Apple's Unveils Safari 4 Beta; Threatens Firefox
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Apple, Safari, Internet
Apple announced today that a beta build of its newest Safari web browser is now available for download. The beta release marks the fourth version of the browser, now in its sixth year overall. The beta version can be downloaded for Mac or PC (here), or more specifically Mac OS X Leopard and Tiger, as well as Microsoft XP SP2 and Vista.
So what separates Safari 4 from its predecessor? The JavaScript engine at the heart of the browser, named Nitro, is a complete redesign. The new code supposedly makes Safari 4 up to 420 percent faster than its older brother. Apple also claims that Safari 4.0 can execute JavaScript "up to 30 times faster than IE 7 and more than three times faster than Firefox 3." Safari 4.0 also uses HTML 5 and CSS 3.
As for aesthetics, 4.0 introduces dozens of new features, the two most important of which are Cover Flow and Top Sites. Cover Flow organizes and displays your bookmarks through images of a website the link is attached to, much like iTunes displaying your music collection through album covers. So, when flipping through your list, looking for that link to a Tom's Hardware article, it will display the link as a small web page. The "Top Sites" feature borrows a little from both Opera and Chrome. When Safari is opened, the browser will display your most visited web pages in a smal semi-circle. To go from there, you either type in a URL as normal, or click on one of the thumbnails.
As of last month, Safari was the number three browser on the block with approximately 8.3 percent of the market share. Internet Explorer and Firefox still dominate the landscape, with around 67.5 and 21.5 percent respectively. Will Safari 4 give Apple a boost in the market? Initially, yes. But unless a browser offers something far better than the competition, and consumers can actively see that improvement, most web surfers are going to stick with what they like and what they know. For now, that seems to be IE6/IE7 and Firefox.
But who knows, maybe Microsoft will abide by the European Union's wishes and include Safari as a default browser option. That would probably spike Cupertino's market share a little.
For a complete list of Safari 4.0's features, click here.
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I wouldn't use it just because Apple makes it. Apple also makes the ultimate conformist PC/OS(parading as counter-culture). Mac is for the top 5% of conformists, those who conform more than normal conformists, and don't mind paying far more money just to ensure that they conform. If this isn't open source like Firefox, then I wouldn't trust it.
when i deal with an idiot who cant keep his mouth shut and is very opinionated and also loves to be the center of attention, and is ready to bash most of your comments.....must be a mac user....
how is Firefox threatened???? aren't these browsers FREE!!!!
my Firefox is not threatened simply because i will NOT be installing safari on MY PC....
if it was so great everyone would be using it.
I too must have missed the threat to Firefox...
i dont know if safari will fly, they push it with each upgrade of itunes, and i remove it as fast as it installs. i'm burned out can't deal with another browser, now there is ie, mozilla, opera, safari, chrome. anyone care to name some more. too many players, can we just have one player that renders web pages correctly and runs javascript half decently.
what happened to capitalism? how could all these browsers exist for free. someone has to drop out. free software makes no sense imagine free cars. people have to get paid for their labor and people who pay for it have to make some money out of it.
damn you richard stallman look at the evil you have unleashed on the helpless world!
If this isn't open source like Firefox, then I wouldn't trust it.
The rendering engine is WebKit which is open source.
But is the entire browser open source? No, they just steal the hard-to-program parts from the open-source community(like their OSX kernel), whereas as the parts that spy on you and limit your digital freedom are closed source.
i dont know if safari will fly, they push it with each upgrade of itunes, and i remove it as fast as it installs. i'm burned out can't deal with another browser, now there is ie, mozilla, opera, safari, chrome. anyone care to name some more. too many players, can we just have one player that renders web pages correctly and runs javascript half decently
It would be nice to have a mainstream browser that can pass the Acid 3 tests. (Opera 10 Alpha can do it)
IE I wonder how it got its market share.
"Safari 4.0 also uses HTML 5 and CSS 3"
I wonder why they chose to target standards that have yet to be finalized. Hopefully it renders HTML 4 and CSS 2 correctly, as few web site developers would target draft standards.
This is good news for mac users who haven't switched to Firefox. I don't know how many times my wife has complained about problems with a website. I tell her to switch over to Firefox, and moments later she's telling me that everything is working.
