of the browser once again offers new features that help distance it from the competition, but one gets the sense that this time the additions are more evolutionary rather than the revolutionary features of old.
The 3.0 release includes several built-in plug-in modules, including a basic audio module for playing files of AIFF, MIDI, WAV, and AU sound formats (LiveAudio); a VRML module for experiencing distributed, interactive 3D VRML worlds complete with text, images, animation, video, sound, and music (Live3D); video modules for playing inline AVI videos (LiveVideo) and MOV movies (QuickTime); and an app that allows for real-time full-duplex audio conferencing (CoolTalk). Multi-column text, horizontal and vertical spacing, improved frames support, the font face tag, and a 'set as wallpaper' option highlight the list of additional new capabilities found in v3.0. Relative to the changes in previous releases, it might at first appear that the Netscape juggernaut is finally losing steam. While the gap has definitely narrowed between it and Internet Explorer, judging from the online user community, Netscape still reigns supreme as the most popular web browser on the 'net...for now.
Note: The standalone 4.0 release of Netscape and future releases will be reviewed separately as part of the Netscape Communicator suite package.
Pros: Exclusive HTML tags, quick, Java/JavaScript support, support for tons of plug-ins
Cons: The built-in mail and news clients could be improved...
New: Security breach fixed, new frame navigation, telephony features, privacy enhancements,
more
New in 4.x: Integrated Netcaster client and improved performance. See the Communicator review for more
Operating Systems / Latest Versions:
Windows 95/98/NT - v4.06.
Windows 3.x - v4.06.
Macintosh - v4.06.
Unix: IBM AIX, Digital Unix, HP-UX, SGI IRIX, SunOS, Linux, BSDi, and FreeBSD - v4.06
Netscape Navigator Gold --
The Gold release of Netscape Navigator offers all the same great features available in the standard version plus the added capability of inline WYSIWYG web editing. While the initial releases of the Gold client have been limited to primarily HTML 2 editing, Netscape Gold is still quite powerful and, perhaps more importantly, it offers a glimpse into what is likely to become a very impressive editor in the future. Inline editing gives webmasters the ability to create, edit, and view web documents all from within one central interface. The Netscape Gold editor offers full support for most Netscape 1.x tags and some 2.x tags, but it does lack tools for helping users take advantage of newer technologies like forms, frames, multi-column text, plug-ins, and more. Support for tables, on the other hand, is one of Netscape Gold's most impressive features; creating and modifying even the most advanced of tables has never been easier. The Gold release also offers integrated web publishing features for saving your revised files to a remote server. However, the web publisher would be greatly enhanced by a one-click automatic agent button that would handle the entire process of uploading and saving files remotely for you. Netscape also lacks tools for creating attractive backgrounds and an inline editor for changing or viewing the actual HTML code; this task can only be handled by an external HTML or text editor. Overall, the Gold editing features are great for making quick and simple changes to HTML files, but anything more complex than this will require the capabilities and strength of an external editor. Netscape Gold already has the built-in power and excellent functionality of the best web browser on the market as well as the potential to offer an editor of comparable stature, but for now, a standalone editor like HotDog, HomeSite, or Kenn Nesbitt's WebEdit coupled with Netscape Navigator standard is likely to be your best bet.
Pros: Same great features as found in the standard Netscape release plus web editing capabilities
Cons: Lacks many important web editing features, including support for Netscape 2.0/3.0 extensions
New: Security breach fixed, table editing has been added, new shortcut keys, more
Netscape Netcaster --
Netcaster is a channel-based "push" technology client for Netscape Communicator that directly competes with Internet Explorer 4.0's Active Channels client. Netcaster is an integrated client of the Communicator suite as of the 4.02 release; alternatively, you can download Netcaster using Communicator's smart update feature. Netcaster was originally designed to be the focus of the next major release of Netscape Navigator (version 5.0). Then came the decision to integrate Netcaster (which was previously designed under the codename of Constellation) into Communicator, presumably in order for the client to better to compete with the new release of Internet Explorer and its Active Channels client. The question that many users are asking right now is not which of the two clients is better but rather how useful and important will push technology ultimately prove to be. The supposed selling point of push technology is that you no longer need to manually request or search for information for a given area of interest. On the other hand, more often than not push technology gives you far more information than you could ever want or need. Whether a client like Netcaster actually does more to help or hinder the pursuit of information will most likely depend on the individual user. Some users will prefer the push capabilities of a client like Netcaster or Active Channels, while other users will prefer the "old-fashioned" pull technology of a web browser or FTP client. More likely than not, your future will involve some combination of the two.
