Safari 4 Beta

mr.sly · 25 Feb 2009 at 03:23

Can download now from the Apple site.

www.apple.com/safari

Nice to see they've put some effort into making the browser fit with Windows Vista/7 like Chrome. But I don't like the transparent tabs at all.

Mattus · 25 Feb 2009 at 03:32

Nice design, very fast, standards compliant. But it uses loads of RAM and I don't know how Apple can describe it as 'innovative' when it's an obvious ripoff of Chrome.

Smit · 25 Feb 2009 at 09:24

I quite like it. Much better than Safari 3 (PC) with the all metal UI.

bledd · 25 Feb 2009 at 09:45

without adblock plus, no other web browser is worth bothering with

scaramanga182 · 25 Feb 2009 at 09:48

I don't seem to be able to download it. The left hand side of the page keeps erroring in every browser I've tried (IE7, FF3 and Chrome). Might be the network I'm on though.

mr.sly · 25 Feb 2009 at 15:35

Played with it some more today. Can't seem to find a way to to force links to open in a new tab, when they want to open in a new window. Still think the transparent tabs are the worst design idea ever. And the same reason Chrome failed to become my main browser, no plugin support.

Apart from that, very nice design and very fast.

ChrissyT88 · 25 Feb 2009 at 17:48

I thought i would give it a go. I quite like it - not sure if i will move from opera yet (to me, it seems like a rip off of opera and chrome, although i have never tried the latter). It would be better if (opening myself to look stupid here...!) if you could edit the 'top sites' list to have it more like the speed dial option in opera (which it does quite a good job of ripping off anyway!).

It does seem to use quite a bit more RAM than opera even with fewer pages open too, although this isnt a massive problem on this PC. Anyone have any idea how secure a browser safari is on a windows platform?

mr.sly · 25 Feb 2009 at 18:10

Nope, Chrome also has a "Top Sites" speed dial style page, and I don't believe you can edit that either.

UniqueID · 25 Feb 2009 at 18:20

it definitly trumps windows ie, but being honest it'll be firefox for me all the way.

ChrissyT88 · 25 Feb 2009 at 18:22

mr.sly said:
Nope, Chrome also has a "Top Sites" speed dial style page, and I don't believe you can edit that either.

Opera it is then!

GrantJ · 26 Feb 2009 at 11:55

Opera will be always my primary browser! Opera or Death!
But I do use Safari once in a while for viewing images because it recognizes embedded sRGB profiles unlike most other browsers.

Supertaff · 26 Feb 2009 at 12:56

scaramanga182 said:
I don't seem to be able to download it. The left hand side of the page keeps erroring in every browser I've tried (IE7, FF3 and Chrome). Might be the network I'm on though.

Try File Forum on www.betanews.com to download it.

I got if it from there last night.

At present I'm impressed with it, I like the front screen of the multiple learning windows for favorite site. Though there doesn't seem to be a way of setting them up to begin with you end up with the Apple default list that will disapear to your own list over time.

been stable for me so far as well.

Regards

Taff

gillywibble · 26 Feb 2009 at 14:01

I like the speed of Safari, but that's about it.

It's about as customisable as a banana.

Wiggis · 26 Feb 2009 at 15:08

Still slower to invoke than Chrome.
Google search field useless, should just be incorporated into address field.

Search bookmarks in completely difference place to search history (top of screen on one, bottom of screen on the other)

Most annoying:- ALL external links open in new window rather than new tab.

Apart from that its nice and shiny.

BUT that last point about the links means I will not be using it, I hate having to manage multiple windows.

tolien · 26 Feb 2009 at 18:20

GrantJ said:
But I do use Safari once in a while for viewing images because it recognizes embedded sRGB profiles unlike most other browsers.

Firefox has since 3 as well - you just have to enable it on 3 (anything later than that will automatically show profiled images with the profile).