Apple's very own browser, Safari's beta refresh is released with version 3.0.4. Version 3.0.3 was given with Digit DVD this month. The last version had very high memory usage, and perhaps on my system only, crashed every here and there. Although i didn't liked it much but its response time is very good. On my Vista system, it open websites atleast 2.5x faster then IE and Maxthon and atleast 1.5x times Firefox. I dont use Opera for some personal dislikes.
But i am very much pleased with this latest release. Crashes are reduced very much and it is running quiet stably for last 2 days with about 2.5 hours of browsing 2 times a day without closing it, ie. i hibernated my system. Speed is as good as previous one. Memory usage has been reduced considerably. Its using between 52 to 68 MB normally, although sometimes it still goes as high as 138MB!!! but this comes to normal after sometime. I guess this department needs some more thought by Apple engineers.
Although untill now, i preferred Maxthon very much coz of its small install base (as IE is already installed ) and ggod features including skin support. But this one looks more asthetically pleasing to me and i have started to love it. Its hinting technology for ClearType kind of text is quiet easy on eyes.
This is for the first time i am having these kind of feelings for an Apple product Just kidding, Apple's a great company making products with a difference, although i am also very pleased with my Vista Ultimate SP1 RC.Personal choice, i guess.
Here is the official ChangeLog:
New features
-Allows windows to be resized from any side
-Includes an additional font smoothing option ("standard")
-Adds International text input methods
-Adds advanced text options (contextual forms, international scripts)
-Supports NTLM
-Includes auto-detection of PAC files
-Supports listing FTP directories
-Links to proxy settings from Safari (Safari respects the proxy settings in the ---Windows Internet control panel)
-Adds cookie management
-Adds LiveConnect support
-Includes tooltips
-Adds spell checking and grammar checking
-Allows printing of page numbers, titles, margins
-Improves bookmark collection interface
-Maintains original order of imported bookmarks
-Adds an interface for editing AutoFill information
-History searches now search the full text of visited websites
-Adds a new preference to manually mark RSS articles as read
-Includes support for tilt wheels
New keyboard shortcuts added
-Alt-Enter in the Address field opens the same page in new background tab
-Alt-Shift-Enter in the Address field opens the same page in new foreground tab
-Ctrl-Enter in the Search field opens search results in new window
-Alt-Enter in the Search field opens search results in new background tab
-Alt-Shift-Enter in the Search field opens search results in new foreground tab
-Ctrl-Enter for (www/com) completion in the URL bar
-F6 to switch between the content area and URL bar
-Ctrl-Tab and Ctrl-Shift-Tab to navigate between tabs
-Backspace and Shift-Backspace to go back/forward between Web pages
-Ctrl-F4 to close a tab
-Ctrl-E to focus the search field
-Windows-M to minimize
-Ctrl-mouse wheel to zoom
-Shift-mouse wheel to scroll horizontally
Stability
-Improves application stability
-Compatibility
-Increases standards and site compatibility
Performance
-Improves JavaScript performance
-Improves application launch performance
Security
-For information about the security content of this update, visit http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307225
-Allows you to clicking the lock icon to see detailed information about a site's certificate
Download it from here: http://www.apple.com/safari/download/
10 comments for this post
Dear, Koushiksaha!
I am an iMac G4, running Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger, Power PC Chip with 1 gigabyte RAM and an 80 gigabyte with round 20 gigabytes remaining. Have used Safari from the beginning as my browser of choice and been very happy with it. However, my Safari 2.0.1 started crashing, locking up or running extremely slowly. I upgraded to Safari 3 Public Beta which solved all problems even sites which required Internet Explorer and Windows XP. Then, the last update to my Mac's OS 10.4.9.10 to its final 10.4.11, my Safari was updated to Safari 3.0.4 which allowed me to get onto every site excepting for my gmail account and Google Docs. I can use gmail and Google Docs now, but with Firefox only.
