Netscape Navigator 9.0
Developer(s)Netscape Communications
AOL
Initial releaseOctober 15, 2007
Final release
9.0.0.6 Edit this on Wikidata / 20 February 2008
Preview release
9.0rc1 Edit this on Wikidata / 1 October 2007
Written inC++
Operating systemLinux, macOS, Windows
TypeWeb browser
LicenseProprietary

Netscape Navigator 9 is a discontinued web browser that was produced by the Netscape Communications division of parent AOL, first announced on January 23, 2007. It was the ninth major release of the Netscape line of browsers. After AOL outsourced the development of Netscape Browser 8 to Mercurial Communications in 2004, Netscape Navigator 9 marked the first Netscape browser to be produced in-house since the Netscape 7 suite.[1] It also saw the return of the classic Navigator name, which was previously used during Netscape's heyday between versions 1.0 and 4.08 in the 1990s.[2] Netscape Navigator 9 is based on Mozilla Firefox 2.0.

The program's first beta was released on June 5, 2007,[3] with the Beta 2 on July 12,[4] and Beta 3 on August 16.[5] After a release candidate, the final release was issued on October 15, 2007.

On December 28, 2007, Netscape developers announced that AOL would discontinue their web browser on February 1, 2008.[6] On January 28, 2008, Netscape revised this date to March 1, 2008, and offered support for migration to Flock and Mozilla Firefox.[7] It was the last web browser of the Netscape series.

Features

New features

The Beta releases of Netscape Navigator 9 included enhanced newsfeed support and were more integrated with the Netscape.com Internet portal,[8] including enhanced methods of discussion, submission and voting of Web pages.[9] However, starting with Netscape Navigator 9 beta 3, the Netscape.com integration was optional, and certain aspects of integration could be manually enabled or disabled,[10] with integration being totally removed in Navigator 9.0rc1 as the portal relaunched as Propeller.[11]

The user interface of the program was also updated, and the theme was also later released for use on Mozilla Firefox.[12]

Like Netscape version 8.x, Navigator 9 was based upon the Mozilla Firefox, this time version 2.0, and should have had full support of all Firefox add-ons and plugins, some of which Netscape was providing.[13] Netscape also released some of its features as extensions for Firefox, including the Site Mail Notifier and Friends' Activity Sidebar Archived 2007-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, the Digg Tracker Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine, as well as Netstripe Archived 2007-05-04 at the Wayback Machine, the new default theme for Netscape 9.

The browser also included URL self-correction, which corrected common URL misspellings,[14][15] an improved FTP listing interface[16] and a dedicated News menu with integration to the Netscape.com news portal.[17] A quick "link pad" was also included so Web pages could quickly be added to the pad for later viewing without adding to the bookmark lists.[18] Navigator 9 also sees the browser return to multi-platform support across Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.[19] Netscape's signature splash screen also reappeared in the release candidate of the final program.

Removed features

Unlike Netscape 8, the browser did not use Internet Explorer's Trident layout engine as an alternative engine option. Netscape Navigator did not include any newsgroup, instant messaging or Email clients as Netscape 6 and 7 did. Netscape did, however, plan to produce a companion email client to complement the Navigator, confirmed as Netscape Messenger 9.[20][21] While that software was in development, Netscape advised its users to use the Netscape 7 series of suites, which includes an email client, alongside Navigator 9 for browsing purposes.[18]

Decorative features

Screenshot of The Book of Mozilla, 8:20 in Netscape 9

A new verse 8:20 of the Easter egg The Book of Mozilla was written for the release of Netscape 9, consisting of "And thus the Creator looked upon the beast reborn and saw that it was good". This could have reference either to the re-development of Netscape in-house once again, or the Mozilla Foundation and its contributors.[22]

Based on user feedback, Netscape decided to return the splash screen to Navigator 9. On September 10, 2007, Netscape decided to give their design team a break and let users submit their own idea for how the splash screen should look. The winning image would be used as the splash screen in the final 9.0 release of Navigator, and the designer would be listed in the browser credits.[23]

Many designs were submitted.[24] In the end, Mario Herbert was chosen the winner and his design used as the final Navigator 9 splash screen.[25]

Response

CNET Download.com claimed Navigator 9 had some "neat" components, contained many "tricks we love" and was "more than a backup browser"; which it previously used to describe Browser 8. Most of the bundled features from version 8 have been removed.[26]

