Re: Compuserve's Web browser (SPRY - Are you listening?)

On Thu, 20 Apr 1995, "Gerald W. Edgar" <gwe3409@drtn009.ca.boeing.com> wrote:
>All right - let SPRY comment on this allegation that
>The Compuserve browser destroys all other browsers -
>or would it simply overlay other versions of the Spry 
>browser? Spry was resently acquired by Compuserve
>if you were not already aware of this.

Sorry about the delay in responding - I having been making sure that I can speak 
for SPRY in this matter.  Here's the official scoop:

"There have been rumors on the Internet of CompuServe NetLauncher "destroying" 
other competitive browsers.  This is not true.

CompuServe NetLauncher will not destroy other Web browsers on your machine.  
Instead, it renames existing winsock.dll files in order to shorten the 
installation process for new Internet users. <<That is to say, it will not need 
to add anything to the user's PATH. -Chris>>  When installing NetLauncher, there 
is a dialog box alerting the user that their winsock.dll files will be renamed.  
Following is another dialog box that requires confirmation of their knowledge 
that their WinSock files will be changed.

NetLauncher proceeds to rename the other winsock.dlls to winsock.000, 
winsock.001, etc.  If the user wants to reactivate their other winsocks, all 
they need to do is rename the CompuServe winsock.dll to something else (e.g. 
winsock.cis) and name the desired winsock.00? to winsock.dll."

<end official message>

In addition, some winsock DLLs implement non-standard extensions to the WinSock 
specification, which the applications shipped by some vendors require.  For 
example, the winsock shipped in Windows 95 contains proprietary interface 
components, which means that the winsock shipped with NetLauncher will cause 
some applications (which depend on this proprietary API) to fail to work 
properly.  The winsock shipped with NetLauncher will run all WinSock-compliant 
applications.

-Chris Wilson

:::::::::::::::::::::<<< NETWORKING THE DESKTOP >>>::::::::::::::::::::
 Chris Wilson            	    Spry, Inc.
 WWW Technology Lead		    316 Occidental Avenue S. 2nd Floor
 Email: cwilson@spry.com	    Seattle, WA  98104
 Phone: (206) 447-0300		    FAX: (206) 447-9008
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Received on Friday, 21 April 1995 18:07:58 UTC