Posting Date: June 15, 2002

Andreessen Interview: Browser wars aren't coming back -- "The bad news is the browser is kind of done. Essentially, nothing new has happened since it got adopted in the mainstream over the past four years. Microsoft releases a new version of Internet Explorer, and it's like, what exactly are the new features? There's probably three or four new features in there, but who cares?"

Reader Comments...

If IE wannabe competitors only try to re-make IE plus one or two new features, there is no hope for them.

Perhaps I'm completely wrong, but I believe that the next step forward could be a browser that would be really good in supporting web based "interaction-rich" applications in a standard configuration.

Java promised it but it seems it didn't succeed to do it. Flash MX is an attempt to bring high level interaction capabilities to browser, but it's proprietary and the "browser + Flash" combination is awfully slow.

There is IMHO a need and a market for a "generic browser" based on open standards that could handle a lot of interaction-rich apps. browsing would be only one of the available applications.

A first step could be made by creating best input fields for forms: an interaction-rich textarea with table edition, image inclusion and design capabilities, and so on, with multiple undo handling, full drag and drop capabilities, and pixel-sharp positionning of multiple elements... and all that without non-standards plugins.

does someone agree ? Do you think such a thing would be great ? are there already some works around such a concept ? Or has it no interest ?

Posted by: vincent benard on June 16, 2002 06:49 AM

A bare bones, minimalist, lite browser that installs and loads quickly may be one way to go. The user can then download modular functionality if required.

Posted by: daniel on June 16, 2002 06:59 AM

Take a look at Java Web Start. Apparently, it came with the latest version of Java and has four applications you can download (within it ) and run. A bit basic, but it shows promise. On a side note, EvoChess2 is a distributing computing project that is downloaded and run within a client named goopy. goopy also has the protential to run other projects within itself.

Posted by: Morris Cox on June 16, 2002 12:32 PM

Produce a browser under 5MB that runs fast, has IE's feature set, has better cookie and pop-up management, and that looks like Netscape 4 ... and you'll have droves of people knocking at your door. This is not rocket science folks. The people are waiting for someone to lead the revolt.

Posted by: Jack on June 17, 2002 10:32 AM

The browser war IS on. The contender is Mozilla. It rocks. It is open source, runs on macs, pc, and unix, has better features than IE, and only a few more bugs.

The highlights:

Elimination of pop-up windows
Waaaaay better bookmark management
Configurable look and feel

See http://www.mozilla.org

-Jeff

Posted by: Jeff Albro on June 20, 2002 07:37 PM

I have been a Real Opera (as in Aida etc.) since preteen and "doing the web" on BBS PreWeb and wish Opera were okay: but I cannot get bookmarks to work right, cannot drag bookmarks to the desktop, cannot get the mail to work with my pop, etc. I have tried now on two separate occasions and I am not an Absolute Dummy. Have seen comments similar to this elsewhere. If someone can convince me otherwise, I would be less unhappy. Any Real Opera (browser) buffs out there who can help?

Is it just me or is it real that more and more websites are not accessible with Netscape 4.X? I find it increasingly frustrating, and have kept Netscape for ease of bookmark management and Microsoft allergy. Is there a program that I can run to manage my bookmarks independent of IE?

Comments?

Posted by: Jon Laan on August 21, 2002 12:32 PM

Comments?

Posted by: Jon Laan on August 21, 2002 12:32 PM

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