Netscape vs. IExplorer Admin Kits?

[Reeder Norm]

There's a large difference in how each works besides price (and 
Netscape has a $795 price for libraries for their Admin Kit).  The 
Internet Explorer Admin Kit is a "wizard" i.e. you answer "yes" and 
"no" to features you want to eliminate or not allow changes to.  It 
then creates a setup executable that you can take to each workstation 
and install.  Then no changes can be made to the browser (for example 
you can't change the homepage, can't define a mail server etc.)

Netscape besides being high in cost, makes you edit "Ini" files; no 
wizard, and not easy, though not impossible.  Would have been nice if 
they had done a better user friendly job, especially since they are 
charging fairly expensively for it.  They obviously have large 
corporations in mind who want to install across large networks and set 
defaults.

Norm Reeder
Library Services Manager
Torrance Public Library
3301 Torrance Blvd
Torrance, CA 90503
310-618-5950
reeder.norm at mail.ci.torrance.ca.us
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the City 
of Torrance

----------
From: 	Steve Hunt[SMTP:steve at lalaw.lib.ca.us]
Sent: 	Friday, May 09, 1997 4:58 PM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Netscape vs. IExplorer Admin Kits?


Does anybody have experience with the Netscape or Internet Explorer
Administration Kits?

I found out that Microsoft sells the Internet Explorer Administration
Kit for $20, while Netscape sells theirs for $2000. Big difference in
price!  I guess this is part of Microsoft's strategy to put Netscape
out of business; give away for free everything Netscape has to sell.

I like Netscape better,  but we may consider switching our
public-access workstations to Internet Explorer because of this
drastic difference in price.

Not to bash Microsoft too much, I hope that public libraries know
that they are eligible to purchase Microsoft products at the steep
educational discount price.

URLs of interest (may be broken across two lines, sorry)

MS Definition of Educational user:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/partner/programs/channel/
edefntn.asp

MS Education homepage:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/

MS Internet Explorer Administration Kit:
http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie3/ieak.htm

Netscape Administration Kit:
http://home.netscape.com/comprod/products/navigator/version_3.0/
management/admin/index.html