Like PointCast, Backweb, and other clients that rely on push technology to dynamically deliver information to your desktop, Netcaster allows you to subscribe to content channels that serve roughly the same function as a TV or radio broadcast channel. Netcaster periodically downloads new information for channels that you have subscribed to. This is done in the background while you browse the web or work on other tasks; then you can later view the entire channel offline at your convenience. Current Netcaster channel providers include Money Magazine, Wired, CNNfn, CBS SportsLine, Lycos, Infoseek, ABCNews.com, C/Net, and (of course) Netscape. Look for future providers to include the likes of ZDNet, Yahoo, and ESPNet SportsZone. Netcaster also gives you the ability to subscribe to any channel based on Marimba's Castanet technology. This technology enables more than just the delivery of web content -- it makes the automatic delivery and updating of software applications possible as well. Users can also download any web site in the background on a scheduled basis using Netcaster. Unlike Internet Explorer, which requires web sites to implement and maintain Channel Definition Format (CDF) files in order to become an Active Channel, Netcaster channels do not need any changes to be made to a web site's server or content. This ultimately benefits providers just as much if not more than it does users because netcasting can be implemented more flexibly using the existing open standards of HTML, Java, and JavaScript than it can using the proprietary Channel Definition Format. Of course, a standardized format used by both Netscape and Microsoft would be better still, but realistically don't expect this to happen anytime soon.
Netcaster also offers a webtop feature that allows you to anchor a subscribed channel to your desktop. This works in a similar fashion to Internet Explorer's Active Desktop except for the fact that there is no actual integration between the Netcaster client and the Windows operating system. This presents one advantage for Netcaster in that it has been designed from the beginning as a cross-platform network interface that will work on more than just Windows platforms. Netcaster and the technology itself are both in their infancy and the results show. The previous releases of the client were serious resource hogs and were slower than molasses, and although the official release has benefited from attention to optimization and has shown significant improvements in speed, the client still leaves a lot to be desired in both areas. Netcaster should be on an equal level with the Navigator web browser in terms of speed and efficient use of resources by the next major release. There are also a shortcoming of attractive, information-rich channels currently available; a situation that should also resolve itself in the near future. Most channels are currently little more than typical web sites with a presentation-like interface. Yet despite its shortcomings, Netcaster (as well as the competing Active Channels client) is still the app most likely to dethrone The Pointcast Network from its push technology throne. While the day for this has obviously not yet arrived and likely won't do so for several more months, the signs of a new revolution have already begun to appear and that could spell serious trouble for PointCast and other standalone push clients.
Pros: Push technology built into the web browser, solid selection of channels, any web site can be a channel
Cons: The client is very slow and demands a ton of system resources; is push technology really all that useful?
New: Now integrated with Netscape Communicator, improved performance, bug fixes, new channels, more
NCSA Mosaic --
Mosaic was the first and once greatest web browser, but lately it's been relegated to the role of playing catch-up to Netscape. Thankfully, though, Mosaic plays this game very well. The newest releases contain many of Netscape's best features, including document caching, improved FTP
support, internal support for gifs and jpegs, built-in newsreader (with a recently added toolbar), new HTML tags (including centering, tables, and background images), and low cost (it's free!). Mosaic has a nice spawning feature that allows users to access multiple pages at the same time. Another useful option is Mosaic's full-screen
presentation mode. Mosaic has also caught up to Netscape in
terms of speed, and some claim that it's even faster than Netscape now.
