By Alissa Arford-Leyl
Shop Site of the Month
Custom Automotive Restoration Inc. - Portland, Ore.
www.customautomotive.com
This site has an innovative design with refreshing graphics that directly relate to their "We Build Dreams" theme.
Web Wise
Netscape 6
Reviewers say the new Netscape 6 is ready to compete with Microsoft Internet Explorer to take back its share of the market. Most Internet users probably started out with Netscape and then ended up switching to Internet Explorer (IE) when they upgraded computers. Netscape says that its new browser offers users "unmatched convenience features and the ability to stay connected to important information, while offering users the flexibility to deeply customize the browser to fit their individual needs and personality."
Netscape 6 has been streamlined (8.5 MB) and only takes up half as much space as its predecessor, Netscape Communicator 4.7, and 25 percent less space than a comparable installation of IE. This is the first major upgrade since America Online acquired Netscape in 1998. Netscape 6 promises to lead the industry in standards compliance and will run across a wide variety of platforms from traditional PC desktops to new computing devices, like those that may be found in automobiles.
Some of the new features are reminiscent of the AOL Web browser, including a Buddy List that allows you to send instant messages to friends that are online at the same time. The Buddy List also translates to Netscape e-mail, checking to see if the person you are e-mailing is online, giving you the option to send an instant message or start a chat session.
The new interface includes "My Sidebar" - a listing of tabs that you can customize with your most accessed Web sites. You can easily get stock quotes, weather and headline news from any of about 400 participating Web sites that provide tabs.
The new design also offers a customizable search engine powered by Google that allows you to type in queries in the Web address/URL box. The results are brought up in My Sidebar, allowing you the flexibility to check multiple results without having to click back to the search engine for additional listings. If you're shopping for something, you can type in "shop" or "buy" in the search query to bring up AOL shopping lists. If you type in "quote" before a company name, the stock quote will come up.
Other improvements include more security options, language translation commands, Net2Phone software and Composer, a Web authoring tool.
Net Numbers
In the first four months of 2000, approximately
80 percent of Web users were browsing with Microsoft Internet Explorer, while about 20 percent used AOL/Netscape.
Source: TheCounter (http://www.upsdell.com)
ASA Web Ways
ASA Site Gets New Look and New Webmaster
If you've been to the Automotive Service Association Web site (http://www.asashop.org) lately you've probably noticed its fresh new look for the 21st century. Enhancements include new section navigation, a site map and quicker loading pages. The new site design went online in early April.
Colby Horton joined ASA in February as the new Web specialist and will begin writing Net Worth in June. Please send your questions and comments to colbyh@asashop.org. It has been a pleasure writing Net Worth and working with ASA members for the past three years. As the new manager of Web communications for the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland at College Park, I welcome any future Internet-related questions that you may have (aleyl@rhsmith.umd.edu).
Copyright (c) 1996-2008. Automotive Service Association. All rights reserved.
