Apple apparently kills Windows PC support in Safari 6.0
With the launch of Safari 6.0 for OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and the release of a 6.0 update for existing Safari users on OS 10.7 Lion, Apple appears to have shelved efforts to continue developing Safari for Windows.
The previous version of Safari 5.1.7 for Windows is still available for download on a special support page, but all mention of a PC version of the web browser have been scrubbed from the company's main website.
Searching for "Safari" from Apple's website currently brings up the former headline in the Quick Search results (shown below), saying, "Safari for Mac + PC. The fastest easiest-to-use browser in the world, now available for Mac + PC."
However, when you arrive at the apple.com/safari page it directs you to, there's only information on the latest 6.0 version of Safari, highlighting features unique to the new version, including its unified Smart Search field, Tab View, iCloud Tabs, Sharing, Offline Reading List, and improvements for Chinese users, none of which are available in the existing Windows version.
At the bottom of the page, Apple notes, "the latest version of Safari is available in Mountain Lion. The latest version of Safari for Lion is available through Software Update." There is no longer any direct download link supplied for Safari 6.0, although Apple's site continues to list download links of Safari Extensions.
Apple focuses on Safari for OS X, iOS
Apple's Steve Jobs first announced Windows PC support in Safari 3.0 at Macworld Expo in 2007. The primary goal of that new version was to push the adoption of modern, standards-based browsing by making Safari's WebKit browser widely available as an alternate to Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox (originally Phoenix) browser built on the ashes of Netscape.
However, while adoption of Safari among PC users has been limited, Google's free Chrome browser, based on the same WebKit engine as Safari, has achieved wide distribution, virtually erasing the need for Apple to develop and support its own browser for Windows.
Additionally, Apple's subsequent success with iOS, paired with the nearly unanimous use of WebKit by other mobile platform vendors (including Nokia, RIM, Palm, Google and others) has effectively made WebKit the only significant mobile web browser engine.
By terminating support for the Windows platform, Apple can focus on the development of features unique to its own platforms, as represented by many of the unique features in Safari 6.0. Apple is still supporting continued, open development of WebKit on a variety of different platforms.
Downloads for other Windows software, including iTunes, QuickTime and Bonjour printer support, are still available and do not appear to have changed. Some Apple web pages, including the QuickTime page for Windows downloads, still link to "Safari for Mac + PC," but those links all now direct to information that only applies to Mac and iOS devices.
The previous version of Safari 5.1.7 for Windows is still available for download on a special support page, but all mention of a PC version of the web browser have been scrubbed from the company's main website.
Searching for "Safari" from Apple's website currently brings up the former headline in the Quick Search results (shown below), saying, "Safari for Mac + PC. The fastest easiest-to-use browser in the world, now available for Mac + PC."
However, when you arrive at the apple.com/safari page it directs you to, there's only information on the latest 6.0 version of Safari, highlighting features unique to the new version, including its unified Smart Search field, Tab View, iCloud Tabs, Sharing, Offline Reading List, and improvements for Chinese users, none of which are available in the existing Windows version.
At the bottom of the page, Apple notes, "the latest version of Safari is available in Mountain Lion. The latest version of Safari for Lion is available through Software Update." There is no longer any direct download link supplied for Safari 6.0, although Apple's site continues to list download links of Safari Extensions.
Apple focuses on Safari for OS X, iOS
Apple's Steve Jobs first announced Windows PC support in Safari 3.0 at Macworld Expo in 2007. The primary goal of that new version was to push the adoption of modern, standards-based browsing by making Safari's WebKit browser widely available as an alternate to Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox (originally Phoenix) browser built on the ashes of Netscape.
However, while adoption of Safari among PC users has been limited, Google's free Chrome browser, based on the same WebKit engine as Safari, has achieved wide distribution, virtually erasing the need for Apple to develop and support its own browser for Windows.
Additionally, Apple's subsequent success with iOS, paired with the nearly unanimous use of WebKit by other mobile platform vendors (including Nokia, RIM, Palm, Google and others) has effectively made WebKit the only significant mobile web browser engine.
By terminating support for the Windows platform, Apple can focus on the development of features unique to its own platforms, as represented by many of the unique features in Safari 6.0. Apple is still supporting continued, open development of WebKit on a variety of different platforms.
Downloads for other Windows software, including iTunes, QuickTime and Bonjour printer support, are still available and do not appear to have changed. Some Apple web pages, including the QuickTime page for Windows downloads, still link to "Safari for Mac + PC," but those links all now direct to information that only applies to Mac and iOS devices.
Comments
Its better this way. I wouldnt use Safari on Windows. Although- if you HAVE to work on a Windows PC at an office- it wouldve been nice to have bookmarks, reading lists, open pages, etc. sync with iOS6 as well as other Lion/Mountain Lion computers you have at home.
