Netscape is no longer an ISP; having fallen to the mighty Microsoft. However for a few years, Netscape loomed large on the horizon as a promising alternative in the ISP community. However; like all mighty giants, the mighty giant called Netscape had to fall. Netscape remains a part of AOL and ‘active’ but in practice, the Netscape ISP is all but turned to dust.

Netscape Navigator was Netscape’s browser from 1.0-4.8. First released in 1994 as “Mosaic” they quickly changed their name to “Netscape Navigator.” At the time Netscape Navigator was the most advanced and was wildly successful. Netscape added full mail reader called Netscape Mail as it’s popularity continued to grow.

Netscape 3.0 was the first to face challenges form Internet Explorer. However, Explorer hadn’t reached the popularity of Netscape by any stretch. However, these tides were soon to change. Because of lack of development on Netscape’s front and continued development from Explorer, Netscape dwindled in popularity.

It was right around then that Netscape was purchased by AOL. In early 1998, Netscape announced that all software would run free of charge and on an open source community called Mozilla. The delay of their next version coupled with the relative newness of Mozilla led Netscape to a whole host of problems.

After much wrangling, Netscape shut it’s doors in 2003. While development was continued by AOL of Netscape, in house, there were no plans to revive the dead patient. Between 2005 & 2007 Netscape became a browser and was only released on a Windows based platform.

Netscape today includes news feeds, support and has become more of a social internet presence, like a Digg, than a creator of software. Netscape also has plans to release it’s software on Mac OS X in addition to the Windows presence it currently has.

Sadly for some, Netscape’s presence continues to decline. It’s almost as though the company never existed; being swallowed down the throats of AOL and such. But this is what happens to software makers in the heated competition of this day and age; in a ‘whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger’ move, these companies (Explorer & Netscape) square off; then, in a final, keep your friends close and your enemies closer swipe, the nascent AOL buys them up, trying to parry a move against Mr. Gates and friends. But it’s all to the same end. So as we prepare to swallow the next new operating system from one of the goliaths, we can take comfort in the fact that we were aware of a time when little guys actually did rise to the top; granted with billions and billions of dollars and through heavy corporate sponsorship.