Mosaic is a 32-bit client that can only be run on Windows 95/NT platforms or
on Windows 3.x platforms that are using the latest version of Win32s.
The official release of Mosaic 2.0 includes several interesting and unprecedented
new features. In addition to an option that allows Mosaic to automatically check
and track links from various web pages (AutoSurf) and a new advanced hotlist manager (much like Netscape's SmartMarks) that is seamlessly integrated into Mosaic, there is one cool new feature that is bound to please the socialite in all of us. Mosaic now offers the opportunity to Collaborate with other users -- by joining a collaboration session, you can chat with others, send and receive files, and partake in web cruising with your friends, all from within Mosaic. This is the first web browser
to allow you to do these three functions without having to resort to using an external application.
Unfortunately, Mosaic does still lack some of Netscape's proprietary features, including font sizes, advanced support for tables (the width tag and nested tables), and client side image mapping. Also, Mosaic's integrated newsreader and internal FTP client currently aren't quite as solid (in terms of ease of use and appearance) as those offered by Netscape, but they are getting better with each new release. With the final release of Mosaic 2.0, the
competition has once again heated up between Netscape and Mosaic, but in the end, I still
have to give the overall edge to Netscape...for now.
Pros: Great features, AutoSurfing, collaboration feature, on par with Netscape in terms of speed
Cons: Support for tables, news, and FTP isn't quite as solid as in Netscape
New for Win: Entirely new GUI, revised toolbar, client side image mapping, HTML 3.2 support, bug fixes, more
New for Mac: PNG, frames, CSIM, and advanced tables support, progressive image decoding, more
Opera for Windows --
Following in the footsteps of AMSD's Ariadna (from Russia) and UdiWWW (from Germany), Opera is the latest international web browser to hit the 'net. This world-wide web browser hails from Norway and is offered in two versions (Windows 3.x and Windows 95/NT) and four different languages -- English, Swedish, Norwegian, and Spanish. Opera's strongest points are its speed and multimedia capabilities. Inline support is provided for a wide variety of image, audio, and video formats, including background sounds (MIDI and WAV), Video for Windows (AVI), MPEG Video, animated GIFs, and four different graphic types (JPEG, GIF, XBM and BMP). Opera steps it up in terms of enhanced HTML features as well. Full tables, frames, and forms support; HTML 2.0 (and most HTML 3.2 commands); Javascript, server push capabilities, and client side image mapping are a sampling of Opera's impressive command of the HTML language. Integrated mail (send only) and news reading, right mouse button functionality, an extremely helpful status bar, a keyboard interface for single key browsing, multiple concurrent windows support, context sensitive menus, a solid collection of built-in plug-ins, and a number of unique features useful for the physically challenged round out Opera's solid feature-set. Features missing relative to the competition include support for HTML editing, inline VRML, ActiveX controls, and mail receival capabilities. Overall, Opera excels as an international web browser, but when compared to the two titans of the industry, Netscape and Internet Explorer, Opera is still strictly second-fiddle.
Pros: Fast and inexpensive, advanced multimedia capabilities, forms and tables support
Cons: Lacks many critical features, including support for Java and plug-ins
New: Server push capabilities, SSL, Javascript, secure news, Meta Cookie support, built-in plug-ins, more
I-Comm --
I-Comm is Talent Communications' full-featured WWW browser that, like SlipKnot, doesn't require a SLIP/PPP winsock connection in order to surf the web. The basic requirements for running I-Comm are your PC, Windows, a modem, and an Internet shell, VAX, or Freenet account.
You'll also need to ensure that several necessary programs are identified in your
shell account search path (check the
I-Comm page for more information on this). Once you have these essentials, you
can get up and running on the 'net with a solid browser that, while not in the same
league as Netscape or Internet Explorer, does include a solid collection of important features.
