AOL HAS released version 8.1 of the Netscape browser. In case you were expecting something revolutionary, or that the company listened to the users’ pleas to bring back the e-mail client or to extend Netscape 8 to other operating systems, Netscape 8.1 offers no very good news for you: it’s still Windows-only, and it’s still as U.S.-centric (if not more) than 8.0.
Let’s start with the good:
* Most stability problems appear to be ironed out by now.
* The applications starts very quickly. At least on my test system, a 2.4Ghz P4 with 512MB running WinXP SP2.
* There’s a new spyware scanner. Described here.
* Multiple user profiles are back – I remember those from Netscape 4.0 back in 1996. Ten years ago.
* The user is offered to download and auto install a copy of McAfee antivirus. In case you’ve been living outside this Planet and don’t know by now that running Windows without an antivirus is suicidal.
