| A quick look at Wikipedia reveals that Mosaic was | | | | (DIV) was added so that it remained fixed as the |
| the first popular World Wide Web browser to mix | | | | user scrolled down through a page. The results |
| image elements with text. It was developed at the | | | | looked great in FireFox 2.x, and nearly the same in |
| National Center for Supercomputing Applications in | | | | Opera 9.x and Safari 3.x, except that "fixed" box |
| 1992, released to the public in 1993 for non | | | | scrolled in Safari. For Internet Explorer 7.x, the fixed |
| commercial use, and orphaned in 1997. | | | | box scrolled, spacings differed, text background |
| Mosaic project alumni and other users established | | | | colors didn't stay with highlighted text, and some |
| Mosaic Communications Corporation which eventually | | | | menu colors (for active, hover, visited links) were |
| became Netscape Communications Corporation, | | | | totally screwed up. In other words, IE 7, supposedly |
| producing Netscape Navigator. A different group | | | | free of bugs found in prior releases, is not usable for |
| established Spyglass Inc. with their own version of | | | | this design template. |
| Mosaic. When Microsoft was not allowed to license | | | | Rather than load down the template design with |
| the Netscape Navigator, they made a deal with | | | | work-arounds for IE, it was replaced with a TABLE |
| Spyglass for fees partly based on browser sales. | | | | layout for positioning, plus some other HTML Tags |
| Microsoft called their browser Internet Explorer and | | | | Elements on menus and text selections. It still has |
| introduced it as an add on to Windows 95. MS | | | | elasticity and variable font sizes from dimensioning |
| bundled IE with later versions of Windows, thus | | | | mostly in "em" and "%" rather than "px". |
| having no sales revenues on the browser, which | | | | The logo.jpg image stays fixed in size when font size |
| caused Spyglass to threaten legal action, resulting in | | | | is changed, for FireFox and Safari, but is elastic for |
| $8 million settlement to Spyglass. | | | | Opera and Internet Explorer. Either is acceptable if |
| Netscape had initial market dominance, based on user | | | | the base image has adequate resolution, namely |
| acceptance. IE gained dominance via distribution with | | | | upwards of 144 dots or pixels per inch, perhaps |
| Windows. Such competition fostered both proprietary | | | | minimum 300. The 72 ppi that Adobe recommends |
| code and the evolution toward similar user interfaces. | | | | for screen images is more suited for small icons. |
| As of this writing, Netscape has been discontinued, | | | | For the uncommitted web designer, it seems that |
| and the non-profit Mozilla Foundation has continued | | | | ease of coding for these four browsers ranks as |
| Netscape concepts into the open source FireFox | | | | FireFox, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer, with IE |
| browser and related applications. | | | | being a problem. Netscape is no longer an issue, but it |
| The Safari browser was developed by Apple Inc. for | | | | is the ancestor of FF. |
| distribution with Mac OS X. It was first released as a | | | | IE browser through version 7 still does some things |
| public beta in January 2003 and is now available for | | | | differently from the other most popular browsers. As |
| Windows. It is claimed to be significantly faster than | | | | a consequence, a lot of web design effort is wasted |
| the alternatives. | | | | on making web pages work the same for IE as for |
| The Opera browser ranks behind Internet Explorer, | | | | other browsers. One workaround is to have web |
| Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Netscape in popularity. It is | | | | pages check the browser in use, then switch CSS |
| now free for personal use. Some of its security | | | | style sheets or JavaScript definitions to match. The |
| concepts and other features have influenced | | | | alternative is for page builders to design for only one |
| development of the other main browsers. | | | | browser, usually justified with a statement "optimized |
| A recent web template was made elastic ("fluid" or | | | | for nnnnn browser". |
| "liquid") using the DIV element instead of TABLE for | | | | It is unfortunate for designers and web users that |
| layout and variable font sizes. A floating text box | | | | Microsoft is so resistant to open standards. |