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Communicator shows promise in browser war

By JIM BROOKS

The browser wars are heating up again as both Netscape Communications and Microsoft spar to gain dominance as the software of choice to surf the World Wide Web.

Netscape's new browser suite, Communicator, is now available as a pre-release beta for a wide variety of operating systems.

Communicator is a software package that bundles a number of applications into one package, including:

• Navigator for browsing the Web;

• Messenger Mailbox for sending and receiving e-mail;

• Composer for editing HTML and creating Web pages;

• Conference for interactive chats and conferencing.

The version I downloaded is the Communicator Pro package, and it also includes a nice calendar/scheduling package and a couple of other system administration tools.

The file was more than 12 Megs in size, leading me to expect a bloated and slow-running browser. I was surprised to find this wasn't the case.

The application I used the most was the Navigator Web browser, and it performed nearly flawlessly in my trials.

And it's fast too. On my 133 MHz PC, Navigator displayed Web pages faster than the current Navigator 3.01

The biggest change Navigator users will notice is the look and feel of the software's tool bars.

The browser now is equipped with three independently controllable tool bars. The three can be stacked in any order you prefer -- or turned off completely.

Each bar has a handle, or switch, that lets you turn it off with a click of a mouse button. A single click restores the tool bar. No more searching through menus for the right option, it's all at your fingertips.

The mechanics of the tool bars -- where you have to find the most-used selections -- have improved too. The navigation bar now includes buttons for "security," "search" and "reload."

The Netscape "N" has changed too. Comets still whiz by while the software is working, but a moon and a sun also orbit as part of the process.

One of my favorite improvements in the new Navigator is the placement of a button for accessing bookmarks on the location tool bar, which also contains the URL address window.

The button makes it easy to edit, add or delete your bookmarks.

A new "Personal" tool bar allows you to create a bar with buttons to your favorite Web sites. It makes getting to your favorite spots faster, since you don't have to hassle with finding the appropriate bookmark.

A floating tool bar, called the "Component Bar," can let you switch quickly between the various applications in Netscape Communicator.

In its overall operation, the Navigator Web browser portion of Communicator performed quite impressively.

And some subtle changes make significant improvements in how the browser works.

For example, you can now browse with your keyboard. The Tab key lets you cycle through the links on a page; the Enter key activates the link and sends you surfing on your way.

When you select a link, the text or graphic is enclosed in a box to let you know which link is being activated.

And if you are moving your mouse around on a Web page, the alternate text -- the text that describes what a graphic is before it loads on a page -- is displayed.

The progress bar at the bottom of the browser window no longer just displays how much of a page has been loaded. It does display the progress of larger files as they download; in most cases, it scans back and forth as pages load, a la KITT, the car from the 1980s "Knight Rider" TV series.

The version I downloaded was preview release two; version three is already available, as Netscape is determined to get this out on the market by summer.

Be warned that there are some glitches. Some of the advanced features in Communicator aren't available yet.

The browser seemed to be unable to interpret Java code, often shutting down or freezing the software. If you try the preview release, you might end up doing what I did and turning Java off.

It also had a habit of locking up my computer after long periods of Web browsing. I found that manually emptying the caches, both memory and disk, helped eliminate that problem.

Windows95 users report similar problems, though it isn't unusual. This, after all, is an unfinished product.

I'll be reviewing some of Communicator's other features -- including e-mail and the Composer HTML editor -- in upcoming columns.

Have an opinion on the browser wars? I would love to hear about it! E-mail it to the address at the end of this column.

STRANGE DAYS INDEED. The pace that changes and acquisitions flow from Internet-related companies is enough to make anyone dizzy -- and a busy columnist nearly insane. Like Alice in Wonderland, the Internet all seems to be getting "curiouser and curiouser."

For example, software giant Microsoft announced last week the purchase of the just-debuted WebTV corporation. It's the largest Internet-related purchase in the Net's history, analysts said.

WebTV, you may recall, is the company that created the set-top VCR-like box that lets you surf the World Wide Web on your TV set without using a computer. With a handy remote control (or optional keyboard), you can send and receive e-mail, read newsgroups, and surf the Web -- all from the comfort of your favorite bean bag or recliner.

While I haven't seen proof that the WebTV units sold like gangbusters, reports right after the Christmas season called sales of the units "brisk." It was enough apparently to catch Bill Gates' eyes.

Microsoft will be giving cash and stocks worth about $425 million for the privately held 20-month-old company. It will operate as a subsidiary of Microsoft.

In a related development, Microsoft is also throwing its weight and technological support behind the marriage of TV and the Internet -- creating what WebTV president and founder, Steve Perlman, said will be "the next version of TV."

Microsoft's purchase of WebTV should give it considerable clout --and an already-in-the-works version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser should improve the WebTV interface and sales.

Will it be enough to get WebTV operating in the black?

If studies are to be believed, it might.

According to a recent study, people are turning off their TV and going to the Web for news and information.

A GVU survey of Internet users last fall found that nearly 37 percent of all Web users replace some daily TV viewing with Web surfing. Nearly that many replaced some weekly TV time with Web surfing -- meaning TV viewership could be in trouble.

MORE BETAS. And as expected, Microsoft responded to Netscape's release of Communicator with the "official" beta release of its own new Web browser, Internet Explorer 4.0.

But the bad news is that unless you're running the Windows 95 or NT operating systems, you can't run it.

The browser is Microsoft's next step to blur the line between information on your computer or on the network at your office and the Internet (or companywide intranet).

Microsoft calls it "seamless integration."

Versions of the new browser for other operating systems will come later, though I expect one for Windows 3.1 will be slow to surface -- if at all. Apparently the company wants to give the millions of Windows 3.1 users additional incentive to upgrade to Windows95.

NAME GAME. The supply of desirable domain names -- the Internet addresses for Web sites that most often begin in "www" and end in a domain, such as "com," "org" or "gov" -- has been dwindling rapidly as the Web has exploded in popularity.

It's smart marketing to have your company name, product or slogan as part of your Web site address. Unfortunately, the best domain names are often already taken, leading companies to go to court in order to claim a domain that may be trademark or related product name.

Following much discussion on the issue, the Internet Society (a group that helps develop and coordinate Internet standards) approved creating seven new top-level domain names.

A top-level domain is the last three letters at the end of every electronic mail or web site address.

The new domains include: "firm," "store," "web" "arts," ".rec," "info," and "nom."

In addition, the plan creates an official arbitration and mediation procedure when disputes arise over domain names.

The plan also will let more companies get in the business of dispensing and registering domain names.

Comments and questions about this column may be sent to jbrooks@myoldkentuckyhome.com, or visit www.myoldkentuckyhome.com on the World Wide Web.

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