Support for tables, background images, interlaced gifs, image maps (server side only),
center and other advanced HTML tags, printing capabilities, and a built-in WAV player
are just a few of the included features. I-Comm also includes a dial-up modem communications program, Zmodem transfer, and a phonebook utility in the package. Missing features include client side image mapping, support for multiple windows, font size tags, and additional Netscape tags (frames, sub/superscript, and div tags, for example).
You might notice that the included and missing features for I-Comm are very similar to those of I-View. I-View and I-Comm are both products of Talent Communications and exhibit many of the same features. While I-View is designed for offline
HTML browsing only, I-Comm extends the utility factor tenfold by giving users without a
SLIP/PPP connection access to the most popular area of the internet. With only a few missing
features, this is a godsend client for many of the previously forgotten netizens. SlipKnot
runs a close second in this category, but I-Comm takes the crown for now due to its comprehensive collection of features and greater overall efficiency. SLIP/PPP, SLiRP, and TIA, on the other hand, will likely find their needs best met by either Netscape or Internet Explorer, but I-Comm isn't very far behind.
Pros: Web browser that doesn't require SLIP/PPP access; includes modem communications utilities
Cons: Lacks some of Netscape's better features and its overall speed
New: Mailto, transparent gif, tables, and null border support, more
HotJava --
Welcome to the future of the web...according to Sun Microsystems, that is. HotJava is an
extremely interesting browser that can take prestige in being the first to offer full support for the Java language. In addition to allowing clients to download the normal fare of images, documents, sounds, etc., distributed Java applets can also be downloaded. Applets are (usually) small executable programs written in the Java programming language and included in HTML pages, similar to commonly imbedded images. Applets can take the form of almost anything, from simple games and animations to the most complex of programs. You can even develop and add your own applets to your web site. The potential for this technology
is almost limitless; already the sample applets available far exceed anything ever
encountered on the web before. While HotJava was indeed the first browser to offer Java support, browsers like Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Oracle PowerBrowser have added their own built-in Java capabilities.
Sun has developed an amazing language in Java, but the actual browser, HotJava, is nowhere near as 'hot'. As a strict web browser, HotJava isn't likely to win over many followers. It's far slower than Netscape and other browsers and it lacks some of the best features found in Netscape and Internet Explorer (including integrated news and mail support, ActiveX capabilities, telephony features, extensive inline file support). While the Java technology may well be the future of the web, the HotJava browser may not be the best web browser to deliver it. Netscape and Internet Explorer already include Java technology and do so with a better selection of features -- while Java may take the 'net by storm, it might be too much to expect the same from HotJava.
Pros: Distributed, executable applets courtesy of the Java language, fair selection of features
Cons: Slow and lacking in critical features, especially relative to other web browsers
New: Updated Java Runtime Environment (JRE v1.1.6), integrated HotJava JavaBeans HTML Component, more
New in v1.1.4: JRE v1.1.6, better memory management, reduced runtime footprint, improvements to web page rendering, bug fixes; Complete Release Notes
Upgrade Meter: 4
Oracle PowerBrowser --
Despite cool features like client side processes (similar to Java applets), frames, caching,
advanced tables (though not quite as solid as Netscape or Internet Explorer), web server capabilities, support for Java (in the 32-bit release), integrated searching (via Alta Vista, Lycos, or WebCrawler), client side image mapping and similar, Oracle's beta release of its new web browser ultimately fails to impress considering the wares currently available from the competition.
The single largest factor for this is an amazing lack of speed -- PowerBrowser is
one of the slower browsers on the market, a real surprise considering its abundance
of features. Despite a solid selection of features, PowerBrowser still lacks many critical features found in other browsers, including tags like font size and super/subscript; ftp, news, and receive mail support; Netscape 2.0 and Internet Explorer 2.0 tags; pre-configured helper applications; and quite a bit more. If PowerBrowser receives a much needed speed infusion, and beefs up its supply of features, PowerBrowser may someday become a serious competitor to the better web browsers on the market; for now, however, I find it hard to recommend PowerBrowser as a serious alternative for power users.
