Can Java applets in Netscape Navigator 4.0 access the local machine and
network connections?
Yes. Users can grant trusted Java applets an appropriate level of
access. This access level may range from restricted read, write, or
network access to unlimited machine access for highly trusted
applets. A security adviser will inform users about the possible
implications of granting greater levels of permission.
// Signed applets. It's a start.
Does Communicator support JDK 1.1?
Yes, the following JDK components are supported in Communicator,
starting with Preview Release 3:
Internationalization
Networking enhancements
I/O enhancements
JAR files
Object serialization
RMI
Reflection
Inner classes
JDBC
Performance enhancements
Miscellaneous (Byte, Short, Void, Bignum)
AWT imaging improvements
// Again, a start. But no Beans support? And no mention of why it's missing?
Will Netscape Netcaster support Microsoft's CDF proposal?
Microsoft's Channel Definition Format (CDF) is a proposal based on
another proposal, XML, that is complex and far from being
accepted. Netscape does not believe that the CDF is needed when
netcasting can be implemented more flexibly with the existing
open standards of HTML, Java, and JavaScript. Netscape will be
able to support CDF functionality by allowing content developers to
use JavaScript to specify netcasting parameters. This approach
will allow the Netscape netcasting platform to be open and flexible
and to avoid locking content developers into an unproven, limiting
specification.
// So is that the latest word from Netscape on the subject?
// 'unproven, limiting specification'. Not exactly a ringing endorsement,
huh :-)
Ron.