Netscape 6.1 PR 1 Browser-Suite Released

Mike Angelo -- 13 June 2001 (c)

Webmaster´s Note: Netscape 6.1 was released August 8 , 2001. Please see our story, Netscape 6.1 Browser-Suite Released, Again, for download links and the details.

AOL-Time-Warner's Netscape division placed its Netscape 6.1 Preview Release 1 (NS 6.1, PR1) browser-suite upgrade for the Linux, Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows platforms on its FTP servers overnight. Netscape 6.1 could be the make-or-brake, do-or-die, and last gasp Netscape browser offering. (Download links and release notes information further down.)

Note: please be careful not to confuse Netscape 6.1 with the previously released Netscape 6.01. Netscape 6.01 did not add anything particularly new to Netscape 6. It primarily was a patch to clean up problems with Netscape 6.0. There is lots of new stuff for Netscape 6.1.

Starting with the first Netscape 6 preview release (Netscape 6 PR1), in April 2000 and then through the NS 6 PR 2, NS 6 PR3, Netscape 6.0 and Netscape 6.01 editions, Netscape 6.x has come under heavy criticism from the computer trade press, consumers, loyal Netscape fans, and developers.

The four dominant Linux distribution packagers, Caldera, Mandrake, Red Hat, and SuSE rejected Netscape 6.x for their most recent Linux distributions. That pretty much kicks Netscape off the Linux desktop.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer kicked Netscape off the Windows desktop some time ago. Please see our two part series, Is Netscape Losing the Browser Wars? Part I: Linux Could Be Netscape's Last Browser Battlefield and Part II: Why Are Major Linux Distributions Rejecting Netscape 6?

The pressure is on AOL-Time-Warner's Netscape division to win back all the consumers, discouraged loyal Netscape fans, and developers that it has lost since the release of Netscape 6 PR1. It also needs to convince the Linux distribution packagers that Netscape 6.1 is worthy of the Linux desktop.

Will Netscape 6.1 be able to meet that Herculean challenge? You be the judge. Download a copy of Netscape 6.1 PR1 and see for yourself. (Download links further down.)

The initial Netscape 6.0 browser suite was made available for public downloading on 9 November 2000, some seven months ago. Then on 8 February 2001, the Netscape Division placed its Netscape 6.01 browser-suite upgrade on its FTP servers. And now, Netscape 6.1, Preview Release 1 is available for your scrutiny, and hopefully your Web browsing pleasure.

According to the NS 6.1, PR1 edition of the Netscape 6.1 PR1 Release Notes here is what's new in NS 6.1, PR1:

Improved performance and stability.
New ways to initiate a search, such as within the auto complete URL bar.
Improved Bookmark Management, "File Book Mark", and drag and drop bookmarking for easier bookmarking.
New tabs for My Sidebar, including the new History tab for finding web pages previously visited.
Improved My Sidebar lets you hide tabs using a mouse right-click (or delayed click).
Improved History Management window now in chronological order
New Modern theme, improved, streamlined interface and fewer main buttons.
New download interface includes ability to see the path where files are downloaded.
Improved Autotranslation now includes translations between French and German, as well as between French and Russian.
New "emoticons" in Mail allow faces like smiling and frowning.
Improved Instant Messenger is available throughout all the components of Netscape 6.1, and includes the ability to see if the sender of a message is online and available through Instant Messenger, and supports multiple screen names.
New support for bi-directional text and Hebrew.
New support for LDAP in Mail.
New Mail interface includes a startup view to simplify email access and management.
New ability to read IMAP email accounts and Netscape Webmail when not connected to the Internet.
New Personal Security Manager (PSM) 2.0 has been fully integrated with Netscape 6.1. For more information about PSM, see the Personal Security Manager Project Page.
Improved Form Manager lets you automatically fill out entire forms.
Improved Password Manager includes a Password Quality Meter for selecting a secure Master Password.

The Netscape 6 browser suite is based upon the cross-platform (XP), open source, Mozilla browser-suite. The current Milestone Mozilla browser-suite release is Mozilla 0.9.1. It was released 7 June 2001.

To create your own Netscape 6 themes or to build you own customized Mozilla-based browser suite, please see:

MozillaQuest the Series: Building Your Own Mozilla-Based Web Browser

Simply put, the Netscape Division grabs the Mozilla source code, adds its own and third party products such as Net2Phone and AIM, and then puts its own Netscape branding on the added-too and customized Mozilla-base. The Netscape Division also adds its portal and bookmark items to the Mozilla-base while customizing the underlying Mozilla browser suite. Stir all that together and voila, that's the Netscape 6.x browser suite.

All told, the Mozilla browser suite upon which Netscape 6.1 is based is a nice browser. And it has come a long way since early February, which is when Netscape 6.01 was released. However, on 9 June 2001, which is when it appears that Netscape 6.1 was branched from the Mozilla development tree, there were some 2800 bugs in Mozilla. That's too many bugs for a commercial product.

For more information about the Mozilla browser-suite and downloading it, please see our recent article Mozilla Milestone 0.9.1 Browser-Suite Released. For updated Mozilla bug counts, please see the right sidebar on the MozillaQuest Magazine front page (mozillaquest.com).

Download Netscape 6.1 Preview Release 1 (a beta)

To download and install the Netscape 6.1 Preview Release 1 browser suite, please see: How To Download, Install, & Configure Netscape 6.0 -- Safely!. However, when you get to page 5 there, here are the updates for version Netscape 6.1, PR1 downloading: (Or just click on the Linux, Windows, or Macintosh links to get started right away.)

Linux

ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape6/english/6.1_PR1/unix/linux22/sea/

netscape-i686-pc-linux-gnu-sea-tar.gz 29957 Kb 6/08/01 8:58 PM Unix Tape Archive

netscape-i686-pc-linux-gnu-sea_tar.tar

Windows

ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape6/english/6.1_PR1/windows/win32/sea/

N6SetupB.exe 25493 Kb 6/08/01 8:45 PM Binary Executable

Macintosh

ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape6/english/6.1_PR1/mac/macos8.5/sea/

MacNS6FullInstaller.sea.bin 18145 Kb 6/08/01 8:56 PM Binary Executable