I've got bad news for you browser junkies out there: Netscape will not release any more beta versions of Communicator. Ever.
OK, OK, relax. It's not as bad as it seems. In fact, Netscape is posting prerelease 2 of their client this week. The company is simply realizing that not every user of Communicator is familiar with the terminology of the software industry. In other words, they're tired of email from irate users screaming, "I don't care what beta means. I want it to stop crashing!" So out with beta and in with prerelease. Either way, they'll be releasing unsupported and incomplete code to the public.
Fine with me. I'm sure you'll agree that as content providers, we appreciate the lead time to learn the new features, code, and hacks it takes to keep our audiences happy.
So what's new in this release? The cross-platform promise comes true. Netscape will be shipping this version across the nearly 20 platforms they support, with an almost identical feature set for all. Cascading stylesheets finally make it into Navigator, which means we can expect to see more and more sites using the advanced typographical and presentation control the specification offers. Netscape's dynamic HTML features - dubbed JavaScript stylesheets - have also evolved.
Navigator PR2 also marks the debut of Kiosk mode, a feature sure to draw some attention in the near future. Using JavaScript, page authors will be able to turn off the Netscape interface: toolbars, window elements, title bar ... everything. Page designers can have every pixel on the screen for their pages, and all control of the local computer is lost. That's right - no back button, bookmarks, address entry, or history list. You can't even quit.
My immediate reaction to Kiosk mode was deep dread. I envisioned every lousy homepage on the Web suddenly taking over my screen, locking me into endless clicks through pictures of their trip to Cancun. Netscape saw this too, and assured me that through their new code-signing technology, only verified and signed sites would be able to invoke a Kiosk. The feature was designed for standalone applications like airport directories or convention maps, they told me.
So then, here's the bottom line for your average Web surfer: Large, well-established content providers can get their pages signed and take over their audience's computing environments, thereby ensuring a captive audience.
And you were worried that push media would be what turns the Web into TV.
