NEW! Check out the Microsoft News Station for constantly updated Microsoft news, articles, and discussions all over the Internet.
YESTERDAY, NETSCAPE RELEASED the first public beta release of Communicator 4.5, its web browser suite. The product of chock-full of innovations and features, but a question remains: are those features enough to make the six to 12-MB download worth it? And will it win the hearts of those that have converted to IE4?
To find out, I downloaded the Communicator 4.5 PR1 Upgrade (you must have Communicator 4.05) from DOWNLOAD.COM. A complete install is also available for download. (Please note that these downloads are only for developers and experienced users only. Others should wait until the more stable final version is released sometime this fall.)
Then, I opened Navigator and Internet Explorer, and compared them.
Setup
Netscape sets up better than ever, using the ubiquitous Windows setup screens. Cleaner code and an axing of Netcaster mean less download time, and with support for byte-level patching, users don't have to download a whole new browser to update a small security hole (heck, one was discovered today).
Enrolling in Netcenter is easier. When you're through setup, consumer users are presented with a "one-step process to automatically register as a Netcenter member."
But Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 users that have purchased and installed Windows 98 don't even have to install anything: IE4 is integrated right into the OS. For Windows 95 users, however, IE4 setup is known to be downright frightening, because IE4 updates so much of Windows 95's interface.
Interface
Same old, same old: that describes Communicator 4.5 PR1's interface. You probably won't notice much difference, except for a "What's Related" button in the Address Bar. Bookmarks are still hard to manage. About the only thing to speak about is the new three-pane interface in Messenger, something that was long overdue to start with.
In contrast, IE4's interface is the one to beat. You can create folders for your favorites on the fly, and that same favorites dialog box allows for easy subscriptions to web sites. The Explorer Bar feature lets you perform a web search or view other data without losing your place in the web search. (Netscape users won't see a similar feature until Communicator 5.) And finally, Windows 95 users that upgrade to IE4 benefit from increased integration between the OS and browser component.
Browsing Experience
For this release, Netscape has tried to concentrate on integrating Communicator and Netscape's web portal site, NetCenter, and on that respect, they have succeeded.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Benjamin Nham's Computer News topic, please visit the Discussions page.