But id rather it be streamlined for OS X/iOS
I support this. Get those Windows developers off the marginally used Windows Safari and get them on the massively used iTunes to get that massive app into shape.
I happen to love Safari on my Windows machines.
This is bad news for me.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
Originally Posted by Smiles77
I support this. Get those Windows developers off the marginally used Windows Safari and get them on the massively used iTunes to get that massive app into shape.
They've nothing to do with one another.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Let's not jump to conclusions.
Indeed. On the hand, Google Chrome is probably a suitable alternative if this is indeed the case, since it is also Webkit based.
Relatedly, Apple update on Windows has been broken (on the server side) for a couple of months. Could QuickTime and the Bonjour print thingie follow?
Originally Posted by ajmas
Indeed. On the hand, Google Chrome is probably a suitable alternative if this is indeed the case, since it is also Webkit based.
Chrome is never an alternative. Unless you're fine with your information being stolen, of course.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Chrome is never an alternative. Unless you're fine with your information being stolen, of course.
lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Chrome is never an alternative. Unless you're fine with your information being stolen, of course.
Bingo - nothing from Google is truly 'free'.
When I have to use Windows, I use Firefox for browsing. It's a perfectly decent browser, and way way better than IE.
The rest of the time I use Safari for Windows.
When that doesn't work I use Firefox.
When that doesn't work I use Chrome.
When that doesn't work I use IE.
I really don't want to remove Safari from the list. The rest don't have the fonts that I'm very used to and want to keep. Yes I could figure out mostly how to get the same fonts and look in Firefox (or another browser) but I'm hoping that I don't have to. I hope Apple just doesn't have Safari 6 for Windows ready yet and so they are hiding all versions.
I also know that I could get used to Firefox or Chrome (but never IE which is worse than the idea of dating your own sister or brother - no thanks) if I use them enough. Again, I like the brand I like. I don't want to use another brand until it is *** MY *** choice to switch.
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PS: I do have my Retina iPad with me at work. I do use it (along with my Apple bluetooth keyboard that I use with my iPad) sometimes but with five 24" monitors, well one dedicated to Safari (MOSTly for work related work) it is a lot easier to read than the smaller iPad screen. But if pushed and shoved off Safari on Windows I'm more likely to do more of my browsing, even work related things, on my iPad.
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Written and edited on my iPad.
Yeah I agree. It's not bloated and runs very fast. Probably would be ok to use for awhile. Thinking about this, it probably has something to do with the Windows 8 disaster. Why would they want to support that for RT and Win8?
That's the way I see it, too. When Safari for Windows was released WebKit simply wasn't the powerhouse it is today. On top of that I seem to recall Apple moving iTunes from using a Java-based iTunes Store to using a WebKit-based store so having the framework tested on Windows was necessary. At this point WebKit is the more commonly installed browser engine in the world and Apple's Safari has made it to people who still only use Windows and IE on their desktop because of the prevalence of iOS devices. While I can see why they might keep it the drive is severely diminished at this point.
about time they give up with this thing - no idea why even keep it up on OSX. You know you have a problem when not only do you put the software on every mac but you even place it on the Application tray at first launch and people still wont use it.
If this is true (and I haven't seen any confirmation from anyone official yet), then that's a pretty crappy way to go about it...
Mi dos centavos.
Or Apple is simply waiting to see how Windows 8 pans out. They may have to re-write Safari, or if Windows 8 bombs they simply aren't wasting their time on it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kkerst
Yeah I agree. It's not bloated and runs very fast. Probably would be ok to use for awhile. Thinking about this, it probably has something to do with the Windows 8 disaster. Why would they want to support that for RT and Win8?
Well, "Windows 8" is really Windows 7 with Metro stuck on top, so the browser would run exactly the same. Apple supporting Metro by making a Metro browser would be a bad idea too.
I think this is primarily about the fact that with Chrome on Windows, there's no real reason to have Safari (as the article notes), but also because at this point, making the OS X desktop required for some of the more advanced iOS integration is only going to make Windows look bad and drive more people towards the Mac.
Windows as a consumer OS is definitely failing. Even people who like Windows and have no problem with it would probably seriously consider switching to OS X if the desktop OS doesn't integrate with their iOS devices now.
I think Apple is really trying hard to drive the emergent perception that "Windows is for work/corporate use" and OS X is for home/consumer use, and I think it's working.
I use it and love it. Don't like firefox or opera. I don't mind chrome but safari is better and syncs with all my devices seemlessly and I use gestures on safari 50x a day. I pick that.
Me too. I don't know of many Mac users that don't use Safari as their primary browser. In fact, the only one I can think of that won't use it would prboably use Terminal and a text-baed browser with ASCII images if that were an option. ????