Safari For windows

Apple Safari has managed to get its firm grounding in the web-browsing arena. Everything has its pros and cons and Apple Safari is no different. Apple launched Safari with the aim of becoming the No.1 web browser in the world, but this goal is still realistically a ways off. Read more

Picture: Apple

Recently there have been reports that the new Firefox 3.0 beta 5 is faster than Safari 3.1, which Apple claims to be the fastest browser around. While the methods used to arrive to the previous conclusion have since proven slightly problematic, Firefox 3.0 Beta remains a major challenger and rival for Safari 3.1 on Windows. Internet Explorer does not enter the discussion, even though over 50% of all internet users are using some version it. But how do the two cutting edge browsers, namely, Safari and Firefox, and their two newest versions Safari 3.1 and Firefox 3.0 beta 5, respectively, stack up against each other so far? Not just in terms of speed, where we looked at a comparison earlier, but in terms of the interface, usage, and convenience as well. One reviewer gives us his on hand impressions. Read more

Picture: Apple

Safari 3.1 on Windows is finally out of beta and ready for testing and use. The update was released on March 17th and now the first software impressions and evaluations have already come in. The updated version promises to increase site compatibility, improve application stability, and improve back/forward performance, among many other features mentioned here. But how well does the first version of the new revolutionary browser actually stack up? Read more

You can find the official Apple site listing plugins for the new safari browser for windows over at

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/plugins.html

Included are:

• Quicktime player
• Windows Media player
• Adobe Flash plugin
• Real player
• Java
• Adobe PDF Reader

Those plugins are pretty much the standard fare, but needed to enjoy browsing the web.

The Ventura County star offers the -maybe obvious - insight in an article about the Safari Browser for windows PCs: It is nice, but not a necessity.

However, even in this article, the reviewer can’t deny the new browesr’s speed and accuracy in showing websites.

Apple released their Safari browsers for Windows computers and boldly announced that it was to effectively be the best browser for Windows.  However, with the slew of security issues that were announced by independent browser security testers, the Safari beta release looked much more like that of an alpha release.  In fact, more than one tester cited the Firefox 3 alpha release to be much more secure, robust, and functional than the Safari beta release.

Many seem to think that Apple is encroaching on Windows territory once again with their Safari browser in much the same way that they successfully did before with iTunes.  With the immense popularity of the iPod since 2001, Apple’s associated iTunes software is a very popular download for Windows users as well as Mac users.  So much so, in fact, that many Windows users do not even use the Windows Media Player that comes bundled on the operating system.  However, that may not be all that Steve Jobs hasp planned.

The iPhone that is to be released on June 29^th has garnered a great deal of buzz on- and offline because of it’s unique design and capabilities.  However, one of its most crippling drawbacks will be its inability to sync with Microsoft Outlook, by far the most popular email and calendar client on the market, which is due in no small part to being a part of Windows’ Office package of software.

It is speculated that Apple is much more concerned about the potential success of the iPhone when they released the Safari browser on Windows.  The iPhone comes with a fully-functional copy of Safari installed and it is no secret that the browser differs greatly from Internet Explorer.  Releasing the browser on Windows was a good idea for Apple, as iPhone buyers that are Windows users may begin to like the browser on their phone and prefer to use it on their Windows installations as well, increasing Apple’s browser’s market share from the dominating Windows and the much more robust, innovative, and secure Firefox 2. 

However, familiarizing Windows users with the Safari browser and the iPhone may also work to draw developers that are more traditionally associated with Windows applications into working for the Apple side of things as well.  It is pure speculation as to whether this is Steve Jobs’ master plan or not but if it is, it’s just crazy enough to work.

Currently, Internet Explorer has 78% of the browser market share, followed by Firefox with 15% and Safari with just 5%.

When Apple released the beta version of the Safari browser available on Windows, many computer users and speculators wondered if it would be an exact replicate of the Mac version or if Steve Jobs and company may have somehow “Windowzed” the look a bit.

Mac fans probably sighed with relief when they saw that the Safari beta looked very much like the Safari browser that is available on Macs.  The buttons are configured in the standard places, menu items are located in their traditional spots, and the overall look is nothing short of identical.

However, this may pose a problem for Apple when Windows users try to use the browser.  The Safari browser feels nothing short of clunky to users that are very used to Internet Explorer.  This isn’t necessarily a fault of the browser, but to users that have used nothing but Internet Explorer will undoubtedly look for options on the Safari browser where they traditionally are on Internet Explorer.  When the user ultimately cannot find those options and settings where they are used to them being, their experience with the browser will undoubtedly be soured. 

