Netscape released their latest browser today, version 8.0. It has been touted as the anti-phishing browser because of many of the features it contains that are aimed at preventing people for falling for these attempts at aquiring personal information.
The Netscape site is getting hammered right now (i guess) so I have linked directly to the download page below.
Now for my first impressions.
After waiting for their site to catch up to all the traffic they are getting, I finally downloaded the installer. No, wait, that wasn’t the installer. It was just an installer that downloads the installer for you. While that was running, you are led through a few customization options. You can use either their new, ugly theme called “fusion” or you can select one that looks a little more normal. You are asked for your zip code and offered the chance to have some spyware…um, I mean, add-ons included with the browser (desktop weather, etc.).
So, the browser finally gets installed, and I click the icon on my desktop to fire it up. No, I don’t want to make it my default browser and off it goes. Immediately upon launching, it opens about 7 or 8 tabs. The first two are the Netscape Homepage and a page with Version 8 information on it. But after that, it opens about 5 tabs, all containing the Netscape weather page.
Immediately after attemption to load all these pages at once, it crashes, giving me the dialog box to send a notice to Microsoft.
Since this is supposed to be the anti-phishing browser, I decided to give it a whirl. I get at least 5 requests every day asking me to update my paypal information. So I decide to do just that. I head to my gmail account, open my spam folder, find the latest “PayPal Update” e-mail, and click the link inside. Expecting to see something that tells me this site is a fake or phony, all I get is this.
See the difference? The tab on the left is the actual PayPal login form, the tab on the right is the phishing page. Apparently all that tells me this page is fake is the “shield” in the tab. The official page is green with a check mark, the un-official page is blue with a “…” in it. How should I know what that means? There was no “first time notice” or anything telling me that the blue sheild is an un-protected site. Apparently, their warning system for phishing scams is based on a list of sites that they keep updated. When you launch a page, it is checked against this list.
One other thing I noticed is that when I logged into my Gmail account, it seemed like I was offered three prompts in the process of asking my if I wanted to save my username and password. Why so many? Why not just give me a simple dialog that asks if I want to save it?
Without the “fusion” theme, the browser looks very similar to Firefox.
All in all, I think the browser is still suffering from too much fluff. It will probably stay on my machine for testing purposes, but I doubt it will get much more use than that.
I for one am quite impressed with the new Netscape. I’ve had no problem even with the beta version, and installing 8.0 was smooth. In fact, it let me configure a few options during the download itself, so I didn’t spend all my time looking at the status bar grow (I wonder why all programs don’t do this).
The ‘shield’ that Jeremy complains about is just a bonus: If you don’t know about it and don’t use it, it’s not going to hurt you in any way whatsoever. It runs on gecko and switches to IE engine when needed for specific site–in the same interface. On sites with available RSS feed, there is an icon at the end of the URL for one touch “add RSS to personal tool bar.”
I don’t know what Jeremy was saying about three promts to save username and password. I just get a simple non-obtrusive drop-down line under the tabs, kinna like what you get when you block a pop-up. Again, if you don’t wanna use it, just check the “don’t show again” button.
FF is still arguably better since it’s half the weight and extentions are available for most of Netscape’s features and more. But for 90% of the people who’re still using IE, Netscape is a much easier switch than FF.
Seems Netscape failed to learn anything from the debacles that were their last three or four releases.
This was the first time I had really used Netscape 8. I also did not import anything from my other browsers, including the v8 Beta, so it was essentially a fresh installation.
Yes, I did like the fact that I could start configuring it while it was downloading, but why not just offer the full installer as a download option? Why force the user to download a program that basically just downloads the installer for them?
When I first went to my Gmail account, it seemed that it asked me first if I wanted to save the user/pass information, then prompted me again with that whole Passcard dialog, then another prompt telling me about the Auto-fill thing.
I also noticed that the default engine it started up with was IE, not Firefox. I thought that was odd, unless for some reason it thought that whatever site I was viewing needed to use the IE engine, and switched it automatically.
The point I was making about the “shield” is that this browser is supposed to be big on anti-phishing stuff, yet here I was at a site that was clearly a phishing scam, and I got not visible warnings to alert me to this fact other than that sheild.
Wow, this looks like a beginning of a flame war. I’d better refer to yesterdays ’38 ways to win an arguement.’
#19 Should your opponent expressly challenge you to produce any objection to some definite point in his argument, and you have nothing to say, try to make the argument less specific.
