Browser war. Netscape

The Internet is an amazing invention of mankind, and we're used to it, that it is also free. Yes, Certainly, we all pay to connect, creation and maintenance of websites, but Internet surfing itself never demanded money from us, and access to the Internet through browsers is also free.

But is this how it was originally intended??

The era before graphical browsers

The Internet was very different before graphical browsers., as we know him. After all, it was invented by scientists for scientists, to exchange information. The Internet was available to a limited number of people, more precisely, universities, and then consisted of several pages, filled with texts. One day an NCSA student (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) Marc Andreessen decided, what such property of mankind should be available to everyone, not a handful of scientists.

And in 1992 year Mark, along with Eric Bina, created the Mosaic graphic browser under the control of NCSA. Mosaic was not the only graphic browser of his time, but definitely became the most popular. Andrissen sent a browser for a dozen acquaintances. And soon the browser was downloaded hundreds of times, it became clear, that the product is in demand.

Jim Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics, I was just interested in such a solution. Maybe, the name of the company means nothing to you, but it was she who later became SGI, developed the same OpenGL library and generally advanced computer graphics. But that's not about it now. Jim Clark invested 5 million dollars in Marc Andreessen and his product, What gave the start of Netscape in 1993 year.

Netscape, arrogant and free

Netscape was amazingly managed not only to bring something incredible to the world of technology, but also managed to inherit financially. But about everything in order.

Group of developers, involved in Mosaic, quickly began to produce a full browser product. Because of the vessels with NCSA from the name Mosaic had to refuse. Therefore, the company soon introduced Netscape Navigator - a free, full-fledged browser for users from all over the world. On the very first day, the developers began to monitor, How are the downloads going?, notifying each volley sound for each load. Soon the browser scored a thousand downloads, And in the conference hall there was a canonade of shots. There was a million downloads, that at that time is incredible, taking into account the Internet covering and the number of computers in general. It was a victory and the beginning of that free Internet, How we know him.

Netscape has not yet been a year, When the company entered the securities market. Incredible impudence for the manufacturer, which didn't even have paid products. Everyone thought, that it would be a huge failure. Nevertheless, Jim Clark already on the first day of trading turned his 5 million investments in 663 million dollars (and that's just 19% shares). And just a year and a half later, he became the first billionaire in the history of the Internet..

Bill's Big Eye

The first two versions of Netscape Navigator dominated the market. From a regular browser they have already turned into a full-fledged web package, where was the post office, and WYSIWYG editor for code and much more. Although paid modules began to bring profit to the company, The nucleus of the browser remained free. The appearance of a response from Microsoft was already visible on the horizon.

Naturally, It was impossible to expect, that in those days something could pass by Microsoft. After all, it was Microsoft that was considered Goliath of technology in the world of personal computers, And it was she who was supposed to release the first browser. She failed to stop Netscape. Moreover, Marc Andreessen didn't mince words about Microsoft even before the release of a competing browser, and even more so after the release.

War on Internet Explorer

After the release of Netscape Navigator version 1.22 Internet Explorer appeared - a full-fledged competitor in the market. During the confrontation between IE and Netscape, HTTP evolved, there are new tags in HTML. The first JavaScript implementation was created on the Netscape side, In another camp, they made the first commercial implementation of CSS. All, What appeared in some, Immediately adapted for others.

Let Ie be created by the giant of the market, but on the basis of the same NCSA mosaic. Mark Andrissen in every possible way bored with the whole Microsoft and their products. Despite the leadership of Windows and its built -in free IE product, 90% The browsers market was still for Netscape.

Marc Andreessen's insults did not go unnoticed by Microsoft employees, and the atmosphere in the company became tense: everyone already wanted to rub the nose of this arrogant newcomer with his Netscape. Microsoft printed out the statements of the Netscape leadership and hung in the office, Yes, and with photographs, In order not to forget the face of the enemy. Bill Gates appointed one of the presentations of IE on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, To emphasize, that everything that happens is nothing else, Like a war. It seems that the Apotheosis of the enmity was the case, When in October 1997 IE developers, Drowning at a party on the release of Internet Explorer 4, We took a huge logo of their browser to the Netscape office.

In the morning, all Netscape employees had to see this "insult". At least, there was a calculation. In fact, several Netscape employees, who were in the office at night, didn’t get confused and pulled out our mascot Mozilla (familiar name, yes?) and finished the art object with a signature: Netscape 72%. Microsoft 18%, hinting at the audience, which each of the products occupied on the market at that time.

It would seem, The stars were on the side of Netscape and everything promised the company victory in this war. So it would be, If all sides played by the rules. Let Netscape have colossal community support and market championship, but there was no close money and influence, what Microsoft had. The latter did not hesitate to put pressure on computer distributors. So, if any browser other than Internet Explorer is installed on the machine (which could not be deleted yet), they will no longer be able to distribute Windows, occupied 90% operating systems market. Although the wording referred to any browser, it was clear, that the measure is directed against Netscape Navigator. The sales department went on many tricks, To be sold by Internet Explorer on the market. And fewer users and resellers contacted Netscape. This was the beginning of the end.

The unbearable crown of the winner

Internet Explorer ended up won the war and soon occupied almost the entire browser market. Netscape suddenly sold AOL, where the companies are smaller during the decline go. Jim Clark by that time turned his 5 Million c 2 billion. Of course, and other co -founders and leading engineers with shares received a considerable such kush from this transaction. Netscape was dying in the hands of aol, As for Microsoft ... There is always a larger fish in the ocean, And this has become the US government.

Microsoft in the fight against Netscape violated the laws of the state, prohibiting monopolies to use their market position. Microsoft defended its rights for several days in court, And yet, as a result, Bill Gates had to leave the post of CEO of the company forever, And on Internet Explorer 6 There was a postscript, that the browser is made on the basis of NSCA Mosaic. Courts reflected in the future of the company: Any attempt to monopolize the market could lead to the separation of the company in two, What almost happened in 2001 year.

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