Netscape Navigator was a very popular web browser in the early to mid-1990s. Part of its popularity was based on its unique features, Netscape’s developers created and eventually standardised: javascript, cookies, frames and more giving Netscape Navigator a strong technical advantage over its rivals. Another key invention was “on the fly” rendering of webpages in 1994, before this, all web browsers had to load the whole page before displaying any of it, this feature allowed the webpage to display text while the images were still downloading, a major advantage when almost all users were on slow dial-up connections.
Technipages Explains Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator was an early web browser first released in 1994, it quicky gained popularity due to its technical innovations and had an almost 80% browser market share by 1996. Netscape’s main competitor was Microsoft who released Internet Explorer version 1.0 in 1995, however, Netscape’s continuing innovation eventually left them with a bloated product that was slow, buggy and prone to crashing compared to its rivals. Microsoft was able to take advantage of their superior usability and by making deals with Apple were able to include Internet Explorer in both windows and macOS products and by the late 1990’s it was clear Netscape Navigator had lost the browser war to Internet Explorer. Development of Netscape Navigator was officially ended in late 2007.
The code name for Netscape Navigator during development was “Mozilla” this name was also used in the browser’s “user-agent” which is sent to webservers when HTTP requests are made. During Netscape Navigators decline, most of the codebase was released under an open-source licence, a community developed open source project took on the name Mozilla and a new engine that had been under development by Netscape and created new products including the now popular Firefox.
Common Uses of Netscape Navigator
- Netscape Navigator was a good browser.
- A popular early web browser; for example Netscape Navigator
- Towards the end of its lifespan, Netscape Navigator was released in parts as OS software.
Common Misuses of Netscape Navigator
- I need a Netscape Navigator to help me find my way around the internet.
- Netscape Navigator is another term for SEO (Search engine Optimisation)
