Although dropping in market share, the newest release of the Netscape browser is solid and comes amidst rumors from AOL. The Internet Explorer browser has an overwhelming share of the market, but is of course not available to Linux users. Recently, AOL disclosed that is planning to bundle its internet service software with a version of Netscape. This would bring a reversal of fortune perhaps for Netscape, who would then be distributed by the largest internet service provider in the country.
Netscape 6 is a solid browser and is available on all the major platforms, making it an easy choice for businesses to standardize on. It has a lot of great features, and far fewer bugs and security holes than Microsoft’s browser. For many web programmers, Netscape is seen as a hassle to program for, but will become more important as their market share increases. The biggest plus to this news is that if Netscape 6 takes off, programmers will hopefully no longer be forced to support the Netscape 4.x browsers- truly some of the most cantankerous browsers ever.
