Safari 3.1

Apple's 3.1 release of Safari is available for download now (Mac or Windows, don't ask me why they don't put out a Linux version). It's advertised as "The fastest web browser on any platform", and I'm not going to argue the point - it certainly snaps right up ready for work much faster than Firefox on Mac, coming to life after two dock bounces versus six for Firefox.. on Windows the story was the same: about six seconds for either Firefox or IE to be up and running, less than three seconds for Safari.

Once running, Safari continues to be quick: http://aplawrence.com/oneday.html loads in about 70% of the time Firefox needs. However, for ordinary pages without humongous tables or other big stuff to load, any difference is too small to notice. I suppose that as so many web pages are morbidly obese nowadays, you might actually gain a significant amount of time over the course of a day of browsing.

But does fast mean everything? On Mac, Safari displays on odd glitch: the little FeedBurner icons that display in the left sidebar here are invisible with Safari. They do show up with the Windows version though.. very odd. Other than that, I couldn't find anything wrong, and it passed the Acid2 test on both platforms.

There are other Safari oddities: no toolbars, for example. And this odd "snapback" thing which they think is incredibly useful but I just don't see it.. fine, yes, it could be useful now and then but I can't imagine using it very often. Then again, I can't imagine using Safari often either: Firefox has the add-ons (including the toolbars Safari disdains) that I need.. I'm staying with the Fox.

The Windows download also offers to install Bonjour for Windowsw, Apple's Network Discovery thingy. It also brought down iTunes and QuickTime.. I let them install, but as all I use Windows for is to help me lead folks through clicks, I'm not likely to use those.

So why no Linux version? (I said "don't ask me", but that doesn't mean I can't ask you). Apple, Apple, Apple: the Linux folks aren't exactly your BFF's (Best Friend Forever), but helping them hurts you know who.. so whatcha thinking? (I know, now I'm asking them.. pay no attention to me).

Comments /MacOSX/safari-31.html


Thu Mar 20 08:28:15 2008: Subject:   anonymous


Strangely enough, although I've used Safari as my primary browser for years now, I have been running Firefox 3 since the latest beta. It's far slicker than Firefox has ever been on the Mac before, and I also took a point made by Rich Mogull recently -- that you can use NoScript with it. To be frank for all the improvements in Firefox 3 I think Safari is still far more polished and likely to remain so. But I may stick with Firefox: I'm not really happy with allowing anyone and everyone's JavaScript to run ... even on a Mac.

Thu Mar 20 09:10:32 2008: Subject:   TonyLawrence


Ayup - I've been using Noscript and other addons for some time now. Safari IS more slick and polished, but the Fox has the extras..

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