Netscape Navigator 3.0 Brings New Power to Web Browsing

Albert Willis

Netscape Communications Corporation recently released Navigator 
3.0, the latest version of their popular Web browser. It continues to 
push ahead, supporting the latest Web innovations in animation, video, 
and sound. Given Netscape's intensive development cycle (Navigator 4.0 
is already well under way), this browser may well become the program 
you'll use for all network-based work.

Platforms/Requirements
Navigator 3.0 runs on the three platforms widely used at MIT: Macin-
tosh, Windows, and Unix. It is the default browser on Athena, accessible 
from the Dash menu.
 
Minimum system requirements are as follows:
Macintosh 
* 68020 or better processor
* 6MB of hard drive space and 12MB of RAM 

Windows 
* A 386 or better processor
* Windows 3.1 - 3MB of hard drive space and 4MB of RAM
* Windows 95 and NT - 6MB of hard drive space and 6MB of RAM
  Unix 
* 6MB of hard drive space and 16MB of RAM

Java and JavaScript
Navigator 3.0 supports Java (except in Windows 3.1). Java is the 
cross-platform programming language from Sun that lets developers create 
mini-applications (applets) that can run within a Java-enabled browser. 
Navigator 3.0 also supports JavaScript, a lightweight programming 
language for adding interactivity to Web pages. For example, JavaScript 
can be used to change the appearance of a Web page on the fly.
 
Since Java and JavaScript are still relatively new, they may have 
security holes that could be exploited. If you want to play it safe, you 
can disable Java and JavaScript via a Navigator preferences setting.

Frames
Frames are separate "panes" within a window on your screen. 
Introduced in Navigator 2.0, they work better in 3.0. In 2.0, when you 
accessed a page with frames, pressing the Back button went to the 
previous page, not the previous frame. This has been corrected in 3.0.

Plug-ins
Plug-ins, which first appeared in Navigator 2.0, are more widely used 
in 3.0, marking a shift away from helper applications. Plug-ins are 
small programs that work within Navigator to extend its capabilities, 
usually by letting Navigator display or play nonstandard media types.
 
Multimedia
With its host of plug-ins, Navigator 3.0 can deliver authentic 
multimedia - video, audio, and 3D spaces - over the Web. (For some 
platforms, 3D capabilities are still under development).

Navigator 3.0 for Windows comes with LiveVideo, a plug-in for AVI 
movies. The Macintosh version doesn't support LiveVideo, but both 
Windows and Macintosh versions come with a plug-in for watching 
QuickTime movies via the Web. The QuickTime plug-in supports streaming - 
when enough of a movie is downloaded, it starts to play while the rest 
of the movie continues to download.

Macintosh and Windows versions come with LiveAudio, a plug-in that 
plays a variety of sound files, including AIFF, AU, MIDI, and WAV. It's 
very useful to have a plug-in that handles the most common sound formats 
on the Web.

Live3D is a plug-in that's available for the Windows and Power 
Macintosh versions of Navigator 3.0. Live3D lets you navigate 3D spaces 
created in Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML). Versions for Unix 
and 680x0 Macintoshes are under development.
 
Navigator will use Live3D as the basis for dealing with all things 3D 
on the Web. Walking or flying through 3D spaces is just the start: 
because of Live3D's integration with Java and plug-ins, users will be 
able to interact in 3D spaces that offer animation, music, and video.

CoolTalk
The Windows version of Navigator 3.0 ships with CoolTalk, a plug-in 
that supports telephone-like communication over the Internet. CoolTalk 
makes it possible to speak to anybody in the world who's on the Internet 
without paying long-distance phone charges. CoolTalk requires a sound 
card and a microphone for PCs. CoolTalk even comes with an answering 
machine, to catch messages from callers when you're not around. A 
Macintosh version of CoolTalk should be ready soon.

Email and Newsgroups
Navigator has a built-in email client that lets users send and receive 
email. However, the client doesn't support Kerberos authentication and 
can't be used to receive email in the MIT environment. Navigator's 
newsgroup client does work well in the MIT environment and is convenient 
to use, especially if you don't already have a favorite newsgroup 
reader.

More HTML Tags
New HTML tags in Navigator 3.0  extend what Web page creators can 
display. The new tags add multiple columns; provide pixel control over 
vertical and horizontal white space in a paragraph; place colors in 
table cells; allow manipulation of frame borders; and let creators 
specify preferred fonts.

Since these tags were developed by Netscape, other browsers don't 
support them, at least for now. If you use the new tags, keep in mind 
that a portion of your audience won't be able to view all parts of your 
pages. Netscape has pledged to support the HTML 3.2 specification from 
the World Wide Web Consortium once it's been finalized.

Availability and Support
Navigator 3.0 is free to students, faculty, and staff at educational 
institutions. At MIT, you can download the Navigator 3.0 installer 
package from the IS server, net-dist.mit.edu.

Navigator comes with online release notes and a handbook. If you need 
help downloading or using Navigator, call the Computing Help Desk at 
x3-4101 <net-help@mit.edu>.