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 Netscape 7.2 under Windows | |
| Developer(s) | AOL |
|---|---|
| Initial release | August 29, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-08-29) |
| Final release | 7.2[1]  / 17 August 2004 |
| Preview release | 7.0 PR1[2] / 23 May 2002 |
| Written in | ? |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Predecessor | Netscape 6 |
| Successor | Netscape Browser |
| Type | Internet suite |
Netscape 7 is a discontinuedInternet suite developed byNetscape Communications Corporation, and was the seventh major release of theNetscape series of browsers. It is the successor ofNetscape 6, and was developed in-house byAOL. It was released on August 29, 2002 and is based onMozilla Application Suite 1.0.
The browser in Netscape 7 was originally superseded byNetscape Browser (version 8) in 2005, which like its name suggests was simply a web browser and not a full Internet suite. Netscape 7'sMail & Newsgroups client was succeeded byNetscape Messenger 9 in 2007.
As of version 7.2, it consisted of the following major components:
Netscape 7.0 was released in 2002. It was based on a more stable and notably fasterMozilla 1.0 core and bundled with extras like integratedAOL Instant Messenger, integratedICQ,Radio@Netscape, and new features such as tabbed browsing[1]Archived June 12, 2007, at theWayback Machine. The market responded to what was essentially a repackaged version ofMozilla Application Suite (swollen with integrated tools to access proprietary services owned by AOL) by ignoring it (partly because the initial Netscape 7.0 release removed the popup blocker from Mozilla). Competition from mature and competent non-Microsoft alternatives such as theOpera browser and the regular Mozilla distribution was a major factor. A point release of version 7.1 (based on Mozilla 1.4) was similarly ignored.
AOL announced on July 15, 2003 that it was laying off all its remaining development staff working on the Netscape version of Mozilla. Combined with AOL'santitrust case court settlement with Microsoft to use Internet Explorer in future versions of the AOL software, this seemed to mark the effective end of development on Netscape Navigator, the open source projects notwithstanding. Many believed that no further versions of the browser would be released and that the Netscapebrand name would live on only as the name of AOL's low-costdial-up internet service.
Netscape 7.2 was released on August 17, 2004, though AOL did not restart the Netscape browser division (instead, they developed it in-house). It was very similar to Netscape 7.1 and the only new feature in it was the Netscape Toolbar, which was developed bymozdev.org.
Though many had believed Netscape 7 would be the last version of Netscape to be released, AOL, in May 2005, released Netscape Browser version 8. It included improved security and the ability to natively use theGeckolayout engine used by Mozilla and its derivatives. It also has Internet Explorer'sTrident as a possible rendering engine to use, which enables the user to switch to its rendering system to display web pages that do not work well with Gecko. This use of the Trident engine allows the use ofActiveX controls and brings all ActiveX security problems associated with Internet Explorer.
Netscape 9 superseded Netscape 8 in October 2007, but Netscape's browser was discontinued altogether on March 1, 2008.
| Preceded by Netscape 6 | Netscape 7 | Succeeded by Netscape Browser (8) |