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 NeoPlanet welcome page in NeoPlanet Browser running on Windows | |
| Developer(s) | NeoPlanet Inc |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 1997; 28 years ago (1997) |
| Stable release | 1.262 / 2001; 24 years ago (2001) |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Web browser |
| Website | www |
NeoPlanet was aTrident-shellgraphicalweb browser initially released in 1997 byNew York–basedBigfoot International, Inc. and latermaintained anddeveloped by itssubsidiary NeoPlanet, Inc.[1][2] It was one of the first browsers to be fullyskinnable.
Neoplanet was a "plug-out" extension forInternet Explorer which created an integrated branded environment for the user. Within the environment, users could web browse,email, andchat. Much simpler to use than basic browsers, Neoplanet was aportal-like browser created for non-techie users.[3] Unlike web portals which lost control of the users every time they surfed to a newsite, chatted, or emailed, Neoplanet's environment followed the users wherever they went on theInternet.[4]
The Neoplanetprogram was originally created by James Friskel.[5] Neoplanet Inc. was a subsidiary of Bigfoot International, Inc. Bothcompanies were founded by Lenny Barshack and James Hoffman.
Abeta version of a trident shell NeoPlanet was released in October 1997, one month afterInternet Explorer 4.0 release. It featured a built-in directory of channels further divided into categories and was for use withWindows 95 andNT. In the fall of 1998 Bigfoot released the NeoPlanet 2.0 version with a new feature of customizable interface. It waspositioned as an adjunct toNetscape which it required to run, and as an alternative toMicrosoft's andAOL offerings. The new version also featured Snap (a joint-venture betweenCNET andNBC) andAlexa services incorporated into the browser.[6] The free 1.9MB download was a significant interface upgrade with four skins included and 16 more available on the newly launched NeoPlanet site, while the Microsoft Internet Explorer's underlying features remained unchanged.[7]
In January 1999, Bigfootspun out the NeoPlanet division into NeoPlanet, Inc. By spring 2000, NeoPlanet had moved its headquarters toTempe, Arizona. It then raised $23 million from Integral Capital,J & W Seligman, Constellation Ventures, Broadview and several other investors during the second round of funding.[8] Drew Cohen, hired by Barshack and Hoffman to head the new venture, relocated several Bigfoot team members to work on the project, including Warren Adelman (Business Development), Thomas Santoriello (Creative Design), and Frank Robledano (Content Direction). One of NeoPlanet's primary business strategies was to provide customizable browser interfaces to third parties, pioneering thebranded browsersniche.
McAfee andTerra Lycos were among NeoPlanet's first partners, each launching multiple versions of branded browsers.[9][10] Also in 1999, NeoPlanet, together withNew Line Cinema, launched the Austin Powers browser to coincide with the premiere date ofAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.[11] The Austin Powers Browser marked NeoPlanet's first branded browser for a feature film. The NeoPlanet/New Line launch of theDr. Evil Browser soon followed.
With the release of version 5.0, Neoplanet made a move towardvirtual communities. The browser described as an "Internet Desktop" addedMacromedia Flash,instant messaging and the sharing of channels and other user-generated content.[12]
Throughout 2000, NeoPlanet garneredpartnerships to market and distribute branded browsers with major companies in the entertainment, computer manufacturing and sports arenas, includingUniversal Studios,Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records,USA Networks,MTV,The Lord of the Rings,TV Guide,Hewlett-Packard,Carolina Hurricanes andPhoenix Coyotes. Also, a "matching skins" campaign withRealNetworks allowed users to match the look-and-feel of the NeoPlanet Browser with that of RealNetworks'RealJukebox TM.
Also in 2000, Universal Pictures launched the official Grinch Web Browser atwww.meanone.com to promote the movieDr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The new browser featured unique interface designs with sounds and images from The Grinch movie and direct "channel" links to Grinch Web sites and the Universal Pictures Web sites. The Grinch Browser also featured a Lycos/Grinch Club, an integrated online community that provided movie fans with a vehicle for sharing similar interests with other users.[13]
In 2001 NeoPlanet released its Viassarysuite designed to personalize PC users` experience and to help companies to better understand and communicate with their customers.[14]Compaq and HP were among its clients. As of 2001 the number of Neoplanet users reached 8 million.[15]
Later that year, Bigfoot International Incorporated was divided and sold off by the Acxiom Corporation due to loss of investment and the dot-com collapse.
Theclient part of NeoPlanet browser resided on the desktop as a small application environment (less than 2Mbs) providing: Internet navigation, an embedded customizable directory, a new level ofpersonalization through customization of the GUI, integrated e-mail, chat and automatic updates. The customizability of the application created ability for distribution andcontent partners to brand the user's online experience.
Theserver side of NeoPlanet's product enabled collection of rich data about the end-user's online experience, enabling timely and relevant targetedadvertising.
Skins were a prominent feature of NeoPlanet, so much so that it is reported that the first ever use of the term "skin" as describing a customized interface was the result of a conversation between Robledano, Santoriello, and Friskel at a local pub, and after that was swiftly picked up by technology enthusiasts. It was the first browser to be fully skinnable. Many skins were created by users.[16] NeoPlanet became popular for creating browsers for movies, such as New Line Cinema'sAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me or Universal Pictures'How the Grinch Stole Christmas and sports teams, such as the Phoenix Coyotes. The browser had been branded by MTV, USA Networks, Interscope-Geffen-A&M, Hewlett-Packard, TV Guide among others. It had over 550 available skins as for October 2001[17] and 15 million skins downloads.[18]
In addition to e-mail, NeoPlanet integrated other Internet communications features, specifically, instant messaging, e-mail, and bookmark sharing.
NeoPlanet was the first browser to include sophisticatedbookmark management, what was referred to as the "Channel Bar". The channels offered a simple tree structure interface where users could visit the site and download entire channel packs related to specific types of content, sets of bookmarks that featured “best of” links for special interests, local information and web based resources, such as "Art", "Automotive", "Technology", and many others. Users were encouraged to share their own channels on the NeoPlanet site.
NeoPlanet'sclient server architecture was built to allow future models to be plugged in via anobject model. NeoPlanet's auto-update feature was designed to facilitate deploying these new features. Thefront-end was a complex layered series of software objects that are presented to the user as one unified application. This was accomplished through anabstraction layer which allows for independence of theHTMLrendering engines, independence oflook and feel for re-branding/distribution by partners, and communication with the NeoPlanet back-end. The NeoPlanet front-end had the ability to dynamically respond to requests from the back-end to update itself in whole or in part.
NeoPlanet's client/server architecture also included ascalable back-end server component. The NeoPlanet back-end had the ability to track and target marketing and promotions, even through corporatefirewalls.
