The hybrid engine makes it into an updated prototype of the Netscape browser
If you’re a Netscape fan, you’ve probably run into websites that require you to fire up Internet Explorer in order to see the site properly. Of course, having to switch back and forth between two different browsers isn’t the most efficient use of one’s time. It seems the Netscape developers have thought of that, and the latest Windows-only prototype, distributed on Tuesday to a limited number of beta users, features a hybrid browser engine.
News source: Geek.com The hybrid engine allows users to switch between Netscape and Internet Explorer rendering and layouts without needing to bring up two browsers. The browser makes use of the existing Internet Explorer browser installed on Windows systems, and the Netscape/Gecko portion is based on code from pre-Firefox 1.0 browsers (the final release will use Firefox 1.0 code).
What does the new browser with a hybrid engine mean for surfers? According to a CNET source close to the development effort:
Quote:
What this release allows us to do is offer the compatibility of having IE if Web sites are optimized for IE, but it also allows the user to have the control and security of Mozilla browsers. … We’ve taken all the advanced capabilities available in other browsers and made them more intuitive and usable.
Netscape hasn’t decided yet if it will make the new browser compatible with non-Windows operating systems.