Called Apple Tech to find out why Safari 3.0.4 would not work with gmail. Tech had me to muck round with my Mac's innards, trashing my preferences folders and making new ones. Finally, assuring me that he could resolve the problem; but, was himself baffled; told me that he would send my query to the engineers to see why their Safari would not work. This was beginning December 2007. Still has not got back to me. Meanwhilst, I read in my Macworld Magazine for January that Google Apps, including Google Docs; which, of course, includes gmail, would not work with the latest release of Safari. Tried surfing their site but could not find out why not? there. I am blind and websites are difficult for me.
However, stumbled on your very excellent and informative Blog site, read it, read your profile, got your e-mail address; figuring if anyone might shed some light on this for me, it would be you. Then I can inform the Apple Tech so that he can, over the telephohone, walk me through restoring my Mac as the last set of mucking round with my preferences folders, I saved what I had in the trash, will not empty the trash, saving a copy on my desktop and onto an external hard disc. Since I write in Spanish, German, French, Italian as well as English, I liked using my Keyboard vieweer for the diacritical marks, but lost it. I also use the graphing calculator in Mac OS 9 Classic, an emulation programme on my Mac; and, have lost that, too. The calculator is very important to me as it can more quickly and accurately graph out my calculus differential and integral calculations than I can on paper with pencil. I am a beginning student of calculus and am hampered by the loss of Mac OS 9 Classic emulation.
Sorry to bother you with this, but I am most anxious to restore my Mac and to start using gmail with Safari again.
I really enjoyed your Blog and hope to be a frequent visitor to it.
Joan Alice Maria Gibson, Esq.
Bisbee, Ariizona 85603-6445
United States of America
MohawkBlackfoot@gmail.com
Dear, Koushiksaha!
I am an iMac G4 user; running Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger, Power PC Chip with 1 gigabyte RAM and an 80 gigabyte hard disc with round 20 gigabytes remaining. Have used Safari from the beginning as my browser of choice and been very happy with it. However, my Safari 2.0.1 started crashing, locking up or running extremely slowly. I upgraded to Safari 3 Public Beta which solved all problems even sites which required Internet Explorer and Windows XP. Then, with the last update to my Mac's OS 10.4.9.10 to its final 10.4.11, my Safari was updated to Safari 3.0.4 which allowed me to get onto every site excepting for my gmail account and Google Docs. I can use gmail and Google Docs now, but with Firefox only.
Called Apple Tech to find out why Safari 3.0.4 would not work with gmail. Tech had me to muck round with my Mac's innards, trashing my preferences folders and making new ones. Finally, assuring me that he could resolve the problem; but, was himself baffled; told me that he would send my query to the engineers to see why their Safari would not work. This was beginning December 2007. Still has not got back to me. Meanwhilst, I read in my Macworld Magazine for January that Google Apps, including Google Docs; which, of course, includes gmail, would not work with the latest release of Safari. Tried surfing their site but could not find out there why not? I am blind and websites are difficult for me.
However, stumbled on your very excellent and informative Blog site, read it, read your profile, got your e-mail address; figuring if anyone might shed some light on this for me, it would be you. Then I can inform the Apple Tech so that he can, over the telephone, walk me through restoring my Mac as the last set of mucking round with my preferences folders; I saved what I had in the trash, will not empty the trash, saving a copy on my desktop and onto an external hard disc. Since I write in Spanish, German, French, Italian as well as English, I liked using my Keyboard viewer for the diacritical marks, but lost it. I also use the graphing calculator in Mac OS 9 Classic, an emulation programme on my Mac; and, have lost that, too. The calculator is very important to me as it can more quickly and accurately graph out my calculus differential and integral calculations than I can on paper with pencil. I am a beginning student of calculus and am hampered by the loss of Mac OS 9 Classic emulation programme.
Sorry to bother you with this, but I am most anxious to restore my Mac and to start using gmail with Safari again.
I really enjoyed your Blog and hope to be a frequent visitor to it.
Joan Alice Maria Gibson, Esq.
MohawkBlackfoot@gmail.com