What Is Netscape Navigator?
Before Internet Explorer took over, Netscape Navigator was the favorite gateway to the Internet. The Navigator Web browser itself is only available through legacy sites, but its source code became the basis for Mozilla and later for Firefox.
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History
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In 1994 Netscape came from the source code of the popular Mosaic browser and quickly took over Mosaic's spot as the industry leader. In the 1990s, more than 90 percent of Internet users adopted Netscape as their go-to browser.
IE and Legal Action
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In 1995, Internet Explorer (IE) 2.0 came out and was soon bundled with all Windows installations. This gave Internet Explorer the undisputed lead in the browser war and triggered a 1998 antitrust suit against Microsoft. A U.S. District Court judge ruled that Microsoft had built a monopoly, and as part of its 2001 settlement, Microsoft agreed to share IE technology--a move that helped kill Netscape.
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Mozilla and Firefox
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In January 1998, the nonprofit Mozilla developed its original browser from the Netscape Navigator/Communicator source code. The popular Firefox browser later sprang from Mozilla code, along with Seamonkey.
America Online
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In late 1998, America Online bought Netscape and used that source code as the base for its own proprietary browser.
Use Today
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While Netscape Navigator came bundled with Windows 98 and some Windows XP operating systems, it remained buried in the menus while most users chose the accessible Internet Explorer to go on line. In 2008 America Online ceased further development on the browser, instead using Firefox.
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References
- Photo Credit internet image by Attila Toro from Fotolia.com
