Safari?

[bjorn_skurj]

Apple announces Windows browser

Apple has launched a version of its web browser Safari for Windows, competing head to head with Microsoft's Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

 

Chief executive Steve Jobs said Apple "dream big" and wanted to expand the 4.9% market share Safari enjoys.

 

Mr Jobs was speaking at a conference of developers for Apple products in San Francisco, California.

 

He said Safari was "the fastest browser on Windows", saying it was twice as fast as Internet Explorer.

 

A test version of Safari 3 for Windows XP, Vista and Apple Macs running OSX, is available for download from the Apple website. Apple is hoping to replicate the success of iTunes, which has proved enormously popular on both Macs and Windows machines.

 

"We think Windows users are going to be really impressed when they see how fast and intuitive web browsing can be with Safari," said Mr Jobs.

 

Mr Jobs used the conference to lift the lid on new features of its forthcoming operating system (OS) for Macs, called Leopard.

 

Stacks desktop

 

He said the OS has 300 new features and demoed 10, including a new organisational system for the desktop called Stacks and a new folder system which lets users browse files and applications visually, just as music lovers can browse album covers in iTunes.

 

He also unveiled Quick Look, a feature which lets users preview files, such as movies, photos and documents, without having to open up a related application. For example, users will be able to preview a movie file without having to open up QuickTime.

 

Leopard is due for release in October and will cost $129.

 

JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg said the new features would give developers "the tools to create the next generation of applications".

 

Writing on his blog, he said: "Apple has once again taken their platform to the next step and given developers the framework they need. It also looks and feels really cool and perhaps that's even more important."

 

Mr Jobs also gave the greenlight to third-party development of new applications for its forthcoming iPhone mobile phone.

 

In a u-turn from a previously stated policy, he said developers would be able to build web applications for the device that "extend the capabilities of iPhone... but keep the iPhone secure".

 

Web standards

 

Instead of having to test each and every new application themselves, Apple will allow developers to build web applications for the phone which run inside the device's web browser Safari and which were built on existing web standards.

 

Games giant Electronic Arts were also on stage to announce a series of titles that would be released for the Mac.

 

The latest Harry Potter game, Battlefield 2142, Tiger Woods, Need for Speed Carbo and Madden are all to be released for the platform, in major boost to gaming on Macs.

 

Games legend John Carmack, of Id software, also announced that the firm was working on an un-named project for Apple Macs, as well as other major platforms.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Does it crash all the time on PCs, too? Safari isn't even the best Mac browser.

[PigSooie]

Which browser do you recommend for mac?

 

 

For the record, Safari has never crashed on my mac.

[OOO]

They are using safari on the iPhone and people who want to develop for the iPhone have to make Web 2.0/ AJAX applications that run on safari. So it makes sense that they want safari on windows, since there will be lots of windows people developing/using the iPhone.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Which browser do you recommend for mac?

For the record, Safari has never crashed on my mac.

I like Firefox, but if Safari has never crashed then go with it. I'm not sure if it works better with the intel chipset or what.

[PigSooie]

I like Firefox, but if Safari has never crashed then go with it. I'm not sure if it works better with the intel chipset or what.

 

I tried Firefox for a while. It was nice.

[OOO]

Firefox is awesome, especially if you like to have lots of plugins. The amount of hobbyist developers they have that make little add-ons for firefox make it easily the most versatile browser out there. I use it excusively when I'm using Windows.

 

However, I find Safari and Firefox to be similar speed wise and i like safari's look a little more so i use that in OSX.

[anodyne]

safari crashes regularly on both my intel and g4 macs. firefox almost never crashes on either. i've actually deleted safari from the dock of my laptop because it's too unstable. i have friends who are mac tech support people who also avoid safari. when i asked how to fix it, they suggested firefox.

[deepseacatfish]

I like Firefox by far in terms of the way it looks, works, etc. Safari is fine, but I only use that or Explorer when I need to.

[welch79]

imo, safari blows. it runs slower than firefox on both my imac (intel) and ibook (g4).

 

all firefox for this dude.

 

i'll tell you what i hate is when some companies only accept ie or safari. why no love for the firefox? i will also echo the above comment that there are a load of add-ons that make mozilla's browser the one i prefer.

[isadorah]

i use safari and it rarely crashes. what annoys me about it is when you get to an online form to fill out and it doesn't work in safari, but works in a different browser. uggh.

[a.miller]

Safari is definitely the ONE program where Apple seems to have really dropped the ball, IMO. I guess it could be an issue of so many people using Firefox (like me). Perhaps the new Safari won't stink.

[Kalle]

I've never had one problem with Safari on my iMac.

[WilcoFan]

I'm a Firefox person too. It was crashing for me occasionally when v2.0 came out. -- Only when opening large PDFs but it seems that it has been fixed. My friend just told me about a new add-on too: Tab Catalog I like it.

 

It's cool.

[a.miller]

Another good add on for Firefox: Internet Explorer tab.