Safari is a fast Web browser developed by Apple.
This is a Web browser that uses a proprietary framework, WebKit. Apple managed to implement a good and mature product that can satisfy you, so the need for an alternative browser is minimal.
The interface of the browser is a little bit more usable than the one from the previous version. Apple implemented several features than can make things go faster and easier, while the quality of the rendered pages is better. The previous version of Safari is a browser that complies with the
W3C Web Standards, but it had some issues with certain Web pages, even though it was the first browser that passed the
Acid2 test. This version comes with a good improvement. The interface looks almost the same as the old one, but you may notice some new things.
The first new feature that I like is the Resizable Text Fields functionality. It happens some times to find a too small, or a too large annoying text area because of an uninspired Web designer. Apple lets you to decide how large or small that text area should be, so all you have to do is to click the corner of the text field and drag the mouse. Depending on the flexibility in design of the Web page, it's content makes room for the new dimensions, or it gets smaller.
Apple also included a form filler. This is one of those features that spare you of countlessly typing the same stuff over and over again. The form filler is a great usability improvement for Safari.
Besides the new features, Safari brings the old features that you can find in the old version: easy bookmarks, pop-up blocking, inline search, tabbed browsing, built in RSS reader, and the overall security of the product. The old features work almost the same, so if you used the previous version of Safari, you won't be in any trouble.
Pluses: it has a lot of useful features that makes you to feel comfortable while browsing the Web.
Drawbacks / flaws: this is a beta version, so it acts quite a mine field. It can crash quite often. The browser doesn't have a session saving functionality.
In conclusion: since this is the browser that is going to be distributed with the Mac OS X Leopard, you are going to get it anyway. Love it, or hate it, you decide if it suites your needs. Meanwhile, you can take a peek at the alternatives, such as:
Firefox,
Opera,
Camino, or
OmniWeb.
version reviewed: 3.0.2 Beta
