If you your using Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) or later and have not
downloaded the latest update to the beta of Safari, Apple's new Web
browser, you should. The latest release goes a long way toward
making Safari a major player in the browser market.
Like previous releases, 1.0 Beta 2 (v.73), or "version 73,"
fixes some bugs. But for the first time, there are some serious new
heavy-duty features.
The first is the addition of tabbed browsing. The ability to
open new pages in a tab in the same browser window is almost a
requirement these days. With this feature now included in Safari,
Internet Explorer is the only major browser that still lacks this
functionality. (When first installed, this feature is not enabled.
Enable it through the preferences menu.)
With version 73, Safari adds an equally welcome password manager
and form fill feature. The password manager has one feature that,
when I first saw it, made me exclaim, "Finally!" When you enter a
user name and password, a dialog box pops up and asks you if you
want to save this password.
No different from other browsers, right? Wrong! Your
choices here are "Yes," "Never for this web site," and the
somebody-finally-got-it-right choice of "Not Now." Although I find
password managers indispensable, I am irritated that I only get one
chance to give my final answer. Let me think about. Let's see how
it goes, and then I'll make my decision.
Apple has given me that choice. Did we expect any less from the
company who, when iPhoto asks us if we want to launch it
automatically when we plug in a digital camera, gives as one of our
choices, "Decide later?"
AutoFill starts with the information contained in your card in
Address Book and allows you to add more information. When you start
typing information in a form, Safari will autocomplete if it
recognizes the input. Hit the Tab key after the first field, and
Safari fills in the remainder of the fields. Select the AutoFill
button (which is not displayed by default; select it from the
"View" menu to add it to your browser bar) to fill in a form
without typing anything first.
These are the little things that can mean the difference between
a pleasant user experience and irritation, and it is often the
little things that set a company apart from the competition. In
Steve Jobs' Apple, user experience is a priority, and it shows.
Apple has also improved page rendering with the new version of
Safari. There is an improvement in Java and JavaScript performance,
probably owing to the recent Java update of OS X as much as to
Safari. The most noticeable improvement is that Safari now properly
renders more pages containing Microsoft's nonstandard, proprietary
code and served on its abysmal Internet Information Server (Motto:
"Secure as Barney Fife, reliable as a Yugo").
Rating: 3 out of 4 LEMs
Pros
- A ton of new features.
- Improved Java and JavaScript handling.
- Tames Front Page and IIS code garbage.
- It's free!
Cons
- Occasional improper page rendering.
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I am unfortunately required to regularly access a website that is
loaded to the hilt with everything Microsoft, and up until now it
only displayed properly in Internet Explorer. Fortunately, Safari
continues to properly display the other 90% of sites on the
Internet, namely those that adhere to universal (outside of
Redmond, WA, anyway) standards and are served on non-Microsoft
platforms. Oddly, I was often required to switch from IE to Safari
anyway in order to properly view these sites.
Safari now has a one button Privacy Reset. Select "Reset Safari"
from the Safari menu to automatically clear the cache, history,
passwords, and form data. You can also selectively clear these
items.
Safari can now import Netscape/Mozilla bookmarks. In fact, it
appears to do so automatically. I know I never did this manually.
However, shortly after installing this latest version, I opened my
bookmarks and an "Imported Netscape/Mozilla Favorites" had
magically appeared there.
Among the "oldie but goodie" features we really love:
- The ability to block popup windows. This should be a standard
requirement for every browser.
- Safari automatically cleans up after itself when downloading
file. It deletes the original archive so all you get is the fully
decompressed file. I recently spent over an hour scouring one of my
Macs and deleting all the .bin, .zip, .gz, and .sit files
cluttering up the disk. Hopefully those days are nearing an
end.
- Safari handles bookmarks in the most intuitive way of any
browser. They appear in a traditional window instead of a difficult
to maneuver hierarchical menu.
After you download the latest version, go to "Safari Help" and
click on "List of Topics." All topics dealing with a new feature of
Safari are highlighted with a red "New" at the side. This is a good
way to get familiar with a new version.
This latest release of Safari takes some giant leaps forward in
terms of features. If it is not currently your primary browser, it
may be in the not-too-distant future.
