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“Apple Inc. will create a version of its Safari Internet browser for Windows, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said on Monday, challenging Microsoft Corp. in its key stronghold of Web access software,” Scott Hillis reports for Reuters.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple has created a version of Safari for Windows. The beta can be downloaded here.
“The move by Apple, which has expanded beyond its Macintosh computer core with iPod music players that work with Windows and the upcoming iPhone, could let the company control how the vast majority of people use the Web at a time when services and programs are increasingly becoming Internet-based,” Hillis reports.
“Jobs also said Apple would let outside developers create applications to run on its upcoming iPhone by tapping Safari, softening the company’s previous position that the device would not support other software due to security concerns,” Hillis reports.
“Speaking at Apple’s annual developers’ conference in San Francisco, Jobs put Microsoft’s dominant Internet Explorer browser squarely in his sights, saying that test versions of Apple’s Safari software were twice as fast,” Hillis reports.
“‘We assume Safari for Windows should increase market share and encourage Web site developers to allow for greater compatibility with Safari,’ Soleil Equity Research analyst Shannon Cross said,” Hillis reports. “‘It should also help increase Apple’s exposure to the Windows community and potentially attract a larger audience of switchers,’ Cross wrote in a research note.”
Full article here.
It’s about time!
… and publicly support OOo and/or Neo.
Let’s go surfin’ now
Everybody’s learning how
Come on and safari with me
what if apple’s intention is to partner with google (as a backend) for much of iLife/iWork? it looks like apple is pushing web 2.0 (at least on the phone) for app development. welllll, now that safari is on windows, apple may be pushing for iLife/iWork for windows as well?
Just a thought
Aha – the true strategy is becoming clear – take over by enetering in the back door
That is… if they actually download it, which… come on.
The balance of market share reflects the amount various users.
IE – The obviously much higher PC user base
Safari – The growing but still small Mac user base
Firefox – Mac & PC users that actually care and know about their web browser
This basically means that the only PC users that would stop to think about the web browser they’re using and why, probably have already switched to Firefox.
The only PC users that will download this are ones that primarily use macs already and developers on PCs that want to test across all browsers.
Sorry able, I’ve been a dedicated user and fan for a LOOOONNG time, but this is one move I find a bit pointless.
It’s is a rough surf that is for sure. Lots of bugs and not very slow in its current un-optimized code base…
Nice to know this is just Beta and has another 4 months or who knows how long, in time to get up to speed.
Safari is 10 times faster
I have just completed the CSS test
http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/csstest.html
( You just have to download and open the file in all the browsers).
After repeating the test several times, here is the average.
( All the tests are done on Windows XP SP2)
IE 6 : 730 ms
Firefox: 680 ms
Safari : 65 ms
Safari is 10 times faster than IE and Firefox on CSS Test.
Cheers!!!
its for the iphone support
business apps for safari will need to run on desktop pcs
my 2cents
iScott…
Your views are certainly narrow. I have and use Firefox and Safari, and 99% of the time prefer the latter. In fact, in a discussion I just had with our web development team, every single one of them prefer Safari. Firefox is OK, but the hodge-podge of bolt-ons you have to install to have comparable functionality, the extremely S-L-O-W launch times, and the absolutely hideous UI make Firefox an “only when I have to browser”
I do care about my browser quite a bit, and have used them all. My preference is Safari, yours is clearly Firefox. That’s cool, choice is a good thing. However, it is irresponsible to make broad-generalizations like that.
Only time will tell.
All this crap talk about market share is baloney. Perception my friends.
A buddy of mine in Iran downloaded it pretty much about the same time I did and he’s pretty stoked.
The emotional hit on MS is worth far more than whether Safari will ever replace IE or FireFox.
Come on, Apple. I dare you to bundle this with every download of iTunes.
It’s another step in showing people that there’s another way to compute than just Windows. Think about it – people get an iPhone and use Safari on iPhone. They ask, “Why can’t I have Safari on my desktop?”, but they’re not ready to switch to the Mac yet. They get Safari, and keep wondering why they put up with Windows, IE, etc. They’re one more step toward becoming a Mac user.