Just Apple trying to take over the desktop. I remember when you couldn't download Quicktime without having to install iTunes.
I have both browsers and so as much as i'm excited about Safari, i still won't dump firefox. Granted I'm a Safari user 95% of the time with using firefox on some sites that won't accept safari's method of encryption and security. Course reason why i use safri over Firefox is because i like its RSS reader better, and the tabs and buttons are smaller and there's a smaller overall profile to the browser layout which to me means more window space for my web browsing and less button clutter. But I do like Firefox skins and how it can save your tabs when quitting the app so I can just continue my work right where i left off. Either or, just chuck it onto the pile of other web browsers out there.
Pics or it didn't happen.
Yeah, good luck trying to prove that 420% faster. What were they testing it on, a Mac Mini? That box of crap can't even render Shockwave Flash files without freezing up.
How about against 3.1? I've read that Firefox 3.1 performance in JS is much better than 3.0's.
Just Apple trying to take over the desktop. I remember when you couldn't download Quicktime without having to install iTunes.
Yep, and then the EU takes MS to court for being a monopoly, when Apple has much more abusive practices when it comes to forcing users to use particular applications.
Apple, IMO, is a much bigger culprit than MS for restricting consumer choice and forcing application installs.
I will be one of the 1st to party when Apple finally gets busted for pulling the crap it does.
I will be one of the 1st to party when Apple finally gets busted for pulling the crap it does.
it won't it is the darling of the elite and mentally challenged ;-)
Yeah, good luck trying to prove that 420% faster. What were they testing it on, a Mac Mini? That box of crap can't even render Shockwave Flash files without freezing up.
is it because of mac mini hardware or due to issue with osx?
So Safari executes JavaScript a bagillion times faster? First of all who the heck uses JavaScript for anything except validating forms. Second of all valiidating forms is almost instant, ie takes about 0 seconds, even if its done server side using php. 0 times a bagillion is still 0!
@Tindytim: actually they try to claim that Safari 4 Beta is the first browser to get a perfect score in Acid3, although we both know Opera scored it in March 2008 and with the Opera 10 Alpha in December was the first to release a browser capable of the feat.
On the positive side the Safari 4 might mean more sites will be built so they live up to web standards, as it probably will have a bigger effect on developers than Opera has.
Another browser is blackbird. Ya'll ought to give it a shot.
Another browser is blackbird. Ya'll ought to give it a shot.
i'm sure it has the option to install the free XP antivirus 2009 right?
hehehe
Anything is better than IE.
The new code supposedly makes Safari 4 up to 420 percent faster than its older brother. Apple also claims that Safari 4.0 can execute JavaScript "up to 30 times faster than IE 7 and more than three times faster than Firefox 3."
It's funny how they even say 420% when compared to the older version of Safari. Last time I checked, 420% was 4x faster.
Well, downloaded and used the beta. enough to say, it is beta. It still keeps it's minimalist approach of the browser when I shut everything off leaving only the tab bar (which I like) as far as javascript speed, I can't really test that because I don't travel to a lot of java heavy sites. The "Top Sites" feature is neat. Kinda nice graphical way of viewing 16 sites as well as coverflow viewing of your bookmarks, but it's dang slow and I might as well just open them in all tabs would be faster. The RSS is slower to load, but same format as previous. Still like it's RSS reader over Firefox.
i don't like safari....
It's another browser! Big deal! Don't they all do the same thing? Can anybody really tell a speed difference? I think we already have browser's that do things pretty well. I have yet to see three browser's split market share yet. Firefox and IE are pretty much it for Windows user's.
Javascript: www.redusers.com (Argentina)
Enter the page, wait until it's all done, click on the address bar, push Enter, take the time it takes.
Opera 10 alpha_______________: 9 sec.
Firefox 3.2a1pre_____________: 9 sec.
Iron 1.0.155.0 (6886)________: 11 sec.(Iron=Chrome made by another company)
IE 7.0.6001.18000____________: 11 sec.
Safari 4 public beta(528.16)_: 16 sec.
It is even slower than IE7 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't make me laugh! faster javascript? Not a chance!