On Feb. 8, the curtain fell on a piece of software that changed the world.
Launched in 1994, Netscape's Navigator browser was the fuse that sparked the Internet boom in the mid-1990s, and gave most of us our first peek at the "information superhighway." In its heyday--shortly before Micro-soft ambled in to play its own game of Monopoly--more than 80% of web surfers were using Navigator as their board. Netscape's domination was short-lived, however, and by the late '90s, the company's fortunes had collapsed.
The Web--for a while, at least--appeared to be fully in Microsoft's grasp. Finally, after years of decline and obscurity, AOL--Netscape's eventual owner--pulled the plug on the battered browser.
While they may seem trivial now, the "browser wars" of that period were every bit as consequential (and disruptive) as Beta vs. VHS. And while the survivors continue to campaign, a new frontier has opened up: With most handheld devices now offering mobile browsing, even Google has entered the race to dominate the wireless Web.
Let's hope the combatants have done their history homework.
The evolution of the web browser
'91: WorldWideWeb
Having invented the Web, programmer Tim Berners-Lee invents the web browser and calls it...WorldWideWeb. The browser controls 100% of the one-user market.
'93: NCSA Mosaic 1.0
Considered the first "mainstream" browser, Mosaic is released to the general public. Thanks to a U.S. senator named Al Gore, the project is partially funded by the U.S. government.
'95: Netscape Navigator 1.0
Marc Andreessen, co-author of NCSA Mosaic, leaves the lab to start his own firm, which he dubs Netscape. Its browser, Navigator, is a runaway success.
'95: Microsoft Internet Explorer 1.0
Microsoft enters the game, licensing an offshoot of NCSA Mosaic and slapping a new name on it. At first, Internet Explorer ships as part of a Windows 95 optional extras pack, but later versions will come bundled with the operating system. This distribution advantage is critical.
The same month, Netscape's IPO sees its stock value triple on the first day of trading. The world takes notice, and the high-tech boom is on.
'96: Opera pipes up. Launched from a research project at a Norwegian telecom company, it's the first to offer tabbed browsing. But unlike its competitors, it's not free; its market share remains limited
'97: Development of NCSA Mosaic is cancelled.
'98: Going open-source
Losing money and shedding users, Netscape takes a risk and releases the source code to Navigator. The move means anyone can help improve its code--or use it as a basis to design browsers of their own. Programmers decide to rewrite it from scratch, instead. They dub the years-long project Mozilla.
'98: United States v. Microsoft
The U.S. Department of Justice takes action against Microsoft for--among other things--integrating Internet Explorer into Windows 98, arguing that it restricts the market for Netscape and others. The case drags on until 2001, but in the end, Microsoft remains free to bundle its browser with its operating systems
'99: Despite its woes, Netscape is purchased by AOL for $4.2 billion. The late-'90s tech bubble inflates a little more.
'01: A new version of Navigator is released. The product, based on the work- in-progress Mozilla, is a disaster: The browser barely works.
'02: Mozilla 1.0
The retooling of Navigator is finally finished. But instead of sticking it to Microsoft, the new version is seen as bloated. As one critic grouses, "I don't want a freaking e-mail client, news reader, IRC client and Cuisinart built into my web browser."
'02: Two frustrated Mozilla programmers--one of them an 18-year-old intern--start a side-project called "Phoenix." Taking advantage of Mozilla's open-source code, they work at paring it down to a fast, simple program. The name turns out to be trademarked, so by the time the project's finished, the browser has a new name: Firefox
'03: Safari 1.0
Microsoft cancels Internet Explorer for Macs. Apple wades in with its own browser. Like Mozilla, Safari is built on an open-source foundation, derived from a program called Konqueror.
'03: Even AOL doesn't want to use Mozilla. In a settlement with Microsoft over antitrust damages, AOL becomes free to use Internet Explorer with its online service. Two months later, AOL disbands its Netscape unit.
'03: Internet Explorer hits its zenith, controlling over 95% of the market. Familiarity breeds discontent: The product is increasingly viewed as stagnant, and worse--riddled with security holes
'05: Firefox 1.0
After years of work, the phoenix finally rises. Fast, stable and secure, Firefox is downloaded over 1,000,000 times in its first day.
'06: With Firefox rapidly gaining users, development of Mozilla is officially cancelled.
'07: The iPhone arrives
...and Safari--the unit's built-in web browser--chalks up a million new users in just under three months.
'07: AOL kills Navigator once and for all. But its legacy survives through its progeny: Firefox now controls a solid 16% of the market.