Downloaded Safari 3 Windows beta and it certainly does fly. Each of my favorite sites was noticeably faster at loading pages under Safari than IE7. And it’s still just a beta. Thank you, Apple, for offering Windows users (and those of us Mac fans who have to use Windows) an alternative to the status quo!
I use Firefox on my MacBook. I like the fact that it has an ad banner blocker… that’s the main reason I use it over Safari. If they added that to Safari, I’d be all in. And with UNO, Firefox looks great… : )
As much as I like and use Safari as my everyday browser, there are still those nasty sites that require Firefox. Zillow for anything and Trulia for its “heat maps” for example. I’m sure there are many others that don’t play nice with Safari. Banking sites can be problematical, too.
mac2010 you’re right. everyone here is missing the point. The reason apple came out with a Windows version of Safari is the same reason they came out with a Windows version of iTunes. Safari is to iPhone as iTunes is to iPod. This may have been a more recent iPhone software development since the MacWorld keynote: that the way to open up software development is to go through Safari. well, to succeed in that direction, you’ve got to allow software developers to develop such applications that can also work with their desktop machines … it makes sense to roll out a Windows version of Safari so that there is no limitations to the Windows user or developer whatsoever.
I think another reason is the halo effect. Once users start using the safari browser on the iPhone — and like it — they are going to be inclined to want that same experience on their desktop, even if it’s in Windows. If they like Safari in Windows and iTunes in Windows, then just maybe one day we’ve got a switcher. The whole “ice cube in hell” bit I think has impressed Steve Jobs as to the power of Apple designed software in Windows.
If Apple wins the browser wars, then that’s just icing on the cake.
Mike (for one, and only because he vaguely has a clue) and Ballmer (because you’re probably closer than you think)…
You must be careful about letting the tail wag the dog.
If I were Apple, the install CD for the iPhone (v2.0) would contain the Safari installer and install it as a default browser, unless the user selected a custom install and deselected.
In three years, I’d have another 80 million users of Safari on the iPhone and another 40 million using it under Windows – if you’re a web developer and you ignore that userbase, you’re an idiot who deserves to be slapped around the head with a frozen halibut.
Once you make your site recognize my browser as an equal, you can start to develop Web 2.0/Ajax apps that function transparently across Windows, Mac and iPhone – that makes your life as a developer easier and delivers greater value to the customer.
In any case, Apple wins – as does the commitment to open standards – and Microsoft (and its proprietary approach) loses.
AshNazg: try Saft for Safari. http://haoli.dnsalias.com Has ad banner blocker and tons of other features, such as saving previously opened browser windows when re-opening or as a crash protection.
The developer is on top of things. He regularly updates Saft so it is compatible with each update of Safari.
Oh, AshNazg, it’ll put you back 12 bucks.
MW: moral. As in it’s moral to give these guys the dough for it.
It looks like Windows is getting Mac OS X feature creep!!, iTunes and now Safari. What’s next? iChat? Mail? iPhoto?
Oh wait, how is those photo’s supposed to get on the iPhone anyhow?
I don’t think Microsoft should be too concerned beyond any concerns it had with Firefox. The typical drone Windows PC user is not going to install another browser as long as IE works OK. If they install it, there will be another reason, such as iPhone interaction. Or perhaps they “get a Mac” first, decide they like Safari, and install it on their work PC. In other words, Safari will gain certainly gain some traction, but most Windows PC users are not going to install it just for the sake of using Safari.
Hmmm… running Safari under Windows now.
Boy, they’ve duplicated the bugs right along with everything else.
Yes I want to use free sites like macdailynews.com, that are supported by ads, and come every day and read and post…… bla bla…
…but I don’t want to see any banner ads on the site, even if they could interst me…
I want to be blind… what hypocrite morons!
The new find feature in Safari 3 is pretty cool. Similar to FF but better looking.