Pros: Client side processes, tables and frames support, other cool features
Cons: Slow and lacking in many critical features, especially relative to other web browsers
New: Web server, Internet search, and Java capabilities; client side image mapping; more
SlipKnot --
SlipKnot is a panacea for frustrated dial-up UNIX account
users without access to TIA. It can run off a standard UNIX account without the
use of SLIP, PPP, or even Winsock. This is not the best browser for users of SLIP
or those with direct connections, but it does satisfy the needs of many users without access to
either of these protocols. Up to ten separate documents can be loaded at a time.
Features missing relative to other browsers include transparent gifs,
newsreading, Netscape 2.0 extensions, Internet Explorer extensions, client side image mapping support, and tables. New features for SlipKnot include support
for Freenets and BBS's, a 'Get All Links' command (which will automatically fetch
links from any page you choose like Mosaic's Autosurf command), low memory safeguard
protection, save as text command, 'text first' display, inline jpeg support, autmatic
Zmodem detection, and support for automatic page redirects, centering, and mailto tags.
Pros: Web browser that doesn't require SLIP, PPP, or Winsock
Cons: Lacks support for tables and other critical features
New: 'Get All Links' command; support for automatic page redirects, centering, and mailto tags
AMSD Ariadna -- Ariadna is a new 32-bit web browser from out of Russia that offers features strikingly similar to UdiWWW. Like UdiWWW, it includes full tables, mailto, and HTML 3 support while lacking the same for FTP and Usenet news. The latest version also includes a basic-level integrated Internet telephone
client, Easy Talk, which can handle both conversations in both half and full-duplex mode.
One important feature lacking in Ariadna relative to UdiWWW is an extensive selection of configuration settings. However, Ariadna does include support for caching, multiple browsers (with a new browser command), a URL wizard utility, an advanced bookmark management system, client side image mapping, quick tables, PNG graphics and background sounds support, global font sizing, support for Java applications, download statistics, and support for proxies. Again, like UdiWWW, Ariadna is currently missing a few too many features to make it a viable download when superior browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer are as easily attainable. Features missing relative to the competition include frames and targeted windows, progressive JPEG support, extensive online help documentation, security, and more. Overall, while Ariadna is not quite in the same league as Netscape or Internet Explorer, it does offer many solid features and does so with impressive speed. Look for future releases of Ariadna to help make it a serious contender to the heavy hitters like Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Pros: Full tables and mailto support, multiple browsers support, easy to use, freeware
Cons: Still lacks many features, slower than Netscape and Internet Explorer
New in v1.3: English-Russian dictionary, automatic language conversion capabilities, 'Turbo' mode, much more
Upgrade Meter: 5
UdiWWW --
UdiWWW is an easy to use freeware web browser available in both 16 and 32-bit versions. Although it does lack the speed and advanced features of browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer, it is still a surprisingly strong browser and is not too terribly far behind the leaders. Features currently implemented in the browser include full tables, mailto, and HTML 3 support; global font sizing capability; extensive configuration settings; PNG and progressive JPEG image support; frames and other Netscape extensions; caching; an advanced bookmark management utility; support for proxies and much more. Unfortunately, UdiWWW is currently missing too many features to make it a viable download when so many superior browsers are as easily attainable. Features missing relative to the competition include news and ftp support, targeted windows, a 'new window' command for launching multiple sessions, client side image mapping, security, and more. In addition, UdiWWW is one of the slower web browsers on the 'net. Overall, 'web browsers' is simply too competitive a category for UdiWWW to be a serious contender for now.
Pros: Full tables and mailto support, global font sizing, easy to use, freeware
Cons: Still lacks many features, slooowwwww
New: Full HTML 3 compliance, HTML math tags, sub/superscript tags, frames support, more
TradeWave winWeb and MacWeb --
TradeWave's winWeb and MacWeb clients (formerly of EINet) have seen some serious improvements since undergoing a change in management. New additions include an integrated newsreader, mailto support, transparent gifs, advanced tables support (although not as solid as Internet Explorer or Netscape), centering, and additional Netscapisms. Unfortunately, it still lacks the features and speed necessary to compete with the likes of Mosaic and Netscape.
