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ComputerWorld: Impressive Netscape 6 beta promises widespread appeal [Review]

“Few companies question the wisdom of installing Web browsers on
client machines any more. The primary questions now are which one
should you deploy and whether or not you should upgrade to the next
version. When Netscape 6 is released later this year, its bevy
of impressive user- and developer-friendly new features and
revamped interface may prompt you to choose Netscape’s browser over
Microsoft’s or to upgrade to the latest version.”

“Netscape 6, which was redesigned based on the Netscape Gecko
technology, will have a new look and feel. The wildly different
interface offers several more buttons for accessing bookmarks,
channels, Net2Phone, chat, and other features, as well as an
emphasis on keeping users constantly connected both to the Internet
and to a corporate intranet. The Netscape Gecko browser engine
offers features that make Netscape 6 easy enough for casual users
while offering an open-standard approach that will appeal to
developers. If you decide to move to Netscape 6, your users will
find many new and welcome enhancements, including personalized
tabs, integrated instant messaging, and a smaller installation.
Developers will appreciate its expanded support for Web standards
and globalization features.”

“The two enhancements which impress me most are the support for
Web standards — better than ever before — and the My Sidebar
personalized tabs. The open-standard approach enables developers to
create content once, instead of building different versions for
different platforms; this will save precious and costly development
time. On the other side of the browser window, the personalizable
My Sidebar tab will give users updated information — ranging from
an integrated buddy list for conducting instant messaging, to stock
quotes, calendars, and search results — without requiring users to
continuously check a site.”


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