Firefox users will likely not have such problems from the simple fact that since one has to go out of his or her way to download and install Firefox, they are generally more computer-savvy.  However, compared to the look and feel of Firefox 2, Safari still feels clunky.  The nearly obscene lack of options that Safari offers compared to Firefox 2 makes it a losing race to begin with; however, the manner in which Firefox has comfortable users from both Windows and Macs proves that it feels “right” to proponents of both operating systems.  Safari will never have that cross-platform user-friendliness capability built right into the “feel” of the browser.

What is likely to be the most frustrating function of the feel of Safari to Windows users is the fact that Safari windows can only be resized from the bottom right corner.  Sit anyone that is a traditional Windows user down in front of Safari and tell them to resize the window and it is almost guaranteed to cause frustration.

Finally, Safari’s default font settings look very blurry.  Though there are options available for font smoothing, right from the initial download, the text on almost all sites that will be visited will be blurry and sometimes illegible.  This is observed on all resolutions so it is a mystery as to why Apple chose to set the defaults this way.

Overall, Mac fans should enjoy the look and feel of Safari for Windows because it is what they are accustomed to.  However, their opinion matters very little since they are most likely already using a Mac.

Apple has confirmed that its new Safari 3 for Windows browser has hit the one million downloads mark just 48 hours after the release.

Still,  Security updates are being released and the new Apple browser’s download numbers are a long way off the company’s biggest Windows - iTunes - which has been downloaded over 500 million times. 

Found on ZDNet

Recently, Apple made available a beta production of its Safari browser that is capable of being run on Windows computers.  While many computer users that are familiar with both Windows and Macs may applaud the effort by Apple to further cross link the two computer operating system giants, the cold, hard fact is that there are simply better browsers available.  Safari looks and feels on Windows computers pretty much identical to how it looks and feels on a Mac.  It is no secret that many Mac users are rabid proponents of the Apple brand of computer hardware and associated software.  Many would have anyone within earshot believe that anything Apple puts out is light years more capable and user friendly than anything available on Windows PCs.  But this is simply just not the case, though it certainly is in some instances.  But no matter how loud Mac fans applaud Apple for blessing PC users with its proprietary internet browser, there are still bugs and concerns to work out before it can be considered an adequate replacement for other browsers.

Security tops the list of concerns about the Safari for Windows browser.  It’s simply too stringent on some issues and too lax on others.  For instance, Safari simply will not allow open a website with expired or unsigned SSL certificates.  While this keeps users safe, it can be extremely frustrating when the user is familiar with the site and wishes to continue.  Firefox is much more clever in handling expired or unsigned SSL certificates in that it gives the user a choice of whether or not to continue by enabling a warning to pop up.  Safari users would just be forced to use another browser, probably Firefox. 

Bugs have been popping up ever since Safari’s release on Windows as well.  There have been several very large vulnerabilities pointed out by the browser’s users that aren’t even a problem with Internet Explorer, much less Firefox or Opera.  This can probably result in Apple and many of their biggest fans having egg on their face as one of their favorite arguments in the “Mac vs. PC wars” is that Macs and their software are notoriously much more secure. 

It is no secret that computer users are big on customization options for their operating systems and browsers.  However Safari for Windows is frustratingly lean on customization options that are readily available for its Mac counterpart.  However, even on Macs, Safari offers nowhere near the options that are readily available for other popular browsers such as Firefox and even Opera.    

It should be taken into consideration that Safari for Windows is a beta release, however the flaws that it already exhibits (and frankly, always has) are more than enough to ensure that any Firefox user will continue using their browser because it is simply much more secure, much more functional, and much more customizable than Safari or any other browser that exists.  Currently, Internet Explorer is used by 78% of internet users, followed by Firefox with 15% and then Safari with just 5%.

This list was posted over at aslamp.

Pro’s 

• Highlighted textarea/input
• Speed
• Softing and smoothing of fonts
• No borders on edges
• Import of bookmarks
• Bookmark organizer
• Dragging of tabs into new windows
• Dragging of links into new tabs
• Adding bookmarks is easy
• Resizable textareas
• Bold is Bold

Cons

• Dragging bookmarks into new tabs deletes them
• Middle clicking bookmarks don’t open them
• Middle clicking tabs doesn’t close them
• Close button is on left side
• No status bar at bottom
• No setting for showing tabs when only one is open
• No hover label for buttons at top
• Right clicking sets off “onClick” javascript
• No integration of plugins
• Bookmark manager opens in the current tab
• No middle-click-drag scrolling