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What is AOL doing?
They keep IE, signing an extension.
They spin off Mozilla.
They turn Netscape into a bulked up ad for AOL.
They lay off many people at Netscape.

and now

They are working on two browsers:
a stand-alone effort (they had one, called Netscape)
a new version of Netscape.

Does this make sense?

Usually, when you see some major change of direction like this, there's been a management change where someone with completely different ideas has been brought in. I haven't heard of any major shake-up recently at AOL, though.

The one thought that occurs to me immediately: the Netscape portal. At one time, it was one of the most popular on the web. Assume it still is. There'd be money in making Netscape into AOL lite, a community with its own browser and links to services different from those in AOL.

But why the standalone? They probably can't charge for it. Mozilla/Firefox has largely precluded companies like Opera from making money on paid browsers. (That's so like open source.)
And the browsing inside AOL is hooked to opportunities to spend money. They'd certainly not want to lure people away from that atmosphere dense with sales pitches.
It couldn't be a way to experiment with the Gecko engine because it's based on IE, if I read the article correctly.

The only reason I can think of is the standalone is a replacement for Netscape's prior role: a lighter connection to AOL's offerings. Netscape vacates that role by becoming the browser of a separate community, so a new browser is plugged in.

That make sense? Anything I missed?

By the way, this is one of the better articles published in ZDNet lately. Compliments to the author.
Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 10/13/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Who Cares?  coffeenite | 10/13/04
I can save AOL....at least some money  Monkey_MCSE | 10/13/04
no kidding, they should use Mozilla  V Sanders | 10/14/04
Exactly -- Who cares  bugmenotznet | 10/14/04
AOL/Microsoft  Joe Blow_z | 10/13/04
Time-Warner was calling the shots  jjon2121 | 10/13/04
Lip service  alterego_z | 10/13/04
Nav is not Comm  dfowensby | 10/13/04
7.2 really is  Bill4 | 10/13/04
What is AOL doing?  Anton Philidor | 10/13/04
What is AOHell doing?  jheine | 10/13/04
Standalone IE still exists.  Anton Philidor | 10/13/04
RE: What is AOHell Doing?  johnsha | 10/15/04
Could it be...  Michael Kelly | 10/13/04
They already extended the IE agreement.  Anton Philidor | 10/13/04
Once a year they claim Netscape will rise again.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/13/04
Usually when...  Michael Kelly | 10/13/04
Except...  John L. Ries | 10/13/04
If Firefox's success continues, it just might  CobraA1 | 10/13/04
Solution to MS threat - international UN-like integration (OSS). (NT)  Vily Clay | 10/13/04
Make up your minds  John L. Ries | 10/13/04
I agree  CobraA1 | 10/13/04
What a bunch of *_NOISE_* !!  Eggs Ackley_z | 10/14/04
For once we agree.  bugmenotznet | 10/14/04
Netscape: Bowed but not broken  windy@... | 10/14/04
optimization  jbaviera@... | 02/02/05
Netscape 7.2 Beats Firefox in Rendering Pages  mooreman_z | 10/14/04
RE: Netscape 7.2 Beats Firefox in Rendering Pages  jbaviera@... | 02/02/05
Netscape is broken  KLandis317@... | 10/14/04

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