Features missing include multiple document loading, frames, and client side image mapping;
in addition, the newsreader, support for tables, and general processing of HTML pages are
not nearly as solid as those of the better browsers. WinWeb was created initially by EINet, whose Galaxy WWW search site is immensely popular. There is even an internal searching feature for locating information on Galaxy included with the newest release of WinWeb. If winWeb's new owner puts some more work into improving on the current features, adding a few more critical features, and improving the
overall speed, this could become a very strong contender; however, for
now it still takes a backseat to the current titans -- Netscape and Internet Explorer.
Pros: Integrated newsreader, internal searching feature through EINet's Galaxy
Cons: Still lacks many features, slooowwwww, icons need to be bigger
New: Integrated newsreader, support for mailto, tables, centering, and transparent gifs
NetShark Lite -- NetShark Lite offers many cool
features and does so at a very convenient price (the lite version is free and the commercial
version is only $39.95). The app combines a sufficient web browser and a powerful mail client;
unfortunately, both clients must be run separately of each other. The web browser offers interesting features like centering, interlaced graphics, page caching, multiple windows, and multiple hotlists, but it ultimately fails short, especially when compared to competitors like Netscape and Mosaic. First, NetShark offers limited configuration options. Even basic functions like changing the background color of the browser or modifying the cache size are missing. Second, NetShark lacks many features found in the better browsers including tables support (the 'Shark avoids these deep waters at all costs), Usenet newsreading, security, mailto
support, and many of the increasingly prevalent 'Netscapisms'. With the availability of
superior and free (or nearly free) browsers like Netscape and Mosaic, it's becoming much more
difficult to recommend alternative web browsers; NetShark is no exception.
NetShark's mail client fares better than its web browser, but not by much. The mail client
offers cool features like advanced filtering (though not nearly as extensive as the filtering
options of Pegasus Mail), multiple mailboxes, mail attachments,
address books, and formatted characters (bold, italics, and underline). While the mail client does offer a few
more features than typical integrated mail clients in packages like GNN Works and Quarterdeck's
Internet Toolbox, it still trails far behind the power and multitude of standalone mail clients
like Pegasus Mail, E-Mail Connection, and Eudora. Features lacking in the client include
a spell checker, advanced mailing/distribution list options, message queuing, and advanced
configuration options. Finally, the mail client and the web browser are both quite buggy
at this stage in development. Even though NetShark Lite is available for free, I hesitate
to recommend this app for anyone seeking the best available web browser or mail client.
Pros: Integrated mail client and web browser with many desirable features
Cons: Superior alternatives in both categories make NetShark a hard sell
New: New external configuration manager (similar to Eudora), multiple signatures supported
I-View --
I-View is a small offline HTML browser designed primarily for royalty-free distribution of HTML files. The premise is simple -- in order for your clients without web access to view HTML documents, they are going to need a browser. I-View efficiently satisfies this need by allowing you to pay a one-time price for I-View, rather than having to pay every time you send out a copy of the browser. As an offline browser, I-View can only view local documents (Talent Communications has also released a rather impressive online web browser, I-Comm, for viewing documents on the web), but it does offer an extensive selection of features for the purpose. Included are support for tables, background images and sounds, interlaced and/or animated GIFs, image maps (server side only), frames, style sheets, center and other advanced HTML 3.2 tags, printing capabilities, and a built-in WAV player. Missing features include client side image mapping, support for font size tags, Java, and additional Netscape tags (sub/superscript and div tags, for example). For its purpose, I-View will impress many users, especially those with continual distribution needs, but there is a relatively stiff price to be paid for I-View. While the cost for a single-user copy of I-View is just $29.95, royalty-free licenses will set you back quite a bit more -- the standard license is $395.
