"Moz Champion (Dan)" wrote:
> > Uh... no. Look at the commas.
> >
> > It is limited to individual users, academic users, and research
> > users.
> Well fine, you decide what it said ten years down the road.
Why are you being a moron?
All that's being said here is that Netscape formulated a rather
"high-minded" cor****ate policy of making Navigator available for free,
and then apparently did an about-face and retracted that policy.
The following is not hypothetical, or fabricated. This is directly
from Netscape:
----------
(October 13, 1994) -- Netscape Communications Cor****ation today
announced that it is offering its newly introduced Netscape(TM)
network navigator free to users via the Internet. The new Internet
navigator, developed by the six-month-old Silicon Valley company led
by Silicon Graphics founder Jim Clark and NCSA Mosaic creator Marc
Andreessen, is available immediately for free downloading by
individual, academic and research users.
By making Netscape available free to individuals for personal use, the
company builds on the tradition of software products for the Internet
being offered free of charge.
"Making Netscape freely available to Internet users is Netscape
Communications' way of contributing to the explosive growth of
innovative information applications on global networks," said
Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape Communications.
"We expect Netscape's ease of use to spark another major leap in
Internet usage by making the net a powerful tool for a broader base of
users. By incor****ating security and advanced functionality, Netscape
now lays the foundation for commerce on the net."
The initial version of Netscape available today on the net is a public
beta version, enabling users to provide feedback on the software's
features and functionality across a wide range of computing platforms.
The company will also place the final version of the navigator, due
out in November, on the Internet for free downloading. This version
delivers security features such as encryption and server
authentication. When paired with the Netsite Commerce Server due out
in November, Netscape lets users take advantage of such commercial
services as online publications, financial services and interactive
shopping.
Customers who download the software do so for personal use only.
Commercial users can purchase sup****ted, licensed copies of Netscape
directly from Netscape Communications. Pricing starts at $99 per
user, which includes a 90-day warranty and customer sup****t. Volume
discounts are available for multiple user licenses. For information on
volume licensing of Netscape, send electronic mail to
sales@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
as of October 1994, in brief:
- Navigator public beta version is available for free download
- Netscape announces cor****ate policy of making Navigator
available for free for personal and academic use
- Netscape sets the price at $99 per user in commercial or
business settings, with volume licensing as an option
- Final version of Navigator (presumably 1.0) will also be
available for free downloading shortly.
- Netscape believes in an internet tradition of free software,
and wants to be part of that tradition by making Navigator
freely available for individual, personal use.
Netscape again repeated this cor****ate policy in their third press
release on November 11, 1994:
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease3.html
Netscape's fourth press release states that Navigator 1.0 will be
available in December 1994:
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease4.html
On December 15/1994 Netscape announces the availability of Navigator
1.0:
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease8.html
In the release, they say they are:
"setting the single-user price of its Netscape Navigator for
commercial use at $39. The pricing -- which includes a 90-day
warranty, 90-day online or phone sup****t, and diskette or CD
-- makes it readily affordable for commercial users, giving
the largest potential number of users access to commercial
strength, sup****ted technology.
Netscape Navigator 1.0 is available for free downloading on the
Internet for academic and non-profit use, as well as for free
evaluation purposes."
In it's 16'th press release dated March 6 / 1995, Netscape announces
the release of Navigator 1.1 beta, with the non-beta version scheduled
for the following month.
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease16.html
Interstingly, Netscape also says this:
"The 1.1 version of Netscape Navigator now available on the
Internet is a public beta version, enabling users to provide
feedback on the software's features and functionality across
a wide range of computing platforms. As with the 1.0 release,
Netscape will place the final version of Netscape Navigator
1.1 -- due out in April -- on the Internet for free downloading
by students and staff in education and non-profit organizations,
and for free evaluation by individuals and commercial
organizations. "
Note the phrase "and for free evaluation by individuals and commercial
organizations". Missing is the free use in any or all non-profit /
non business situations.
Later in the same release they say this:
"Individuals who download the software do so for evaluation use
only."
Which reveals their pending intent to charge for it for all situations
and settings outside of educational use.
In it's 27'th press release dated June 5/1995, Netscape announces
"Netscape Navigator Personal Edition" which will retail for $40.
Netscape says that Navigator 1.1 is part of Netscape Navigator
Personal Edition.
Netscape does not seem to have announced the non-beta availability of
Navigator 1.1 in any previous press release, nor the terms of
availability or charge for Navigator 1.1.
On June 20/1995, Netscape announces the availability of Navigator 1.2
for Windows 95. It is available for downloading and use at no cost
for "educational and charitable non-profit use and for evaluation by
commercial users" - no mention of individuals or home user.
In this announcement, Netscape also ends it's policy of allowing
perpetual upgrade rights to anyone who had paid for a previous version
of Navigator. The new policy is that such rights are restricted to a
previous-purchase 90 day time-frame.
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease30.html
In an August 1995 press release, Netscape refers to it's software as
"open" - whatever that means:
-------------------------
Netscape's full line of open software includes three families of
products: Netscape Navigator client software, Netscape server
software, and Netscape Internet Applications(tm). The products deliver
secure communications, advanced performance and point-and-click
simplicity to companies and individuals who want to create or access
information services on the Internet or private TCP/IP networks.
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease35.html
--------------------------
In an August 22 press release, Netscape again announces Netscape
Navigator Personal Edition for Microsoft Windows 95, with availability
set for "the Fall" in retail outlets, but does not give a date for
direct download availability:
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease38.html
On Sept 18/2005 Netscape announces Navigator 2.0, but says it won't be
available in final release until December. It will be available for
free use by educational and non-profit organizational use, but
apparently all others will have to pay an estimated $50.
http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease43.html
So basically the high-minded Netscape of October 1994 says that in the
spirit and tradition of the Internet that Navigator will be freely
available for all non-cor****ate, non-business users. Then just 2 short
months later in December 1994 it hints that it is reneging on that
policy and then 3 months later in March 1995 that free policy is fully
dismantled and buried.
For those that claim to have acquired Navigator 1.2 to 3.x via direct
download on the net (presumably from Netscape) it's not clear to me
how you could have obtained a fully working, non-expiring version
without paying for it at some point.
Presumably there were plenty of Navigator CD's in circulation, the
source being the many ISP's that would have provided them upon
customer sign-up, and presumably the Navigator on those CD's were
usable by anyone who could get their hands on them.
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