New Browser Makes It Easier and Faster To Find Information
With Simple Internet Keywords, Delivers Improved Performance
And Includes Market-Leading RealPlayer G2 from RealNetworks
Puts Local Dining, Movies, Weather, And Sports At Consumers' Fingertips
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Netscape, a subsidiary of
America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL), today announced that Netscape Communicator
4.6, the latest version of its award-winning Internet browser and email
software, is now available for download free via Netscape Netcenter. With
SmartBrowsing, Communicator 4.6 makes it faster and easier for consumers to
find helpful Netcenter services such as local dining, movies, weather and
sports information by simply entering new expanded Internet Keywords such as
"san francisco movies" into the Navigator browser location bar. Speed
enhancements enable Communicator 4.6 to outperform IE5* in page loading from
the top 100 Internet sites over a modem. Communicator 4.6 now also includes
RealNetworks RealPlayer G2, the most popular way to find and experience
streaming audio and video on the Internet.
"By providing seamless integration with services such as SmartBrowsing and
AOL Digital City, Netscape Communicator 4.6 enables users to find what they
want on the Web faster and easier," said Barry Schuler, President of AOL
Interactive Services. "By adding the award-winning RealPlayer G2,
Communicator 4.6 delivers leading audio and video capabilities to consumers,
making their Internet experience richer and more enjoyable."
Communicator 4.6 improves and accelerates finding information by taking
full advantage of Netcenter Internet Keywords. With new enhancements to
Internet Keywords, consumers can type in common words or topics such as "new
york movies," "san francisco sports," "chicago weather," or "boston dining" to
receive the latest local information and listings from AOL Digital City's
expansive library of up-to-date regional content. In addition, users may type
in "summer movies" to gain immediate access to the RealGuide Summer Movie
Showcase from RealNetworks at http://realguide.real.com/movies/. The Internet
Keywords feature builds on Communicator 4.51's popular Quotes Anywhere
service, which lets users retrieve stock quotes by simply typing "quote" and
their ticker symbol of choice in the browser location bar.
Communicator 4.6 also provides new features that assist consumers once
they reach a Web site. Improvements to the What's Related feature provides
users with information about the site they are visiting such as the site's
popularity and true ownership. They can also perform a fast "search" on a
similar topic, peruse related news stories, or view matching categories in the
Netscape Open Directory. Communicator 4.6 allows each of these tasks to be
performed with the click of a button.
RealPlayer G2 from RealNetworks, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), the recognized
leader in streaming media, allows Communicator 4.6 users to experience the
best audio and video programming on the Internet. With RealPlayer G2 now
bundled with Communicator 4.6, users have an easy way to find the broadest
range of audio and video content using integrated RealPlayer Search. Built-in
RealChannels and presets provide one-click access to hundreds of live radio
and TV stations across the world. Integrated access to RealGuide provides the
most comprehensive guide to streaming media content on the Internet.
Consumers can also personalize RealPlayer G2 by adding new RealChannels from
more than 100 leading media content providers including Netcenter, CNN,
Bloomberg, ABCNews.com, ESPN, Comedy Central and many others. All this
programming is available for playback using the latest technology in
RealPlayer G2 including RealAudio G2, RealVideo G2 and SureStream.
"Netscape Communicator 4.6 offers an unbeatable way for consumers to have
a rich Internet media experience," said Maria Cantwell, Senior Vice President,
Consumer and E-Commerce at RealNetworks, Inc. "By bundling RealPlayer G2,
Communicator 4.6 gives users instant access to popular RealAudio and RealVideo
programming both in Netcenter and in RealPlayer G2."
Communicator 4.6 now includes at least 56 bit cryptography in all versions
(a 128 bit version is also available in the U.S. and Canada). Customers
worldwide can now enjoy a safer shopping experience on properly enabled sites.
The release also corrects potential security vulnerabilities reported in
recent months by independent programmers.
Netscape is a leading provider of software and services for businesses
that want to transform the way they create and keep customers in the emerging
Net Economy. Recently acquired by America Online, Inc., Netscape is based in
Mountain View, California.
RealNetworks, (Nasdaq: RNWK), based in Seattle, is the recognized leader
in the streaming media market. It develops and markets software products and
services designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer
electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia
services using the Web.
RealNetworks continues to maintain a more than 85% share of the streaming
media market. More than 85% of all Web pages on the Internet using streaming
media use industry leading RealAudio, RealVideo, RealFlash(TM), RealText(TM)
or RealPix(TM), and more than 300,000 hours of live RealAudio and RealVideo
programming are available each week (Source: Hotbot).
Additional information on Netscape is available on the Internet at
http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to info@netscape.com, or by calling
corporate sales at 650/937-2555.
RealNetworks can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.real.com.
Netscape, Netscape Navigator and the Netscape N and Ship's Wheel logos are
registered trademarks of Netscape in the United States and other countries.
Other Netscape logos, product names, and service names are also trademarks of
Netscape Communications, which may be registered in other countries. Other
product and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.
* Benchmark tests conducted by Netscape demonstrate that Communicator 4.6
is faster at page loading than IE5. Based on these tests, Communicator 4.6 is
nearly 15 percent faster on the most popular portals and more than 6 percent
faster on the Top 100 Media Metrix Web sites. Tests were conducted over a
28.8 modem with a Pentium133/48MB running Windows95. For more information,
you can view the test specifications at
http://home.netscape.com/products/news/c46speed.html
SOURCE Netscape Communications Corporation
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Related links:
http://home.netscape.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/585525.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 585525
CONTACT:
Catherine Corre of Netscape, 650-937-4046,
corre@netscape.com; or Kari Day of RealNetworks, 206-674-2358,
karid@real.com
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