My Impressions of Safari 3

On Monday Apple Inc. released the Beta version of the next major version of Safari at the opening keynote of WWDC ’07 (2007 Worldwide Developers Conference). Apple released versions for Mac OS 10.4.x, Mac OS 10.5, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Since my primary system is Mac OS 10.4.9, I only downloaded this version for review and my impressions below are only based on this version.

Before I start I want to give everyone a little background. Last week when a vulnerability was found in both Internet Explorer and Firefox I switch back to Safari 2. It had been almost 4 years since I use Safari as my primary browser, and I was surprised to find that Safari felt faster than FireFox 2 (my previous primary browser). Now with Safari 3, it is even faster. Of course this is non-scientific and it is based on real life usage of it for a week.

I operate an online retail business, Vinko’s Treasures, and the backend system for my operation is completely web based. So I noticed the speed improvements right away only after a few days.

In Safari 3 I did not find too many new features or features that are better than FireFox. Most of the new features in Safari 3 are just catch up features to the default (without any 3rd party Extensions) FireFox 2. These being:

  • Inline search: rather than having a dialog that pops up for the user to enter the search term. Safari 3 now displays a thin bar (“Search Bar”) at top of the browser just below the Tab Bar or Bookmark Bar; depending on what you have visible. After the results are found, Safari will dim the entire page and highlights the found terms on the page. 

    Safari 3 Search



  • Movable Tabs: you can now drag the Tabs back and forth. Rearranging them in any order you like.

    Movable Tabs



The new feature I found so far, is what the user can do with Tabs. They can take a tab like the one above on the right and open it in a new window. This can be accomplished by performing a Control + Click (or right click) on the Tab Label, which brings up a contextual menu. From here you then choose the menu item “Move Tab to New Window”.

The “Mac” way of doing the same thing is just to drag the Tab out of the Tab Bar and let go, like you would with icons on the Dock or Finder Sidebar. Unlike these other User Interface elements, doing so here will cause a miniature version of the Tab window content to show for a second, then a new browser window with the Tab window content will open.

As with Expose activation, holding down the Shift key will cause the animation of this behaviour to be in slow motion.

Tab in New Window



All in all I am fairy happy with Safari 3. It did install a new WebKit so some of the Widget I use in Dashboard no longer works, but that is expected for a “Beta” classification application.

Due to my work, I do use Mail, Dashboard and Safari 18 hours a day. So far I have encountered no crashes; knock on wood.

State of Apple

Poster

Last week, on April 12, Apple Inc. announced in a statement that the next version of Mac OS X (version 10.5, code name “Leopard”) will be delayed until October this year.

This was a disappointing news to many, especially the stock market who forced Apple’s stock to go down about USD1.50. I am too disappointed by this news, as this is the first time Apple (formerly “Apple Computer Inc.”) delayed its pre-announced release date, and the first time Mac OS X was not updated for more than a year.

Apple’s statement informed us that the reason for the delay is their need to allocate resources for the iPhone development and to ensure the iPhone is released as scheduled, in June. It is hard to believe that Apple did not anticipate such resource requirements for the two major projects (iPhone and “Leopard”). Even though the public was not told about the iPhone until January.

Earlier this month Apple released the AppleTV device, which was also delayed from its original release date of March.

Are these series of delays any indications of the Apple Inc. to come? Apple had always met their projected released dates or beat it. This was one of the thing that Steve Jobs used to make fun of Microsoft and their massive delays with their Windows OS releases.

I understand the needs for a company to balance between making pre-announcements and not say anything at all about upcoming products. I am sure most people like myself will rather have a product that is fully tested and at the quality that we come to expect from Apple. I personally would rather a company like Apple to stick to their normal stance of not commenting on future products, than to offer teaser or pre-announcements.

As I had mentioned at the beginning of this blog entry, Apple is now officially known as “Apple Inc.” rather than its original “Apple Computer Inc.” when it was originally incorporated on April 1, 1977. This is an indication that Apple is transforming itself into a consumer appliance company rather than a computer and OS manufacture. First with its introduction of the iPod® in October 2001, then the AppleTV in this year and later in June the iPhone.

In one of Steve Jobs speech he predicted that Apple will be in your office, at your home, in your pocket, in your living room and in your hands. With the iPhone Apple will have completed this prediction.

So the fact that the Mac OS is delayed to give way to the iPhone is understandable, especially when the iPhone itself is using a version of Mac OS X as with the AppleTV.

I say, although many are disappointed, including myself, with Apple, we should give them a break and just enjoy the amazing innovations that keep rolling out of the “little” Cupertino company.