Note: Talent has also recently released a professional version of I-View designed to give advanced web authors the ability to customize the I-View browser. In addition to the regular version, I-View Pro offers support for Win-CGI (enables the use of the standard Win-CGI 1.1 interface to extend the capability of I-View browser - i.e. add forms, etc.) as well as a built-in HTML file search engine. While a single copy of I-View Pro costs the same as the regular version ($29.95), purchasing a royalty-free license costs quite a bit more ($1,295 as opposed to $395 for the regular release). Users who have already purchased the standard edition can upgrade to I-View Pro for $999.
Pros: An offline HTML browser with many advanced web features
Cons: Lacks some of Netscape's best features, expensive for many users
New: 32-bit version; support for CSIM, font size tags, frames, background sound, style sheets, and more
New in v2.38: No information yet - check back or send us an e-mail if you have what's new info
Upgrade Meter: ?
SpryNET Internet Explorer --
SpryNET Internet Explorer, the next generation of Spry's Mosaic client, is really no more than Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 with a different name and logo. Like earlier releases of Spry Mosaic, the web browser featured in the commercial Mosaic In A Box package, SpryNET Internet Explorer would have been considered one of the best browsers on the market a few months ago. But with the Internet evolving as quickly as it has, the features that would have once been recognized as leading-edge are quickly becoming standard fare for the lower tiers of web browsers, while the two browsers in the top tier, Netscape 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0, quickly extend the already gaping chasm between the higher and lower echelons of web browsers. SpryNET Internet Explorer offers basic tables, mail (send only), news, and FTP capabilities (none of which are anywhere near being in the same league as the newest releases of Netscape and Internet Explorer). Additional features include SpyGlass DDE technology, Netscape 1.x tags, transparent gifs, forms support, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security technology, and integration with the SpryNET internet service. A modest supply of SpryNET introductory bookmarks will get you up and running on the 'net with the SpryNET service.
SpryNET Internet Explorer is a 16-bit client that will work on both Windows 3.x and Windows 95 platforms. The bottom line is that it currently lacks to many features to be more competitive with the tier one web browsers, even with early Microsoft Internet Explorer code.
Overall, while many users will crave the features found in more powerful browsers (read Netscape and Internet Explorer), you may find that SpryNET Internet Explorer's interface and seamless integration with the SpryNET service make it worthy of a home on your already over-crowded hard disk. Then again, maybe not...
Pros: Security and tables support, fair selection of bookmarks, Microsoft Internet Explorer code
Cons: Lacks many features of Internet Explorer 3.0 and Netscape 3.0, relatively slow
New: New name and logo, Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.1 code, SSL Security, SpyGlass DDE technology, more
Video On Line Browser --
This multilingual browser from Italy offers a first for web users -- over eighteen languages
are supported including Czeck, English, French, German, Hungarian, Portugese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and a whole lot more. International netizens will likely rejoice at the
multitude of languages supported, but apart from this unique feature, the Video On Line
Browser leaves a lot to be desired. Missing features include FTP, news, mail, and
tables support; caching and option preferences, transparent gifs, centering, and
additional advanced HTML tags (font size, client side image mapping, frames, etc.).
Overall, many users will initally be impressed with the VOL Browser, but
the honeymoon will likely be extremely brief. Compared to other web browsers, Video On Line
just doesn't match up in terms of features, speed, and overall ease of use.
Pros: A multilingual browser with more than eighteen different languages supported
Cons: Lacks support for tables and many other critical features, relatively slow
New: No obvious new features in v1.3
Cello --
Winner of the 'Windows 95' (Missing In Action) Award. This app
is constantly on the verge of a new public release. The wait has
been long, over a year now, with no end in sight. The release available now
(1.1a) does have very few bugs and requires a minimum of system resources,
but lacks form support and many, many other features.
Pros: None in relation to newer browsers
Cons: Lacks many features, slooowwwww, desperately needs a new update
New: This is the initial review for Cello
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