Microsoft dismissed speculation that AOL would move its 34 million subscribers away from Internet Explorer. The company's contract with Microsoft to use the market-leading Internet Explorer expired in January 2001, but through "residual rights," AOL is free to use the browser technology for as long as it wants. But news that AOL will soon be testing the technology that powers the browser suggests that AOL is not ready to abandon it. The trial rekindles the debate over a possible "battle of the browsers," with AOL dropping Microsoft's browser technology and turning to its own Netscape technology as the two giants vie for control over various areas of the Internet.ĪOL bought Netscape in 1999, but the browser technology that it was know for has floundered, leading many in the industry to speculate on the fate of Netscape. "We have put significant resources behind Netscape Gecko and and it's a great browser technology," said Whitney.
The source said the same type of testing would be undertaken take at AOL, which has about 34 million members worldwide. The browser is powered by Gecko technology that was developed through an open-source project called Mozilla.
#Hearts cards aol software#
NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters) - AOL Time Warner Inc.'s flagship AOL Internet unit is expected to start testing soon a Web browser using the guts of its Netscape technology, a source close to AOL said on Wednesday, opening up the possibility that the media giant plans to drop rival Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer.ĪOL spokesman Jim Whitney confirmed that the company has already shipped a Netscape browser in some test software for its discount Internet service, CompuServe. Thursday, MaWeb posted at 9:46:24 am GMT AOL testing new Netscape as alternative to Explorer AOL testing new Netscape as alternative to Explorer