Future Browser Suites
Most Web users had just gotten Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 when they heard announcements of version 4.0 for each. What can Web surfers expect from these new browsers?

Both Netscape and Microsoft are creating Internet suites, which include new Web browsers as well as several other new tools. Netscape's version will be called Netscape Communicator. Microsoft's suite will continue to called Internet Explorer, version 4.0.

Although to fully utilize some of Netscape Communicator's new features you will need a Netscape server, the company continues to try to enhance its product line while using open standards; while Microsoft's products continue to move people toward its proprietary standards which only run on its own servers.

In the past, Netscape has allowed education and non-profit organizations to use its browsers and servers for free. I wrote them to see if this policy will continue for the Communicator client and server software. Alex J. Giron wrote me back stating, "Yes, the release of all updated versions of our software will continue to be included in our educational program!"

Microsoft distributes the client software for free to everyone, but charges everyone for the server software.

Netscape Communicator Suite:

There is also a Netscape Communicator Professional version which adds: Netscape Calendar, a calendar client for group scheduling and Netscape AutoAdmin for remote administration of Communicator applications.

Navigator 4.0
This new browser will allow Web designers more options and control over how a page will look, improved Java performances, a more usable interface, and increased security.

Netscape Messenger
Netscape's new email client will allow you to compose, read and send encrypted email with the graphics and formatting available on Web pages. Netscape claims that this email client will use open standards-based mail extensions.

Netscape Collabora
This is a groupware client is based around the newsgroup NNTP open standard and allows workgroups to share information in private online discussion groups as well as Internet newsgroups. It will allow you to create a secure searchable knowledge-base for your organization.

Netscape Composer
This HTML editor will allow you to easily create documents for your internal workgroup or your Web server. It will support standard HTML markup, and offer a spell checker and drag-and-drop image addition.

Netscape Conference
This conferencing client will include support of audio conferencing using standards that should allow it to communicate with other Internet phones. It will also include other collaboration tools such as a white board, chat and file transfer.

Netscape Calendar
This client software will work with Netscape's calendar server to allow enterprise calendaring and scheduling. It will allow you to search schedules on local and remove servers.

Netscape AutoAdmin
When used with Netscape Administrator Kit, this software will allow network managers to remotely manage all Netscape Communicator applications.

Microsoft Explorer 4.0

Explorer 4.0 will integrate the Windows desktop with the Web. In effect the browser itself will disappear and Web access will be a natural extension of the desktop. This will be accomplished through ActiveX controls. It is not clear how Explorer 4.0 will be cross-platform since it's functionality will be so closely tied to the Windows desktop.

It is also not clear when Explorer 4.0 will actually appear, as early reports indicate that it is not nearly as far along as Microsoft has led the press to believe. Articles about Explorer 4.0 appeared in major trade magazines this last summer; however as of November 10th, I was unable to find any press release on Explorer 4.0 on the Microsoft Web site. The only relevant press release was one which compared the features of Explorer 3.0 with Netscape Communicator 4.0.

Many have speculated that once Explorer 4.0 does become a reality, it will end the Windows browser wars. Once a browser is an integral part of the Windows operating system, why install Navigator at all? This is similar to Microsoft's strategy of bundling their less successful products along with their flagship Word and Excel. Why buy Paradox, Filemaker or a third party HTML editor, when you get Access and FrontPage for free?

Others feel the hoopla over Explorer 4.0 is simply a preannouncement ploy to keep current Explorer users from jumping ship. In effect, Microsoft is saying "Hey don't go with product X now, our better version will be out soon!"

In the September 14th issue of InfoWorld, Bob Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet and founder of 3Com, accuses Microsoft of doing just this: "You might ask, and so should [the] Justice [Department], why Herbold and Gates would twice risk the embarrassment of those IE4 crashes, especially because IE3 is, in addition to being free, so very new? The answer is that Microsoft is rushing to freeze the market for Internet clients, to pre-empt that market's leader, Netscape, and to keep people from buying Navigator until IE4 can be delivered. "

Microsoft has a long history of using preannouncements to stifle competition. In 1988, Paul Brainerd was the CEO of Aldus, the developer of Pagemaker. Aldus was developing a word processor for Windows code named "Flintstone." According to Robert X. Cringely in his 1992 book "Accidental Empires":

"By early 1988, a prototype of Flintstone was running, though it was still a year away from being ready to ship. That's when Bill Gates gave Paul Brainerd a demonstration of Word for Windows - Microsoft's word processor that would complete with Flintstone. Gates told Brainerd that Word for Windows would ship in six to nine months, beating Flintstone to market. Afraid of going head to head with Microsoft, Brainerd canceled Flintstone. Word for Windows finally hit the market two years later."

Whether Explorer 4.0 will be a shipping soon, or merely is vaporware is hard to tell, but it is clear that Explorer 4.0 will be highly optimized for Windows users. Assuming that there are still Mac, Unix and OS/2 users around by then, it is difficult to tell what Explorer 4.0 will offer them.


Additional Information:

Articles and Reviews:
InfoWorld [9.14.96] Tying IE4 with Windows incentive for Netscape
PC Magazine [8.6.96] Microsoft's Explorer 4.0 Plans
InfoWorld [7.8.96] Explorer 4.0 is coming
PC Week [10.15.96] Netscape makes bold client and server moves
MacWEEK [10.21.96] Netscape steers Navigator into Communicator Suite
CNET [10.22.96] Ralph Needleman: Dear Netscape Part II

Press Releases:
Microsoft's Response to Netscape Communicator
Netscape's Communicator Suite


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Updated: Thursday, December 12, 1996, 8:37 pm
Peter DeVries (pdevries@cs.wisc.edu)
Copyright © 1996 InterNIC Internet Scout