The latest version of Netscape's integrated Internet access package is more than an update; it's a total rewrite. With this level of rewrite comes a few bugs and back-steps, but Netscape 6 also brings a significant new level of customisation possibilities.
You can tailor this version of Netscape to a greater degree than any other Internet access software currently available. All aspects of Netscape 6 have been redone, but we will restrict this discussion to the browser and email components.
A Whole New Look
The first thing you notice about Netscape 6 is that it has a more modern look. But this look is just the beginning. You can change the appearance of the Netscape interface by installing various themes, which can radically alter Netscape's personality.
If you click on View | Apply Theme | Get New Themes, you are taken to Netscape's Web site, where additional themes are available for download. You can also create your own themes, changing window colours and even layouts. You can modify the sound effects and even the warning messages produced by various tasks. You can find more information on creating themes at http://home.netscape.com/themes/createtheme.html.
As attractive as the new Modern theme is, there are a few glitches that can pop up when you're using it. For example, the browser attempts to complete URLs automatically as you enter them, based on your browsing his tory. That feature is controlled by a button in the dialog you access via Edit | Preferences | Navigator | Smart Browsing. Although you can see the description of the auto-complete button, the button itself isn't there! If you drag the bottom of the window down, making it larger, the button comes into view and you can activate this helpful feature.
The Sidebar Mini Browser
The second thing you notice about Netscape 6 is the My Sidebar panel at the left side of the window. The sidebar is effectively a mini browser, offering access to dozens of Web pages designed to fit this narrow format.
The Search tab shows the power of the sidebar. Search results appear in the sidebar, letting you select a link that then displays in the main window. Thus you can try other possibilities easily, without losing track of the original results. You don't have to enter the search in the tab, either. The field where you would normally enter a URL now serves as a search keyword field as well. The Search tab in the sidebar is activated when you enter a search term and results are displayed in the sidebar. You can change the engine that Netscape uses for these on-the-fly searches by clicking on Edit | Preferences and selecting Navigator | Internet Search.
Going beyond appearance, Netscape 6 lets you customise the sidebar area -- a very powerful feature. You can access key information without abandoning the Web page in your main window just by a clicking a tab. Clicking on Tabs shows you a range of installed sidebar tabs; you decide which to display. You can also customise the sidebar by installing additional tabs.
You are not restricted to the tabs included with Netscape, either. Surf to http://search.netscape.com/mysidebar.tmpl and you'll find hundreds of additional tabs. You can even create your own sidebar tabs if, for example, you want to improve information flow to a corporation's employees and customers.
You may find that you've chosen so many tabs that they crowd the sidebar window and aren't easily distinguished. You can double the amount of space available by displaying a different set of tabs in the mail window than you do in the browser windows.
Remembering Personal Information
Netscape 6 also can remember your personal information and fill out Web forms automatically. The Form Manager (click on Edit | Preferences and select Advanced | Forms to activate and edit stored information) creates a table of your personal information and how that information maps to the forms displayed at Web sites. Right-click on any page that contains a form and you can save the form data you have entered or fill out the form based on information you have already stored. Netscape includes a nice security feature, displaying all the form data -- even pieces that an unscrupulous Web designer may have hidden on the form -- so you can see (and control) how much personal information will be sent.
Netscape also offers a password manager that can store your passwords for restricted sites. This is optional, of course, and if more than one person uses your computer, you can protect the stored passwords by clicking on Tasks | Privacy and Security | Password Manager | Encrypt Sensitive Information. When a Web site asks for your password, you give Netscape your decryption code and the password manager fills in the password.
Multiple Accounts, Instant Messages
Many people have more than one email account to keep track of. Netscape 6 makes this easier by letting you consolidate all of your email accounts (as long as they're accessible via POP or IMAP). In the mail window, click on Edit | Mail | New Account Settings and you will see a button marked New Account. A wizard guides you through account setup, and you can check all of your mail without leaving the Netscape window.
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