AOL grants Netscape one-month stay of execution

30 Jan 2008 09:20

The company has extended support for its browser until 1 March and will release an update aimed at smoothing the transition to alternatives

AOL has extended support for its Netscape browser by a month, to 1 March.

AOL first announced in December that it was ending support for the once-popular browser on 1 February, saying the investment necessary to get the software to the standard expected by fans did not fit in with AOL's new focus as a web-based business.

In addition to extending the support period, AOL plans to release an update for Netscape Navigator 9, via the browser update feature, aimed at smoothing over the transition between Netscape and suggested alternatives.

AOL is also putting forward Flock — a web browser built on Mozilla's Firefox code base, which can deliver friends, feeds, sites and media in one view — as one such alternative.

Meanwhile, Netscape users who can't bear to leave the browser behind can reskin Firefox with a Netscape look.

ZDNet Australia’s Suzanne Tindal contributed to this article.

Story URL: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39292495,00.htm