Stanislas Roland has recently released version 1.0.0 of his Rich Text Editor extension
Originally based on HTMLarea, Stanislas has added several new features and improvements. While TYPO3's default RTE only works with Internet Explorer, HTMLarea supports a large number of browsers. The extension has a long history before this 1.0.0 release, and is well tested and stable.
Some improvements still need to be completed to facilitate a smooth transition from the traditional RTE to HTMLarea. The Typo3 Association will therefore support a project that aims for delivering the enhanced HTMLarea as the default RTE and thus a true replacement for the traditional RTE.
More in-depth information about the future of HTMLarea will be available soon, as the News Team prepares an interview with Stanislas.