Apple releases Safari 4.0.5 with performance, stability improvements
Apple Thursday evening released a new update to Safari for Mac and Windows, with the latest browser version improving its performance, stability and security.
The update, available directly from Apple, weighs in at 30.52MB for Snow Leopard Users, 38.59MB for Leopard, 26,78MB for Tiger, and 30.18 for Windows Vista, XP and 7.
The update addresses a number of issues related to the browser, WebKit, ColorSync, ImageIO and more. Apple noted the following changes for the browser in Safari 4.0.5:
Performance improvements for Top Sites
Stability improvements for 3rd-party plug-ins
Stability improvements for websites with online forms and Scalable Vector Graphics
Fixes an issue that prevented Safari from changing settings on some Linksys routers
AppleInsider first reported on Safari 4.0.5 last Friday, noting that the browser update offers improved HTML5 video playback, faster JavaScript performance, better performance loading YouTube, and an overall reduced memory footprint. Additionally, the release was also said to include a much improved plugin manager aimed at reducing the number of crashes caused by plugins, including Adobe Flash.
The last update to Safari, version 4.0.4, came last November, when Apple addressed a vulnerability that could allow an image file to exploit Macs with older software.
The update, available directly from Apple, weighs in at 30.52MB for Snow Leopard Users, 38.59MB for Leopard, 26,78MB for Tiger, and 30.18 for Windows Vista, XP and 7.
The update addresses a number of issues related to the browser, WebKit, ColorSync, ImageIO and more. Apple noted the following changes for the browser in Safari 4.0.5:
Performance improvements for Top Sites
Stability improvements for 3rd-party plug-ins
Stability improvements for websites with online forms and Scalable Vector Graphics
Fixes an issue that prevented Safari from changing settings on some Linksys routers
AppleInsider first reported on Safari 4.0.5 last Friday, noting that the browser update offers improved HTML5 video playback, faster JavaScript performance, better performance loading YouTube, and an overall reduced memory footprint. Additionally, the release was also said to include a much improved plugin manager aimed at reducing the number of crashes caused by plugins, including Adobe Flash.
The last update to Safari, version 4.0.4, came last November, when Apple addressed a vulnerability that could allow an image file to exploit Macs with older software.
Comments
it looks like it opens and closes faster than before, something Chrome has had over Safari. Visual History seems faster, too.
Considering WebKit Nightly is over 50 builds ahead of this one you can expect a vast improvement for the next major release of Safari [5.0] compared to this branch.
Sure hope this helps.
Helps what? Whether you like it or not Safari is currently the fastest released browser on the Mac and has less crashes than any other. This is just a minor tweak and not really even worth writing the article about. You make it sound like there is some kind of massive "problem" with it that you hope is fixed now. It's not true.
Considering WebKit Nightly is over 50 builds ahead of this one you can expect a vast improvement for the next major release of Safari [5.0] compared to this branch.
It's always that way. I checked out the Sublime video since the "latest nightlies" allow for full-screen playback. Whatever has been added to those WebKit builds is not part of Safari 4.0.5.
I got Morning Coffee, one button click loads my favorite websites assigned for that particular day.
Instead of just Google in the search bar, I got Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay, Answers and anything other site too.
I got Flagfox which tells me the location of the sites I visit, another verifies the sites, Adblock, bug blockers, script blockers and best of all a nice blue sky theme with a image of Yosemite instead of that boring grey in Safari.
I got FasterFox which preloads the next Google search results and adds it to the bottom of the previous page, so I just keep all scrolling through instead of the lame click and load method.
I got NoSquint, which remembers the zoom level for each site. Firefox zoom includes the whole site, not just the type!
I could go on and on... I don't even remember the last time I launched Safari...
Apple is so concerned about Safari's speed when they instead should be looking at what Firefox and even Chrome are doing to make web browsing a much more enjoyable experience.
Then you're set, but don't think that what is an "enjoyable experience" for you would be the same for others. I can assure you it isn't. In fact, all that crap you mentioned means nothing to most users, even the ones using Chrome and Firefox which allows plugins.
You seem to be looking it as if Apple employees are sitting around scratching their heads wondering how to mimic Firefox, but you should be looking at what Apple is doing with their browsers.
