What Browsers Can and Can't Do
The biggest headache in the Web today (after load time) is the
Browser Gap -- the fact that only a few Web clients support all
the layout and structure features of Hypertext Markup Language.
This document tells you which browsers do and do not support the
extended features proposed for HTML-3. Generally speaking, these
extensions include:
- Ability to center page elements with <CENTER> tag
- Size attributes in the <HR> tag
- Alignment and other attributes for <IMG> tag
- Differential font sizes with <FONT> tag
- Tables
- Mathematical equations
- In addition, a number of enhancements have been proposed
by Netscape Corporation -- the so-called "Netscape Extensions:"
- Tiled images as page background
- Custom colors for background and text
- Dynamic documents (client pull and server push)
- Netscape has also proposed a number of even further enhancements, which we
will call "Netscape Innovations:"
- "Frames" or independent windows displaying different URLs
- Plug-ins to support Macromedia Player and other multimedia formats
- Client-executable programs ("applets") in the Java programming language
This list shows capabilities of many popular Web browsers.
Thanks to Kevin Scott for the research.
- Explore OnNet
- Manufacturer: FTP Software
- Home Page:
http://www.ftp.com/home/explore/
- Current Version: 1.1
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- Internet Connection for Windows
- Manufacturer: IBM Networking Software
- Home Page:
http://www.raleigh.ibm.com.icw/
- Current Version: 3.0
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- InternetWorks (AOL Browser)
- Manufacturer: America Online
- Home Page:
http://www.navisoft.com/
- Current Version: Beta 7
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- Mosaic in a Box
- Manufacturer: Spry, Compuserve Internet Division
- Home Page:
http://www.spry.com/
- Current Version: 1.0
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- NCSA Mosaic
- Manufacturer:
- Home Page:
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/
- Current Version: 2.0
- Platform(s): Windows, Macintosh, Unix
- Supports:
- HTML-3? SOME
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- NetCruiser
- Manufacturer: Netcom
- Home Page:
http://www.netcom.com/
- Current Version: 1.6
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- Netscape Navigator
- Manufacturer: Netscape
- Home Page:
http://www.netscape.com/
- Current Version:1.1
- Platform(s): Macintosh, Unix, Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? YES
- Netscape Enhancements? YES
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- Netscape Navigator 2.0
- Manufacturer: Netscape
- Home Page:
http://www.netscape.com/
- Version 2.0 to be released Fall, 1995
- Platform(s): Macintosh, Unix, Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? YES
- Netscape Enhancements? YES
- Netscape Innovations? YES
- Pipeline USA
- Manufacturer: Performance Systems International
- Home Page:
http://www.usa.pipeline.com/
- Current Version:3.0.1 beta
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- SuperHighway Access
- Manufacturer: Frontier Technologies
- Home Page:
http://www.frontiertech.com/
- Current Version: 4.0
- Platform(s): Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
- MacWeb/WinWeb
- Manufacturer: EINet
- Home Page:
http://www.galaxy.einet.net
- Current Version: 1.1
- Platform(s): Macintosh, Windows
- Supports:
- HTML-3? NO
- Netscape Enhancements? NO
- Netscape Innovations? NO
HTML-3 Features in Mosaic 2.0