Safari for Windows - a general review

Apple released their third-generation browser, Safari 3.0 and it has a Windows version that I am testing.

I use Firefox mostly for general browsing and much of my SEO work. It has great plugins that provide a lot of “insider information” about web sites and searches in general.

More about the benefits of using Apple Safari…

Then what is the benefit of installing yet another browser, like Apple’s Safari?

I think the primary benefit is ease of use. There is no other way to say it, but products from Apple simple make it easier to use whatever device for the task at hand. Apple’s Safari browser is no different.

Safari has many of the features that you’d expect from a browser, including pop-up blocking to form fill. However, there are a few features that impressed me right from the start:

Snap Back to Search: Safari will ’snap back’ to search results or to the ‘top level’ of a website with the press of the ’snap back’ button.

Great Speed: I noticed quickly how fast the browser displays sites. I am running several functions as I have my lunch and write this review. At the same time my workstation is busy running a diagnostic software to capture blog data and the online bandwidth is very limited. Safari is not having any problems accessing sites. In fact, I can clearly see that it is faster than the competitors. I think the greater benefit of Safari is the way it will run Java programs on Windows and hand held devices like the iphone & itouch. As such, this is not a bad ideas to “get used to using it”.

Apple Security: One think one of the greatest threats to Internet use is the possibility of malicious code running from a website. Usually, without any idea that it has even happened, a users computer could get hijacked by a website running code that implants trojan software on a computer. Just like it’s other products, I believe that Safari is built from the ‘ground up’ to avoid these nasty surprises.

Even the process of transitioning to the Safari browser is rather easy. It will import all the bookmarks upon installation.

One aspect that I think users will be delighted about it that the customization features in Safari are very easy to understand and implement.

This is typical of Apple and it’s the reason that their products are getting adopted at a much faster rate by everyone. The Safari browser’s not any different. Just point at the icon and select from the sub-menu with the functions you want to edit. Nothing more to it.

I like the part where the browser can be set to open new links in tabs vs. having to pick based on the website setting.

Once again, Safari appears to put a lot of control in the hands of the user.

I am sure by now you’ve noticed the RSS (blue) button. This is the first time I’ve witnessed a single button on a browser that displays RSS feeds from website. Looks like the browser recognizes implementations of such services like Feedburner and displays the data on the browser.

Lastly, all this discussion is mute, if the display of web pages is average or just not that “hot” to us web site owners. I must say that not only does Safari load pages rather fast, but it does render pages in an excellent manner.

This is where the Apple Safari browser shines through –just a simple and elegant user interface and display, that’s gentle to the eyes.

I am not sure how many Windows users will embrace the Safari browser. If the conversion works like the legions of other Apple product users, the browser will turn another group of people to look into Apple products. The Apple conversion “wave” keeps rolling!