America Online's (AOL) Netscape team has finally made Netscape Browser 8.0 beta available to the public. The free browser is based on Firefox 1.0 technology and has more security options and features including tabbed browsing and form saving. The beta release was originally scheduled for mid-February, but was delayed to fix some last-minute bugs. A preview version of the browser has been available to a select group of testers since late November. It can be dowloaded here (11,700KB).

Pros: Helps protect against phishing scams and other Web threats
Cons: Only works on Windows computers


With the release of Netscape 8.0 beta, AOL is taking aim at Microsoft's market-leading Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser, which has been the subject of many security vulnerabilities. Also, AOL is looking to piggyback on the popularity of Firefox, the excellent open source Web browser that was released in November and has since been downloaded about 27 million times.

The browser is based on Firefox and uses the rendering engine by default. It also supports IE's browser engine, but uses the engine in Windows opposed to IE's. As a result, Netscape 8 only works on Windows computers.

Important key features of Netscape 8 beta include tabbed browsing (allowing you to have multiple Web pages open in one window), improved site control (gives you more ways to make your browser secure), Multi-Bars (let you customise up to ten different browser toolbars you can access with a single click), Form Fill/Passcard (makes remembering your site passwords and filling out information forms on-site simple), and Live Content (one-click access to information important to you).

All your favourite Web sites can also be automatically opened every time you launch the browser or hit the Home button. The feature comes handy especially when doing research for topics like planning a vacation. However, security is top of the agenda, and the new browser has a feature that warns you when you visit sites blacklisted for being involved in phishing scams and spyware. Netscape 8 also claims to have more security choices than any browser, with the Site Controls allowing you to choose how much you trust a site.

Microsoft two weeks ago said it would release a beta of a new IE browser during the middle of this year, IE 7.0, which will also address security issues such as phishing.

BIOS, Mar 07, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Internet