“Successful browsers can steer users to vendor-favored Web sites and products. Browsers can create proprietary standards that reinforce commercial dominance (Microsoft’s philosophy) or weaken commercial strangleholds in favor of open standards (Firefox),” Lou Dolinar reports for The Los Angeles Times. “Now Apple is diving in with Safari 3.0 for Windows, a significant upgrade to a longtime favorite that formerly ran only on the Mac (now available as a beta release at http://www.apple.com/safari/download/). What’s the game plan?”
“Safari will run on most everything: Macs, PCs, iPhones, maybe eventually Apple TV… Safari should occupy roughly the same niche, vis-a-vis the iPhone, as iTunes software does to the iPod — you’ll need to run Safari to operate the iPhone, and you may want to run Safari even if you don’t own the pricey little gadget because it’s a pretty good stand-alone browser, too,” Dolinar reports.
Dolinar reports, “For programmers, Safari isn’t just a browser. It’s starting to look like a pseudo operating system that allows them to write for one standard interface and have their stuff run anywhere. It’s not clear how important this is to Apple outside of getting the iPhone off the ground, but it raises some interesting possibilities… What is fair to say is that Safari allows Apple to expand its colonization of Windows — sort of like those wasps that lay their eggs in the stomachs of their paralyzed victims.”
“How does Safari shape up as a browser? Download it yourself, free, just like I did, and find out. I’m not a power browser, and the features I use are comparable to Firefox and Internet Explorer. It is certainly prettier than Explorer, since it looks like iTunes,” Dolinar reports. “Performance-wise, especially considering the version that’s currently available for download is in beta, it seems to live up to Apple’s claims that it is twice as fast as Internet Explorer 7 at rendering pages… While there have been some reports of security bugs, it probably is still safer than IE because it does not incorporate Active X controls, those mini-programs much beloved by Web developers and spyware authors.”
Full article here.
Sorry I still think PPC is a better platform. From a business standpoint, I think Apple made a good decision. They kept getting boned over and over by Moto then IBM. It has turned out much better than I thought. So they changed their processor platform, what am I going to do go back to Windows? I’d rather take a sharp stick in the eye, I’ll switch to Linux before that happens.
“In essence Mac users are exceedingly malleable individuals”
I don’t think that is true. Mac users, for the most part, make decisions. When average people want a new computer, I still don’t think most people consider Apple. I really believe that people who buy Macs have made informed decisions. OTOH I know many windows users (some do make informed decisions) who suffer through the pain M$ hands out then they get treated like criminals, and they never even consider an alternative. Just because they think there is no better way, even without exploring options. They’ll buy a new PC every two years (to my new Mac every 4-5) because PC’s are cheaper. M$ has people convinced that if your computer frustrates you that it is either your fault or ‘oh well that’s how computers are.’ I know windows programmers that can’t believe neither of my two Macs, they have crashed in over a year. They think I am joking or just lying, they just laugh. It’s just so unlikely to them even though they have never used a Mac. I think that is quite ‘malleable.’ Another point you are missing is that Mac users know windows. It is hardly ever the case in reverse. Mac users were either former windows victims or have to use windows at work. There are very few Mac users who do not use or have not used windows. That PROVES they made a decision, and it is not based on marketing or what a cult leader has told them. It was based on what was put right in front of them.
You know there are people like the ones you are describing everywhere regardless of the OS they use. There is no direct line from one to the other, just watch the generalized statements you are making. Is it that hard to believe that people appreciate their Macs this much? If so you are taking the lazy, easy way out. Lump everything together and slap a sticker on it.