Apple unleashes new version of Safari web browser

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Apple on Tuesday announced the immediate availability of Safari 3.1, the latest version of what the company calls the "world's fastest web browser for Mac and Windows PCs."



According to the Cupertino-based Mac maker, Safari loads web pages 1.9 times faster than Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and 1.7 times faster than Firefox 2. It's also said to run JavaScript up to six times faster than other browsers, in addition to being the first browser to support the latest innovative web standards needed to deliver the next generation of highly interactive Web 2.0 experiences.



"Safari 3.1 for Mac and Windows is blazingly fast, easy to use and features an elegant user interface," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "And best of all, Safari supports the latest audio, video and animation standards for an industry-leading Web 2.0 experience."



As was reported by AppleInsider earlier this year (1, 2), the new version of the Apple browser is the first to support the new video and audio tags in HTML 5 and the first to support CSS Animations. Safari 3.1 also introduces support for CSS Web Fonts, giving designers limitless choices of fonts to create new web sites.



Safari 3.1 is available immediately as a free download at Apple's Safari website for both Mac OS X and Windows users. Safari software updates will also be delivered seamlessly through Apple's Software Update application, which automatically checks for updates.



Safari 3.1 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X Leopard or Mac OS X Tiger version 10.4.11, a minimum of 256MB of memory and is designed to run on any Intel-based Mac or a Mac with a PowerPC G5, G4 or G3 processor and built-in FireWire. Safari 3.1 for Windows requires Windows XP or Windows Vista, a minimum of 256MB of memory and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 124
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Cool...but it's cooler that I'm first.
  • Reply 2 of 124
    No "new tab" button? Does anyone else think this remains a strange omission?
  • Reply 3 of 124
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    I'm downloading it now, I don't see a difference in their description, maybe the inline search?
  • Reply 4 of 124
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    Apple doesn't like putting buttons everywhere, there's the CMD-T shortcut for a New Tab
  • Reply 5 of 124
    flounderflounder Posts: 2,674member
    Yeah! Look forwarding to downloading it when I get home. Hopefully they've fixed the pretty large stability issues many of us have had with Safari 3.
  • Reply 6 of 124
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ClemyNX View Post


    Apple doesn't like putting buttons everywhere, there's the CMD-T shortcut for a New Tab



    Clearly - but CMD-T requires the keyboard, and buttons do not.



    Granted, right-click on the tab bar gives you the option to add a new tab, but this requires two steps instead of one. Is there a hack for Safari 3 that adds a New Tab button yet?
  • Reply 7 of 124
    tomahawktomahawk Posts: 178member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CoolHandPete View Post


    Clearly - but CMD-T requires the keyboard, and buttons do not.



    Granted, right-click on the tab bar gives you the option to add a new tab, but this requires two steps instead of one. Is there a hack for Safari 3 that adds a New Tab button yet?



    According to the new features mentioned by Apple it appears you can double click in the tab area to add a new tab too... About the Safari 3.1 Update
  • Reply 8 of 124
    mimicmimic Posts: 72member
    Safari feels like a M$ product!! I hope the new version addresses stability issues. It's bad when i do something and know it will crash the software. Like switching between tabs when a heavy page is loading on one.



    I hope i can double click the tab bar to open a new tab also, this omission has been there for too long





    Yup, i can now double click the tab bar to open a new tab! Now to play with stability.



    I wonder why i can't flip though my drop down bookmarks like i can in FireFox. I have to click on each to open them as they won't auto drop down as i pass over them (after i open the initial drop down).
  • Reply 9 of 124
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    Cool...but it's cooler that I'm first.



    Success! You finally live up to your username (You sad, sad person)
  • Reply 10 of 124
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    I downloaded Safari 3.1.



    Too soon to tell if its more stable. Speed is good but not noticeably better than before.



    So far, I'm a little more impressed with the FF 3 beta. it seems even a little faster.
  • Reply 11 of 124
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    I'm sure its cute. But I'm very happy with firefox and version 3 will be out the door very soon. And THAT will be the fastest browser period.

    And beta 3 is already running pretty stable as is.
  • Reply 12 of 124
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    It is definitely quicker in Windows!
  • Reply 13 of 124
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Success! You finally live up to your username (You sad, sad person)



    yes I am soooo sad you don't like me. My world is over.
  • Reply 14 of 124
    jasenj1jasenj1 Posts: 923member
    Gets to 75 on the ACID3 test. Firefox 2.0 only makes it to 52. Safari 3.0.4 on Windows makes it to 39.



    Closer, but still not 100%.



    - Jasen.
  • Reply 15 of 124
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    An incremental improvement, but incremental improvements are the way to go.



    5% updated every month and in only 2 years you have a whole new browser...
  • Reply 16 of 124
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by success View Post


    yes I am soooo sad you don't like me. My world is over.



    I don't not like you, sweetheart. I think you are funny.
  • Reply 17 of 124
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jasenj1 View Post


    Gets to 75 on the ACID3 test.



    Firefox 3 beta4 gets a 67. But as far as speed, FF3 seems more than 1.7 times faster than FF2.

    And it even runs on an ancient 300MHz PII - ha.
  • Reply 18 of 124
    endymionendymion Posts: 375member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jasenj1 View Post


    Gets to 75 on the ACID3 test. Firefox 2.0 only makes it to 52. Safari 3.0.4 on Windows makes it to 39.



    I wonder why Apple released 3.1 with such an old build of webkit. Current nightlies of Webkit are at 93.
  • Reply 19 of 124
    guinnessguinness Posts: 473member
    It's pretty good, I still like FF3 for most things, as I wish it acted more like a Windows browser (a new tab button or the option to show the tab bar always - Ctrl+T is not the easiest or fastest way). I think the same for the Mac version too (would an added option be too much to ask?). A much improved pop-up blocker as well, it kills most of the AppleInsider pop-ups now.



    At least it doesn't crash like crazy under Vista, but the Acid 3 score is only 75, whereas on my Mac, was getting ~90 with one of the newer Webkit nightlies. All this time I thought Webkit was going to be Safari 3.1, I guess not.
  • Reply 20 of 124
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jasenj1 View Post


    Gets to 75 on the ACID3 test. Firefox 2.0 only makes it to 52. Safari 3.0.4 on Windows makes it to 39.



    Closer, but still not 100%.



    - Jasen.



    It also no longer passes the Acid2 test, doh! When did that happen? Safari was famously the first browser to pass that test.



    I don't normally use Safari, but downloaded 3.1 and it crashed on my first attempt to post this reply.
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