I got the impression from your article that you already made up your mind about Netscape before even testing the browser by following the geek code too strictly: Hate MS, hate anything that’s not open source, and hate anything that might compete with our beloved Google or Firefox. Oh yeah, since this is forevergeek.com, I’ll add one more: Have an orgasm anytime anyone mentions Apple. Yes, I said Apple (twice now). Start your orgasm… NOW. (I wonder how much I’ll be moded for that one).
I wouldn’t really say that I had made up my mind. I had run the beta test of NS8 when it was first released. Most of the problems I have with it are the user interface. The code under it seems to be strong. None of the sites I have built look broken in it (using the Firefox or IE engine).
I also had a problem with the fact that the first time I ran the browser after installing it (the beta is running on a seperate machine), it crashed on my and I received that error submission dialog.
I don’t want to say that I abide strictly to the Geek code. I wasn’t really against NS8 having the IE rendering engine in it.
I was really not trying to be too critical of the browser, just reporting my experience with installing it for the first time. The problems I had may be isolated, and that is fine.
I think it’s nice that Netscape are using the Firefox base for the browser, and besides the scary default theme, it’s essentially Firefox with more extensions installed by default, which is certainly a good thing.
However, I agree with Jeremy, the shield thing as an anti-phishing security measure is a bad idea. It doesn’t tell the user much, unless the user was notified beforehand what it meant. A shield can mean anything, and how many people will figure on their own when they visit their first phishing scam site, that the non-lit shield means the site is dangerous?
If this helps get people away from using Microsoft’s IE, then I’m all for that. If it is easier for people to grasp over Firefox, that’s a good thing. Personally I’ll stick to Firefox because I like having the control it gives me to make it do what I want.
cliche: It’s time to grow up, that snide comment makes you sound immature. What’s wrong with constructively criticizing someone’s review? It’s not that hard.
Matt, lighten up. My first post was serious. Second post was mostly a joke. But since you want me to constructively critize the review, I’ll give it a whirl.
I do stand by what I said about the review being biased. A review is objective, and states both good and bad. Now, maybe Jeremy only had a bad experience, but it’s hard to believe he couldn’t find one good thing about it. In fact, it sounded more like an attack than a review, and many of the attacks simply didn’t have merit. Let’s really look at what he was complaining about:
“No, wait, that wasn’t the installer. It was just an installer that downloads the installer for you.”
Many valid app downloads do this, and it does have it’s advantages.
“ugly theme called “fusion”"
This, I agree with. But it’s a theme, and more will come out. Default FF theme isn’t exactly a thing to behold either, but no one is complaining.
“You are asked for your zip code and offered the chance to have some spyware…um, I mean, add-ons included with the browser (desktop weather, etc.).”
What a negative tone for a feature. How is this any different than Weatherfox or your weather widget asking for zip code?
“No, I don’t want to make it my default browser and off it goes.”
Again, another negative tone for nothing. Ever see a browser that does not ask this?
“Immediately upon launching, it opens about 7 or 8 tabs.”
I haven’t even heard about this problem from any of my friends or colligues. Maybe Jeremy’s case was extrememly rare, but based on the tone of the review, it’s hard to find credibility in the existance of the problem in the first place.
“There was no “first time notice” or anything telling me that the blue sheild is an un-protected site.”
Geeks figure it out anyway. Many normal people would hear about it or figure it out themselves. A few may even have read the explaination about it after initial setup while downloading: Yes, it was clearly in front of you. Anyway, it’s better than what any other browser is offering now so don’t bash it.
“One other thing I noticed is that when I logged into my Gmail account, it seemed like I was offered three prompts in the process of asking my if I wanted to save my username and password.”
Fill it out once, and only one dialog for autofill will pop up next time. Why blow it out of proportion?
“All in all, I think the browser is still suffering from too much fluff.”
Another way to phrase that would be, ‘the browser is already bundled with extentions that most people will find useful.’ But that would be too positive.
Now, for the good points that Jeremy made:
…
Of course it’s biased, all reviews are biased, and are subjective unless you can benchmark the performance using a respected benchmark. However, since it’s a browser, a reviewer has to rely on subjectiveness to evaluate.
I’m sorry I didn’t catch your joke, the internet has never made it easy to detect sarcasm.
My computer was running just fine until I put Netscape 8.0 onto it. When Outlook opens, the computer locks up. Took Netscape off and now there are no more lockups.
Has anyone else experienced this problem or is just me??
You people have no idea of what you are talking about.
