Netscape Navigator 2 Explained
Netscape Navigator 2 is a discontinued proprietary web browser released by Netscape Communications Corporation as its flagship product. Versions were available for Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Linux, IRIX, HP-UX, AIX, Solaris, SunOS, JavaOS, and FreeBSD.
The browser introduced and improved a number of features and also added proprietary extensions to the HTML standard. Notably, Netscape 2 was the first browser to support JavaScript and animated GIFs, two technologies still predominant on the web today.
Features
The browser introduced many new or improved features:
- Support for progressive JPEGs (previous versions supported only the baseline format)[1]
- Support for GIF89a (previous versions supported only GIF87a)[1]
- Support for client-side image maps (previous versions supported only server-side image maps)[2]
- Support for plugins (previous versions supported only helper applications)[3]
- Improved bookmark organization
- Added support for FTP uploading[4]
- Added support for LiveScript (now known as JavaScript)
- Added OLE support[5]
- Added support for HTML frames[5]
- Introduced Netscape Mail and Netscape News, an e-mail client and Usenet News reader, respectively[6]
Netscape Now
To promote Netscape Navigator, Netscape developed the "Netscape Now" program. The program promoted the display of the "Netscape Now! 2.0" web badge on websites with newly supported features, including frames, live objects, Java applets, and JavaScript.[7] [8]
Popular plugins
The support for plugins led to the development of a number of popular plugins to extend Navigator's functionality.
Easter eggs
Netscape had several easter eggs. Navigator 2 featured verse 12:10 from The Book of Mozilla.
The bottom of "about:authors" read:
References
- Books
- Book: Ernst, Warren. Essential Netscape Navigator 2.0 . 1996. Sams.net. 978-1-57521-065-0.
- Book: James, Phil. Official Netscape Navigator 2.0 book : Windows edition : the definitive guide to the world's most popular Internet navigator. 1996. Ventana. Research Triangle Park, NC. 978-1-56604-347-2. 1st.
- Book: Hamilton, Dennis. 60 minute guide to Netscape 2 . 1996. IDG Books Worldwide. Foster City, CA. 978-0-7645-3008-1 . Witherspoon, Craig . Witherspoon, Coletta.
- Book: Oliphant, Zan. Programming Netscape plug-ins / Zan Oliphant.. 1996. Sams Net. Indianapolis, Ind.. 978-1-57521-098-8. 1st.
- Book: Shafer, Dan. JavaScript & Netscape wizardry. 1996. Coriolis Group Books. Scottsdale, AZ. 1-883577-86-1.
- Book: Tauber, Daniel A.. Surfing the Internet with Netscape Navigator 2. 1996. Sybex. San Francisco. 978-0-7821-1872-8. 2nd. Kienan, Brenda.
- Book: Barnett, James. Karen. Wickre. Guide to Netscape Navigator 2.0 . 1996. Ziff-Davis Press. Emeryville, Calif.. 978-1-56276-354-1.
External links
Notes and References
- Shafer, p. 5
- Shafer, pp. 4-5
- Shafer, pp.5-6
- Shafer, p. 6
- Shafer, p. 7
- Shafer, p. 10
- Web site: NETSCAPE NOW PROGRAM . Netscape Communications Corporation . 10 March 2012 . 1996 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19961026040131/http://www3.netscape.com/comprod/mirror/netscape_now_program.html . October 26, 1996 .
- Web site: NETSCAPE NOW QUALIFICATIONS . Netscape Communications Corporation . 10 March 2012 . 1996 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19961026040250/http://www3.netscape.com/comprod/mirror/qualifications.html . October 26, 1996 .
- Shafer, pp. 71-72
- Web site: Archived copy . www.infinop.com . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/19970613234152/http://www.infinop.com/nhtml/lsinfo.shtml . 13 June 1997 . dead.
- News: McDonald. Glenn. Image Compression Technology Optimized for Internet. 2 March 2012. PCWorld. Dec 2, 1996.
- Shafer, pp. 72-73
- Web site: Lightning Strike Netscape Plugins . Infinop, Inc . 10 March 2012 . 1997 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19970613234329/http://www.infinop.com/nhtml/extvwr_pick.shtml . June 13, 1997 .
- Shafer, pp. 75-79
- Shafer, pp. 74-75
- Shafer, pp. 79-82
- Shafer, p. 197
