Apple Brings Safari Browser to Windows

Apple's website refers to Safari as "the fastest, easiest-to-use web browser in the world."

Steve Jobs added to those lofty claims by calling Safari "the most innovative browser in the world and the most powerful browser in the world" during his keynote speech for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Unfortunately for curious Windows users, the browser has always been limited to Apple's own platforms.

That is, until now.

Apple has just released its Safari 3 Beta to the world and this time, Windows is included! (Sources: apple.com)

Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, explains that porting Safari to Windows might convince PC users to check out other Apple products. "The more people who like our applications," he said, "the more it might mean they'll buy other products from us." (Source: news.com.au)

Apple lists these features for Safari on its website. The following descriptions come directly from the Safari page:

• Blazing Performance: Safari is the fastest web browser on any platform.
• Elegant User Interface: Safari's clean look lets you focus on the web, not your browser.
• Easy Bookmarks: Organize your bookmarks just like you organize music in iTunes.
• Pop-up Blocking: Say goodbye to annoying pop-up ads and pop-under windows.
• Inline Find: Search any text on any website with the integrated Find banner.
• Tabbed Browsing: Open and switch between multiple web pages in a single window.
• SnapBack: Instantly snap back to search results or the top level of a website.
• Forms AutoFill: Let Safari complete online forms for you, automatically and securely.
• Built-in RSS: RSS tells you when new content is added to your favorite sites.
• Resizable Text Fields: Resize text fields on any website: Just grab the corner and drag.
• Private Browsing: Keep your online activities private with a single click.
• Security: Apple engineers designed Safari to be secure from day one. (Source: apple.com)

Is it really that secure?

Not according to researcher Aviv Raff, who calls that claim "pathetic."

Raff was able to find a bug in three minutes, causing the browser to crash. It "might be exploitable," he said, which means that it could expose PCs to malware.

"Everyone has bugs," Raff conceded, "but not everyone say[s] that they are 'designed to be secured from day one.'"

"I guess it's day zero now," the researcher cracked. (Source: pcworld.com)

Of course, Safari for Windows is still in its beta (testing) stages, which could explain some of the kinks.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and take Safari for a test run. Aside from Raff's security concerns, the browser seems nice so far. It's still bare-bones (even with the extra plugins available for download on the Safari homepage) but if previous Internet trends are any indication, Apple will likely beef up the program's list of features over time.

If you're curious about Safari, check it out and decide for yourself here:

http://www.apple.com/safari