Internet suite


An Internet suite is an Internet-related software suite. Internet suites usually include a web browser, e-mail client, download manager, HTML editor, and an IRC client.
The diversity of Internet suite offerings was greatest in the mid-1990s, when proprietary web browser vendors felt it more profitable to sell entire retail suites of applications on compact disc. However, by the end of the first browser war, the Internet suite market dwindled to one or two competitors every few years; in reaction, alternative routes of profit or funding were sought, and Mozilla began to separate the Mozilla Application Suite into separate projects: Firefox, Thunderbird, and Sunbird, but development of suite continued with Seamonkey internet suite and after several years it is very active and under Mozilla umbrella. A further cause of depression in the diversity of Internet suites was the rise of Ajax-based web applications which replicated most of the functions of their desktop client equivalents while offering cross-desktop portability through the web browser, something which was not offered as easily by desktop clients inside the Internet suite and outside the web browser.

Examples

Chronological listing
.
YearInternet
Users*
Web Browsers
Pre-browser: HyperCard, Gopher
1991
1992
1993
1994Minuet
199516 mil.Delrina Cyberjack
199636Arachne, Cyberdog, Opera 2, Internet Explorer 3, Netscape Gold
199770Netscape Communicator 4, Internet Explorer 4, Opera 3.0
1998147
1999248Internet Explorer 5
2000361Netscape 6, Opera 4, Opera 5
2001513Opera 6
2002587Netscape 7, Mozilla 1.0
2003719Opera 7
2004817Netscape Browser, OmniWeb 5.0
20051018Opera 8
20061093SeaMonkey, Opera 9, AOL OpenRide
20071262
20081565AOL Desktop, Opera 9.5
2009Opera 10, SeaMonkey 2

Operating system support

Note, 'terminated' means the same as yes, it was supported in the final release but development stopped.
Dropped means that major development has ended for that operating system but development for other operating systems continued, while the reverse situation of added is just treated as yes.
BrowserMS 2000/XP98/MeNT953.1IBM OS/2Mac OS X
Mac OS 9Mac OS 8System 7
LinuxBSDUnix
Other
Years 2000/2001199819931995199219882001199919971991'94/'911993-
Arachne
IE 5.0
IE 4.0
* *
IE 3.0 * *
Mozilla OpenVMS
Classillaunder Classic only
Netscape 7
Netscape 6
Netscape Communicator
Netscape Gold
Opera
SeaMonkey
BrowserMS 2000/XP98/MeNT953.1IBM OS/2Mac OS X
Mac OS 9Mac OS 8System 7
LinuxBSDUnix
Other

Suites by applications

Listing with major features, with approximate grouping. Note specific features in suites are often divided between applications differently, or integrated in different ways. The years category refers mainly to the active development and release period.
ClientYearsWeb browserE-mail clientHTML editorAddress BookIRC clientUsenetFTPGopherOther
ArachneDialer
Beonex CommunicatorExtensions
Classilla-
Cyberdog-
CyberjackTalkWorks, WinComm, WinFax
Internet Explorer 3Microsoft Comic Chat, Microsoft Java Virtual Machine, Microsoft NetMeeting, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player
Internet Explorer 4Active Channel, Microsoft Chat 2.0, Microsoft NetMeeting, RealPlayer, Windows Desktop Update
Internet Explorer 5Windows Media Player, NetMeeting, Chat,
Minuettelnet
MozillaExtensions, Palm Tools
Netscape GoldCoolTalk
Netscape CommunicatorNetscape Conference, Netscape Netcaster
Netscape 5
Netscape 6 & 7AIM, Radio, net2Phone
OperaDialer, BitTorrent
SeaMonkeyExtensions, Palm Tools
ClientYearsWeb browserE-mail clientHTML editorAddress BookIRC clientUsenetFTPGopherOther