Hey — Are nongeeks allowed to ask questions? I just installed 8.0 because netscape kept freezing up and crashing. One thing I can’t figure out is how to access my isp (rcn) email account through 8.0. I can access it through the web, but their email interface isn’t very good. I prefer to use netscape email for that account and to store the email on my hard drive. I’m getting it now using my 7.1 version of the browser, which surprisingly (but perhaps happily) wasn’t uninstalled through the upgrade. The webmail option on the toolbar on 8.0 seems limited to web-based email accounts. Any ideas? Does no one use nonweb-based accounts anymore? One other more minor gripe: I can’t figure out how to set it to autocomplete urls. Thanks.
Mad as ^*))
I downloaded 8.. removed 7.2 and lo and behold there’s no mail client..
and i’ve loss all email and address book
there was no information about this in the notes
previous netscape fan swiching to opera…
I work for IT in a development company. Testing wanted us to install Netscape 8 to test our web applications on it. Needless to say we had 3-4 of the “netscape.exe has encountered a problem” screens before even trying to configure the browser.
Netscape needs to throw this thing back in beta and work out the installation glitches before releasing it. I’ll know more once I spend more than 5 minutes with it.
These people went 2 different directions with Netscape and Firefox. Why are they trying to combine them again?
Hi – yes it would be great if someone could tell me what happened to mail in the application – i don’t want webmail – want it stored on my lapto. I loved netscape email but alas I think it is gone. Is it going to be introduced or can you download it somehow.
Terry.
Hey…. where’s the email???
I downloaded and installed Netscape 8.0 on my computer only to find it has no email capacity. How come there is no mention of this wonderful little surprise in the literature. Another once faithful Netscape user over and out. I’m uninstalling and looking elsewhere.
No answer to where is the POP email tab/feature that has always been in the status bar since way back with 3.0???? I’d like to know, also or back to 7.2……….
Update: Netscape 8.0 is a stand alone browser now. You can set the email button to open the 7.2 email for a work around.
MSFT IE 6 is a reasonably good browser- but its outdated and the spyware/adware and hackers practically own it. Its really dangerous to use that browser. I used Firefox, and Netscape 8.0. FF-is very austere, clean and is much more secure then IE-however I have had some problems with it. With Netscape 8.0 after a few tries, I have it running well. Thus far, it seems to be more stable then FF- and quicker. It is just as secure. I use webmail from Yahoo, but also have my hotmail account up. I have decided for now to use Netscape 8.0 since I feel it is a bit more ‘finished’ then Firefox. MSFT IE 6 is a spyware writers mecca.
I have downloaded Mozilla/Thunderbird as an e mail clinet- and use it with web mail from SBC/Yahoo. I find this duo with Nestcape 8.04 is ideal for me. I use Netscape 8.04 as my browser now- it reduces spyware etc by 90% over IE- and the spyware that is picked up is when I view some sites with the IE side of the browser.
I just downloaded Netscape 8.02 it did not ask for a zip code or anything like that for weather, probably because I downloaded the localized canadian version. As for email I was suspicious before downloading and noticed that during the install when it asks to import your previous profile’s settings it has the option to erase that profile greyed out. Fortunately, I still have 7.1 on my machine and when I fired up my email Netscape7.1 came through.
I think this looks a lot more like Netscape trying to take things apart similar to Mozilla, but why they didn’t specifically state this before people installed is a mystery. I’ve also noticed a number of changes, some not good, over the years with various versions of Netscape especially since AOL took over. As it stands, I was also thinking that Netscape 8 was going to replace Netscape 7.1 but now I have both and even less freespace on an already over loaded machine.
I’ll give it a whirl and see but who knows might just switch over to Mozilla Suite or the stand alone parts and Opera.
Only time will tell.
well i find the software great..got 3 webmail accounts at a button away,tabbed browsing, great intelligent autofills, several decent themes now.and wayb better security than ie…..the new ie is gonna have to be pretty special to tempt me back
How de we set up netscape 8 webmail to open netscape 7 email client that is suggested on this site??
If I have been using Netscape 7 for my email client and I install Netscape 8.1.2, what happens to my email situation??
I have 4 POP accounts from my isp for email and I was really looking forward to a new email interface only to find there was none. Come on guys !!! Complete solutions not 1/2 baked ideas that don’t meet the need. IMHO…….
I downloaded and installed the latest 8 version. It asked for a newer flash version. When I installed the newest flash Netscape quit working. It crashes about every 5 minutes and especially when I hit a page with flash on it. Version 7.2 also has started crashing with the new flash. I have always used and liked Netscape but now I am going to change to Firefox. I have uninstalled the 8 version.
I enjoy using the Netscape 8.0 version. I do understand what Jeremy is stating about the shield but its not too much of a concern to me. Overall, I haven’t had any majors issues with the upgraded version that have been bothersome to me.