System requirements

System requirements
MinimumRecommended
Windows[27]
Operating system Windows 98Windows XP
CPU 233 MHz500 MHz
Memory 64 MB256 MB
Free space 50 MB100 MB
Mac OS[27]
Operating system Mac OS X 10.2
CPU PowerPC G3PowerPC G4 or Intel equivalent
Memory 128 MB512 MB
Free space 75 MB150 MB
Linux[27]
Operating system Linux kernel 2.2.14 (with glibc 2.3.2, XFree86 3.3.6, GTK+ 2.0, fontconfig/xft and libstdc++ 5)
CPU 233 MHz500 MHz
Memory 64 MB256 MB
Free space 50 MB100 MB

Release history

Release history
VersionRelease dateBased on Mozilla Firefox version
9.0b1June 5, 2007 2.0.0.4
9.0b2July 12, 2007 2.0.0.4
9.0b3August 16, 2007 2.0.0.6
9.0rc1October 1, 2007 2.0.0.7
9.0October 15, 2007 2.0.0.7
9.0.0.1October 22, 2007 2.0.0.8
9.0.0.2November 1, 2007 2.0.0.8
9.0.0.3November 2, 2007 2.0.0.9
9.0.0.4November 27, 2007 2.0.0.10
9.0.0.5December 10, 2007 2.0.0.11
9.0.0.6February 20, 2008 2.0.0.12

See also

References

  1. ↑ Netscape announces cross-platform Netscape 9 to be developed in-house - Mozillazine Retrieved on February 5, 2007
  2. ↑ Netscape 9 - 1 May 2007 announcement Archived 10 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 05-02-2007
  3. ↑ Netscape 9.0b1 released Archived 2009-01-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 06-05-2007
  4. ↑ Netscape Navigator 9.0b2 releases Archived 2009-01-12 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 07-13-2007
  5. ↑ Netscape Community - messages #9441.1 Retrieved on 08-16-2007
  6. ↑ "The Netscape Blog". Netscape, AOL. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05..
  7. ↑ "The Netscape Blog". Netscape, AOL. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14.
  8. ↑ Netscape 9 - 23 January 2007 announcement Archived 27 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 24, 2007
  9. ↑ Netscape 9 - 20 February 2007 Announcement Archived 9 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 20, 2007
  10. ↑ Netscape Navigator 9.0b3 released Retrieved on 08-17-2007
  11. ↑ Netscape Community - Navigator 9.0rc3 Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 10-02-2007.
  12. ↑ Netscape 9 - 10 February 2007 announcementArchived 16 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 02-11-2007
  13. ↑ Netscape 9 - 6 February 2007 announcement Archived 15 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on February 6, 2007
  14. ↑ Netscape 9 - 13 February 2007 announcement Archived 12 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 6, 2007
  15. ↑ "What's New in Netscape Navigator? :: Netscape Navigator Web Browser". Netscape Communications, AOL. Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  16. ↑ Netscape 9 - 30 January 2007 announcement Archived 28 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 6, 2007
  17. ↑ Netscape 9 - 6 March 2007 announcement Archived 12 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 6, 2007
  18. 1 2 Netscape Navigator features Archived 2008-04-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 6, 2007
  19. ↑ Netscape 9 - 30 Jan 20m07 announcement Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on January 30, 2007
  20. ↑ Netscape Navigator FAQ Archived 2008-04-19 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 6, 2007
  21. ↑ Netscape Mercury/Messenger 9 requests at Netscape Community Support Archived 2009-01-12 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 12, 2007
  22. ↑ about:mozilla typed in the address bar of Netscape 9 Beta
  23. ↑ Navigator Splash Screen Design Contest Archived 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on October 26, 2012
  24. ↑ Navigator 9 Splash Screen Design Contest: The Entries Archived 2010-12-30 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on October 26, 2012
  25. ↑ And the winner is... Retrieved on October 26, 2012
  26. ↑ Download.com review of Netscape Navigator 9 Retrieved on June 9, 2007
  27. 1 2 3 "System Requirements :: Netscape Navigator Web Browser". AOL. Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
Preceded by
Netscape Browser (8)		 Netscape Navigator 9
(final)		 Succeeded by
development ceased
replaced by Mozilla Firefox
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