| Netscape Navigator 9.0 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Netscape Navigator 9.0.0.6 on Windows Vista displaying the main page of the English Wikipedia | |
| Developers | Netscape Communications AOL |
| Initial release | October 15, 2007 |
| Final release | 9.0.0.6[1]  / 20 February 2008 |
| Preview release | 9.0rc1[2] / 1 October 2007 |
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Linux,macOS,Windows |
| Type | Web browser |
| License | Proprietary |
Netscape Navigator 9 is a discontinuedweb browser that was produced by theNetscape Communications division of parentAOL, first announced on January 23, 2007. It was the ninth major release of theNetscape line of browsers. After AOL outsourced the development ofNetscape Browser 8 toMercurial Communications in 2004, Netscape Navigator 9 marked the first Netscape browser to be produced in-house since theNetscape 7 suite.[3] It also saw the return of the classicNavigator name, which was previously used during Netscape's heyday between versions 1.0 and 4.08 in the 1990s.[4] Netscape Navigator 9 is based onMozilla Firefox 2.0.
The program's firstbeta was released on June 5, 2007,[5] with the Beta 2 on July 12,[6] and Beta 3 on August 16.[7] After arelease candidate, the final release was issued on October 15, 2007.
On December 28, 2007, Netscape developers announced that AOL would discontinue their web browser on February 1, 2008.[8] On January 28, 2008, Netscape revised this date to March 1, 2008, and offered support for migration toFlock andMozilla Firefox.[9] It was the last web browser of the Netscape series.
The Beta releases of Netscape Navigator 9 included enhancednewsfeed support and were more integrated with theNetscape.com Internet portal,[10] including enhanced methods of discussion, submission and voting of Web pages.[11] However, starting with Netscape Navigator 9 beta 3, the Netscape.com integration was optional, and certain aspects of integration could be manually enabled or disabled,[12] with integration being totally removed in Navigator 9.0rc1 as the portal relaunched asPropeller.[13]
Theuser interface of the program was also updated, and the theme was also later released for use on Mozilla Firefox.[14]
Like Netscape version 8.x, Navigator 9 was based upon theMozilla Firefox, this time version 2.0, and should have had full support of all Firefoxadd-ons andplugins, some of which Netscape was providing.[15] Netscape also released some of its features as extensions for Firefox, including theSite Mail Notifier and Friends' Activity SidebarArchived 2007-01-06 at theWayback Machine, theDigg TrackerArchived 2007-08-24 at theWayback Machine, as well asNetstripeArchived 2007-05-04 at theWayback Machine, the new default theme for Netscape 9.
The browser also includedURL self-correction, which corrected common URL misspellings,[16][17]an improvedFTP listing interface[18] and a dedicatedNews menu with integration to the Netscape.com news portal.[19] A quick "link pad" was also included so Web pages could quickly be added to the pad for later viewing without adding to the bookmark lists.[20]Navigator 9 also sees the browser return to multi-platform support acrossWindows,Linux andMac OS X.[21] Netscape's signature splash screen also reappeared in the release candidate of the final program.
Unlike Netscape 8, the browser did not useInternet Explorer'sTrident layout engine as an alternative engine option. Netscape Navigator did not include anynewsgroup,instant messaging, orEmail clients as Netscape 6 and 7 did. Netscape did, however, plan to produce a companion email client to complement the Navigator, confirmed asNetscape Messenger 9.[22][23] While that software was in development, Netscape advised its users to use theNetscape 7 series ofsuites, which includes an email client, alongside Navigator 9 for browsing purposes.[20]
A new verse 8:20 of theEaster eggThe Book of Mozilla was written for the release of Netscape 9, consisting of"And thus the Creator looked upon the beast reborn and saw that it was good". This could have reference either to the re-development of Netscape in-house once again, or theMozilla Foundation and its contributors.[24]
Based on user feedback, Netscape decided to return thesplash screen to Navigator 9. On September 10, 2007, Netscape decided to give its design team a break and let users submit their own idea for how the splash screen should look. The winning image would be used as the splash screen in the final 9.0 release of Navigator, and the designer would be listed in the browser credits.[25]
Many designs were submitted.[26] In the end, Mario Herbert was chosen the winner and his design used as the final Navigator 9 splash screen.[27]
CNET Download.com claimed Navigator 9 had some "neat" components, contained many "tricks we love," and was "more than a backup browser," which it previously used to describe Browser 8. Most of the bundled features from version 8 have been removed.[28]
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Windows[29] | ||
| Operating system | Windows 98 | Windows XP |
| CPU | 233 MHz | 500 MHz |
| Memory | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Free space | 50 MB | 100 MB |
| Mac OS[29] | ||
| Operating system | Mac OS X 10.2.8 throughMac OS X 10.6.2 | |
| CPU | PowerPC G3 | PowerPC G4 or Intel equivalent |
| Memory | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Free space | 75 MB | 150 MB |
| Linux[29] | ||
| Operating system | Linux kernel 2.2.14 (withglibc 2.3.2,XFree86 3.3.6,GTK+ 2.0,fontconfig/xft andlibstdc++ 5) | |
| CPU | 233 MHz | 500 MHz |
| Memory | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Free space | 50 MB | 100 MB |
| Version | Release date | Based on the Mozilla Firefox version |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0b1 | June 5, 2007 | 2.0.0.4 |
| 9.0b2 | July 12, 2007 | 2.0.0.4 |
| 9.0b3 | August 16, 2007 | 2.0.0.6 |
| 9.0rc1 | October 1, 2007 | 2.0.0.7 |
| 9.0 | October 15, 2007 | 2.0.0.7 |
| 9.0.0.1 | October 22, 2007 | 2.0.0.8 |
| 9.0.0.2 | November 1, 2007 | 2.0.0.8 |
| 9.0.0.3 | November 2, 2007 | 2.0.0.9 |
| 9.0.0.4 | November 27, 2007 | 2.0.0.10 |
| 9.0.0.5 | December 10, 2007 | 2.0.0.11 |
| 9.0.0.6 | February 20, 2008 | 2.0.0.12 |
| Preceded by Netscape Browser (8) | Netscape Navigator 9 (final) | Succeeded by development ceased replaced byMozilla Firefox |