Safari 3 beta release - for Mac AND now Windows

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Running a software development team one of my duties is to QA our products and ensure that they work on all modern desktops. It must work under all operating system conditions and, in the case of browser-based products, also perform exactly the same across all modern browsers. The bane of my life to date was working with Safari on Mac. Although reasonably fast and elegant, being available on only one platform it limited a user to websites that supported it. Many banks, for instance, never supported Safari because of the limited user base of Mac users.

Well now Version 3 is out. And... it works on Windows. I presume that the GPL Konqueror code has been ported and we've finally got another strong contender in the browser stakes to choose from.

Here it is for those that are interested in driving the beta:

http://www.apple.com/au/safari/download/

Cheers
Chris

[rat156]

I have been using safari on a mac for a few years now, most sites are OK, some not. I think since the emergence of firefox web sites now are coded so that they by and large work with safari.

BTW this site works almost entirely, I just have problems with attachment uploading from the mac. I just switch it to windows and use IE if I strike trouble.

Get safari and use it, it's faster and better than even the new version of IE.

Cheers
Stuart

[gbeal]

I am a recent (last couple of years) convert, and haven't looked back. I too have found that some sites just don't work with Safari.
What was more difficult was my son (also on a Mac) producing websites and testing them. They all work fine on the Mac with Safari, but often fail with IE. A new system with both platforms operating will make the ability to test easier.

[Sentinel]

Do we need another browser for Windows?

There is plenty to choose from already. I cannot see Safari making inroads into the Windows arena. Firefox and Opera have tried this and still 85% of people use IE.

The word on the street is that Safari still has too many incompatibility issues.

I personally use Firefox, but also use IE.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by Sentinel

I cannot see Safari making inroads into the Windows arena. Firefox and Opera have tried this and still 85% of people use IE.

According to my web logs, of our 8,000 customers, 43% use Firefox. I'd say thats making inroads. Then again, they're all graphics and advertising types - so most are inherently anti-MS anyway.

[Sentinel]

Firefox uptake looks impressive outside of the US. Over 20% in Europe.

I would not be suprised if the values were higher downunder, as you have reported.