Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 04:32:12 -0500
From: Helena Stolka <helena.stolka@news.netbeans.com>
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: NetBeans Releases Last Beta Version of Java IDE, Free Download Continues

Press Release:  Technology Writers & Business Editors

Prague, Czech Republic, September 14, 1998 - NetBeans, Inc. today announced the 
release of the Beta 3 version of NetBeans Developer 2.0.  It is the last beta 
prior to the full release, which is due near the beginning of Q4.  Beta 3 is 
available for free download from the NetBeans web site, http://www.netbeans.com.

NetBeans IDE is a full-featured Java IDE based completely on Swing/JFC.  
NetBeans is both written in Java and it generates Java code.  It is an object 
oriented, visual programming environment based on JavaBeans components without 
relying on any third-party components. The IDE is easily extensible, and it runs 
on any platform that supports JDK 1.1.x, including Win95/98/NT, Apple Mac, 
Linux, OS/2, Solaris, HP-UX, Irix, and others.  Since the June release of Beta 
1, over 18,000 new registered users have downloaded the tool.

"You're really on the bleeding edge here," said Brian Burton of Burton Computer 
Corporation.  "NetBeans is definitely the most sophisticated GUI I've seen built 
with Swing."

The Beta 3 version offers new Form Editor features, a new Connection Wizard, and 
improvements in performance and stability.  The Form Editor now boasts support 
for Swing borders, a feature requested by many beta testers and early NetBeans 
users.  Beta 3's new Connection Wizard is a powerful visual programming tool 
that allows developers to assemble applications without writing any code by 
hand.  Adding another level of flexibility to the NetBeans environment, the 
Connection Wizard is the idea tool for programmers who prefer visual rather than 
conventional code-centric programming for the bulk of their development, but who 
don't want to give up the ability to manually edit code. 

"NetBeans is not only a serious programming tool," said Roman Stanek, 
Founder/CEO of NetBeans, Inc.,  "but it's also an intuitive guide to new Java 
technology.  Spend half an hour running through the tutorial, and you'll walk 
away with an understanding of all that's new in Java."   

NetBeans' strength comes not only from the fact that it combines all aspects of 
Java application development into one comprehensive tool, but also from its 
platform-independent Java foundations.  Mark Wencek, Director of Professional 
Services at TRUE Software, Inc., commented, "it is also an important new tool on 
the market due to the fact that this tool will run on platforms such as Windows 
NT for DEC Alpha, HPUX, IBM AIX, Solaris, DEC Unix, and OpenVMS (DEC Alpha) 
since valid JDK 116 support layers are present. This is an important benefit to 
those of us who live on multiple platforms on a regular basis and do not 
currently have IDEs available to us as we do in the Win32 world."  

Products
NetBeans IDE combines the cross-platform compatibility of Java with the 
ease-of-use of a visual RAD programming environment, in a package that can 
dramatically cut application development costs.  Start-up time for the new Java 
developer is minimized by the use of wizards, templates, and a wide range of 
intuitive programming tools. 

NetBeans offers serious software developers a full set advanced tools in an 
intuitive format.  The IDE features a JFC-based form editor, full Java Bean 
support, an integrated Java debugger, a text editor with syntax coloring, a 
pluggable look and feel, full support for layout managers, applet generation 
support, and multiple virtual desktops.

NetBeans IDE will ship in two versions - Developer and Enterprise. NetBeans 
Developer was created for the single developer working on a single platform.  
NetBeans Enterprise was designed as a multi-user, multi-platform product. Users 
can fully exploit the object-oriented nature of the IDE, design distributed 
applications based on RMI/CORBA, share virtual filesystems, debug remotely, and 
access source control systems.

Availability
The Beta 3 version of NetBeans Developer 2.0 is now available and can be 
downloaded for free from the NetBeans Website at http://www.netbeans.com.  
NetBeans Developer 2.0 is scheduled for release near the beginning of Q4, and 
will retail for approximately $149.   Pricing and availability of NetBeans 
Enterprise will also be announced at that time.

About NetBeans, Inc.
NetBeans, Inc. is an emerging growth company based in Prague, Czech Republic, 
that has quickly risen to the forefront of Java technology development.  
NetBeans was founded in July, 1997, by a team of talented Java technology 
developers led by Roman Stanek, formerly the Regional Director of Central and 
Eastern Europe for Sybase.  An expert in IT and high technology in emerging 
markets, Mr. Stanek is a regular speaker at industry conferences and is 
frequently quoted by the computer and business press.

NetBeans is a privately held company whose investors include Esther Dyson, CEO 
of EDventure Holdings.  Ms. Dyson is a leading private global technology 
investor and is widely known in the computer industry as an analyst on emerging 
information technologies worldwide, an author, a speaker, and an advisor (see 
http://www.edventure.com/bios/esther.html).

Links:

NetBeans, Inc.
http://www.netbeans.com

Product Overview
http://www.netbeans.com/overview.html

NetBeans News
http://www.netbeans.com/news.html

Why NetBeans?
http://www.netbeans.com/whynetbeans.html

Download the IDE
http://www.netbeans.com/register.html

NetBeans Platforms
http://www.netbeans.com/jvms.html


Contact: 

Helena Stolka
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
NetBeans, Inc.
Tel: +4202 8300 7322, +420 602 294 022
Fax: +4202 8300 7399
helena.stolka@netbeans.com
http://www.netbeans.com

Note to Editors:  Sun, Java, JavaBeans, Java Foundation Classes, and JDK are 
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United 
States and other countries.