- What is Netscape?
- Netscape is a network navigator that allows retrieval and
viewing of world wide web multimedia documents. It is compatible with
NCSA Mosaic and is designed to provide the next
generation of performance and ease-of-use.
Among the features of Netscape are:
- Multiple simultaneous interruptible network loads of text and images
- Native inline JPEG support
- Display and interaction with documents as they load
- Performance tuning for 14.4 kilobyte modems
- Security features offering private communications with certified servers (in 1.0 release)
- Multiple independent windows
- User preferences are remembered from session to session
- Superior Newsgroup interface
- What type of computer/software do I need to use
Netscape?
- Netscape can operate on any of the following environments:
- Macintosh with System 7 (or above)
- PC with Microsoft Windows (16-bit or 32-bit), Windows
for Workgroups, and Windows NT.
- X Window System on:
- DEC Alpha OSF/1 2.0
- HP-UX 9.03
- SGI IRIX 5.2
- IBM RS6000 AIX 3.2
- Sun SparcStation Solaris 2.3
- Sun SparcStation SunOS 4.1.3 (Solaris 1.0)
There should be at least 4MB of RAM, and at least a 14400-baud
connection to the Internet.
- Is it easy to configure Netscape?
- Yes. Installing Netscape is very simple.
While additional configuration is not required,
personal options and preferences are easily managed by way of
a simple graphical interface.
- What makes Netscape better than NCSA Mosaic?
- Netscape has been built specifically to provide superior
performance.
The following are a few of the important enhancements:
- You can see and interact with the document while it loads.
- Multiple images and text can all load at the same time.
- JPEG images are supported for better compression.
- Document and image caching reduce network accesses.
- The graphical user interface makes everything very easy to use.
- Advanced features include hierarchical bookmarks and
a configurable graphical user interface.
- How can I purchase a copy of the Netscape?
- If you wish to purchase Netscape and associated support,
you can order directly from Mosaic Communications Corporation.
Call 1-800-NETSITE.
- Does Netscape offer integrated e-mail and
newsgroups?
- You can use Netscape to browse and post to newsgroups.
(To use news features, you must have access to an nntp news server.)
Netscape allows you to send Internet e-mail. You will continue
to receive e-mail through your normal e-mail reader.
- What type of modem do I need to use
Netscape?
- We recommend using a 14400 baud (or faster) modem. Netscape will also
work with 9600 baud.
- What type of Internet account/access do I need to use
Netscape?
-
Your Internet access must include access to
the many World Wide Web servers on the Internet.
Talk to your Internet provider if you are unsure about
your available access.
- What other software do I need to use Netscape?
- While not required to run, Netscape uses "Helper
Applications" for displaying audio, video, and also for telnet and
ftp. These applications are configured in your Preferences window. For
help configuring this window, check out our documentation:
Helper Applications
The Macintosh Beta version requires MacTCP.
The Window Beta version requires a winsock TCP/IP stack.
- What external viewers exist and where do I get them?
- On the Macintosh: JPEGView, SoundMachine, SoundApp, MacBinaryII+,
Mactar, MacGzip, and Sparkle
are all downloadable applications.
There are several popular ftp sites for Macintosh applications,
including ftp://sumex-aim.stanford.edu and
ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu
On Windows: LVIEW31.EXE (for JPEG images), MPEGPLAY.EXE (for MPEG
movies), and MPLAYER.EXE (for audio files) are all useful
applications. The main site for this is ftp://ftp.cica.indiana.edu, but
that site is often difficult to reach. You can also try the mirror
site on ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/.
The files you want are:
Gif/Jpeg:
---------
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/desktop/lview31.zip
MPEG:
-----
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/desktop/mpegv11d.zip
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/desktop/mpegw32g.zip
Video for Windows (AVI)
-----------------------
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/desktop/avipro2.exe
Audio
-----
ftp://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/micro/msdos/win3/sounds/wham131.zip
Depending on the X platform that you are using, you will need to use
different applications. We have a sample mailcap file for SGI that
demonstrates a typical SGI configuration for helper applications.
All helper applications are configured through the Preferences
window. For more information, check our documentation on Helper Applications.
- Does Netscape support real-time,
on the fly decoding of audio or video files?
- Yes. The X Windows version of Netscape can download a file
in two ways: wait until the entire file is there and then launch the
external "viewer" or, launch the viewer and send data to the viewer as
it arrives from the network.
For audio and video files this means that you can listen to them and
watch them as they arrive from the Internet. So, if you have a program
on your X platform that can accept streaming audio input, it can be
used with Netscape to play audio directly off the network.
Check out our sample mailcap
for SGI to see how streaming audio is configured.
- Can I access other relational databases using the
Netscape browser?
- We are not currently supporting this capability.
- Why do my images come out with dots on them?
- Netscape supports inline image support for GIF, JPEG and
XBM. Netscape displays images using a "color cube" (enabling
display of all images, regardless of the colors used). Colors in the
image are replaced by colors in the color cube. Since version 1.0
always uses the color cube, images may look speckled.
You can turn off dithering in the Preferences dialog; however, JPEG
images will always be dithered.
- Is there a way to "import" hotlists from the NSCA
Mosaic to Netscape bookmarks?
- Yes! Netscape bookmarks come with an Import command that
will read any HTML file containing links and turn those links into
entries in the Bookmark list. Convert your
current Hotlists to HTML and then use the Import command on the
Bookmark window. (If you need help, check out our
documentation on the
Bookmarks Dialog)
If you are running NCSA Mosaic for X Window System, bring up your Hotlist dialog and
choose Mail To. Mail the hotlist to yourself: it arrives in HTML
form. Alternatively, for X Window System you could use the hl2html
(that is "hotlist to html") utility to convert your hotlist to HTML.
If you're on NCSA Mosaic for Windows, use the HHConv that is a
HyperCard stack that will take you through the steps to turn your
hotlist into HTML.
- How do I set the default window size on the X
platform?
- To set the default size of the window, use the command-line option
-geometry =620x950+630+40
or the X resource
Netscape.TopLevelShell.geometry: =620x950+630+40
- Does Netscape support XPM images?
- No, but future releases will.
- How do I make a Mailcap file or a MIME file for the
X version of Netscape?
- We do have a sample mailcap
for SGI.
info@mcom.com
Copyright © 1994 Mosaic Communications Corporation.
All prices subject to change without notice.
