Ramon Gandia wrote:
> Benjamin Sher wrote:
> >
> > Dear Ramon and friends:
> >
> > My thanks to Ramon and other gurus for your evaluation of Mozilla 13. As
> > a non-techie, it is all too easy for me to be won over by the lovely
> > design and shiny chrome. It's good to know that what's under the hood
> > still needs a lot of work. I am, of course, disappointed to know that
> > Mozilla 13 is not yet ready for prime time, but truth, in the long run,
> > never hurt anybody. Let's hope the Mozilla folks continue to improve
> > their new Communicator.
>
> That is the whole problem, Ben. Communicator was never a good
> product, for either Windows or Linux. The code on Communicator
> has been in the 13MB to 20 MB depending on version.
>
> Mozilla right now has a fairly light footprint, about 4 MB, but
> that is not the Netscape 5.0 they talk about. Netscape 5.0
> will use Mozilla as the BASIS. then they will add all of the
> Shopping stuff to it and get it up to 15MB just watch.
>
> A much better approach would have been to base Mozilla on the
> old Netscape Navigator 3.x. Just change the Java engine on it
> and aways to go. Unfortunately, bloatware and commercialism
> killed that idea. Netscape Corporation directed the Mozilla
> project and told it what the end result needed to be.
>
> This looks to me like a project that is not going to be very
> good. Specially for Linux. Does anyone know if the Mozilla
> source code database contain the Netscape 3.x source code? I
> haven't found it, and I doubt it is there.
>
> --
> Ramon Gandia --- Sysadmin --- http://www.nook.net
> 285 West 1st Avenue ISP for Western Alaska
> P.O. Box 970 tel. 907-443-7575
> Nome, Alaska 99762 fax. 907-443-2487
> =======================================================
Well, actually, they started using a new model at Mozilla and set up a
classic source tree. In that classic source tree is something that goes by
various names called Qt-zilla which should be of interest. Unfortunately the
directions of the "legitimate" spammers, AOL and company, have ruined a
potentially good product.
So what options do we have?
Opera If it ever gets out of the gate
Konqueror Likely to be limited to KDE and Gnome at first
Grail Could be reactivated. It was sort-of slow on Pentium 75s, but
Python code seems to run fast enough on
modern processors.
There are dozens of dead or dying projects out there which have a lot of
merit. Perhaps it is time for a team of users/coders to look at them and
pick one.
After looking at the directions of M13, Bleah, I am striking Mozilla from my
list of possible uses.
Let's get real for a moment. I have 15 users recently moved from windows.
First I gave them Netscape for their email. They do not like and manage to
keep forgetting to click on the paper clip for attachments so they can save
them, then they forget that clicking on their house in KDE is where the saved
attachments are located. I have arranged applnks and mimelnks so the
attachments open their own applications. But there is unrest among the
commoners. The cry of, "too many steps, bring back Microsoft," is oft
muttered.
OK, now I am converting them to kmail. Not ideal by any means, but you click
the attachment and XPDF or StarOffice or AcrobatReader or archiver rises to
the bait and opens it. WordPerfect files without extensions which seem to be
popular attachments from the EPA still have to be saved, then opened from the
WordPerfect application.
I will be very pleased when I can finally dump Netscape. Right now, I see it
as the biggest obstacle to general use of linux on the desktop.
Civileme
