Is this the end of Netscape?

So much for Netscape 8.0
That’s one upshot of Thursday’s settlement between Microsoft and AOL Time Warner, according to industry analysts, who predict the Netscape browser–currently at version 6.2–will now move from a neglected orphan of AOL to a candidate for euthanasia. “For the most part, it means Netscape is pretty much gone,” said Rob Enderle, an analyst for research firm Giga Information Group. “AOL is going to continue indefinitely now on IE (Internet Explorer) and has no justification really to continue funding Netscape.” Despite AOL’s seven-year contract to use IE in its flagship service, AOL Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons was vague about the future of Netscape, beyond maintaining it as a subsidiary. He said AOL Time Warner is continuing to evaluate Netscape for its value, but pledged America Online’s support for IE. [News.com]