Netscape Launches Next-generation Netscape 6 Browser, Available Today for Download On Netscape Netcenter - Product Announcement

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report,  April 10, 2000  

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Netscape Communications, a subsidiary of America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL), Wednesday announced the worldwide availability of Netscape 6 Preview Release 1 via free download from Netscape Netcenter. The new Netscape 6 software builds upon the success and popularity of Netscape Navigator and the Company's commitment to improve and innovate its products to bring increasing value and utility to Internet users worldwide.

As a pioneer in the development of Internet technologies, Netscape is once again delivering an important new product that provides new innovations for users and a cross-platform/cross-device, open source, customizable browser that can be used by any company in the industry free of charge. Netscape 6, powered by Gecko technology, delivers cutting-edge Web standards support, including leading XML functionality, so that users can access current and new Web content and applications on multiple hardware platforms, including new home appliances with the same richness and fidelity available on PCs. This will make it easier for users to access the Web and ensure a consistent browsing experience across traditional desktops and new appliances. Netscape 6 offers users unmatched convenience features and the ability to stay connected to important information, plus the flexibility to deeply customize the browser to fit their individual needs and personality.

Jim Martin, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Netscape, said: "Netscape is fulfilling its promise to deliver a new browser that is small in size, leads the industry in standards compliance and can run across a wide variety of platforms, from traditional desktop PCs to new computing devices. Netscape 6 raises the bar for convenience, customization, and persistent connections to key information. This next-generation browser represents a major advance in browsing designed to meet the needs of a variety of Internet audiences such as consumers, corporate users and Web developers."

Netscape 6 is a premier gateway for delivering information and communications services across rapidly converging interactive platforms. It is based on contributions from mozilla.org, the organization chartered with managing Netscape's open source initiative among Internet developers and Netscape. Building on the open source code, the new Netscape Navigator in Netscape 6 was created with Netscape's new Gecko browsing engine software and Gecko Technologies, to Internet-enable a wide variety of applications and products.

Netscape 6 includes significant enhancements to Netscape's popular Internet suite of applications: Netscape Navigator, Netscape Mail, Netscape Instant Messenger powered by AOL Instant Messenger, and Netscape Composer, as well as an array of new features and innovations. The streamlined new look makes it easier and more convenient for consumers to use and quickly get to the features and services they call on most often.

A Small, Fast, Standards-Compliant Browser that Runs on Multiple Platforms and Devices

Netscape 6 reverses the trend of continuously increasing the size of software with new releases. The new Netscape Navigator browser is a light 5.5MB download, about half the size of Navigator 4.08. Also, because Netscape 6 is based on Netscape Gecko, which speeds up the browsing experience for users, tables display much faster, pages resize instantly, and text information appears more quickly so users can start reading content on the page sooner.

Netscape 6 also features industry-leading standards support and is the first commercial browser to fully implement open Web standards including XML, HTML 4.0, CSS1, W3C DOM Level 0 and 1, JavaScript 1.5, and RDF, enabling developers to write once to W3C standards to build rich, dynamic Web pages and XML Web-based applications that look and run as intended across a variety of platforms and devices. In turn, this gives the consumer an even richer Internet experience by being able to view and enjoy exciting interactive content and the broadest selection of multimedia features and services. Netscape 6 is cross-platform and runs on Windows, Macintosh and LINUX computers.

Through mozilla.org, Netscape 6 is being ported to many other operating systems including Solaris, HP/UX, AIX, and BeOS. Netscape 6 is also ideal for a new class of devices such as TV set-top boxes and appliances, especially those that run on LINUX.

My Sidebar - Keeps Users Connected to What's Important Located on the left side of the Netscape 6 interface, "My Sidebar" is a "mini" companion browser that gives users a convenient place to keep track of the things that are important to them. My Sidebar allows users to keep the online functions and information they rely on most in one place, right at their fingertips at all times.

Consumers can set up My Sidebar - which remains on the screen as long as the user is online - to read the latest news, set up a custom stock portfolio, check their Buddy Lists to use AOL Instant Messenger, and will soon be able to track auctions or listen to music. As users browse the Web, My Sidebar refreshes itself automatically to reflect updated news and information throughout the day, keeping them connected to customized information on specially created tabs.