Helps what? Whether you like it or not Safari is currently the fastest released browser on the Mac and has less crashes than any other. This is just a minor tweak and not really even worth writing the article about. You make it sound like there is some kind of massive "problem" with it that you hope is fixed now. It's not true.
I've had massive problems with Top Sites taking ages to load and then the websites too when you click on them, plus I've had video errors with strange patterns appearing when using Top Sites and creating a new tab. Top Sites have been so bad it has caused my whole computer to slow down when I've got a lot of tabs open (plus other applications). This isn't a lack of RAM and I've noticed no problems since turning Top Sites off. I hope this update solves the problem and makes Top Sites usable again.
I still don't see why both opera and firefox are so much more responsive than safari on my pbook g4 12", where safari is literally a dog...might it be the extended history in safari?
It's such a dissapointment because I 've switched to safari for better cross machine syncing, and I can't stand it how on a g4 hardware both opera and firefox trump it...
safari is literally a dog.
The new version of Safari is great, but it still drinks from the toilet.
The new version of Safari is great, but it still drinks from the toilet.
You mean this version?
I really can't see how come other browsers work better on a g4 of all things, my suspicion is that apple has abandoned all optimizations for the g4s, which is very disappointing. Do you guys get the same experience from safari on your powerbooks or is it just me and I have to clear some caches or something?
I've had massive problems with Top Sites taking ages to load and then the websites too when you click on them, plus I've had video errors with strange patterns appearing when using Top Sites and creating a new tab. Top Sites have been so bad it has caused my whole computer to slow down when I've got a lot of tabs open (plus other applications). This isn't a lack of RAM and I've noticed no problems since turning Top Sites off. I hope this update solves the problem and makes Top Sites usable again.
Truth be told this is a common experience for quite a few users, myself included, regardless of safari's otherwise great performance on intel hardware. I've had every single symptom MacCrazy describes with Top Sites too.
Apple is so concerned about Safari's speed when they instead should be looking at what Firefox and even Chrome are doing to make web browsing a much more enjoyable experience.
I got Morning Coffee, one button click loads my favorite websites assigned for that particular day.
Instead of just Google in the search bar, I got Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay, Answers and anything other site too.
I got Flagfox which tells me the location of the sites I visit, another verifies the sites, Adblock, bug blockers, script blockers and best of all a nice blue sky theme with a image of Yosemite instead of that boring grey in Safari.
I got FasterFox which preloads the next Google search results and adds it to the bottom of the previous page, so I just keep all scrolling through instead of the lame click and load method.
I got NoSquint, which remembers the zoom level for each site. Firefox zoom includes the whole site, not just the type!
I could go on and on... I don't even remember the last time I launched Safari...
I can't stand Firefox.
Top Sites is better. Feels faster. Plus I changed my DNS server to the fastest one near me, and it seems to help quite a bit (using Namebench.)
I was going to do that. but I also noticed that UltraDNS, which is supposedly the fastest, has a range which is also one of the slowest. The one Covad uses (my ISP), isn't the fastest, but isn't nearly as slow in the slow part of the range.
Half of one, half of another.
Helps what? Whether you like it or not Safari is currently the fastest released browser on the Mac and has less crashes than any other. This is just a minor tweak and not really even worth writing the article about. You make it sound like there is some kind of massive "problem" with it that you hope is fixed now. It's not true.
Its also the one with the most amount of compatibility problems and other issues. Its very good, but its not perfect. There's a lot of room for improvement.
Apple is so concerned about Safari's speed when they instead should be looking at what Firefox and even Chrome are doing to make web browsing a much more enjoyable experience.
I've not played around with plugins like you have, but I have to admit I've got myself pretty much hooked on using Chrome instead of Safari. I just love the way I can search in the address bar. A simple seeming thing that I've grown to really appreciate.
So, I have been using Webkit Nightly builds for over 3 weeks now. And they are super fast! Faster than even Chrome I guess.
So, this is the question: How secure are the Webkit Nightly builds?
I've read that Apple chooses a really good Webkit build and then tweaks it and then comes a new version of Safari! So, I am assuming Safari is safe enough. But, is the Webkit more secure than Safari or less secure?
Would be really helpful if someone answered this!
1) Sorting bookmarks by name
2) Moving the plus sign (+) next to the last tab for a more correct GUI design in lauching new tabs. Double-clicking the tab bar is nice but not intuitive. The current plus sign location sucks.
3) Volume control for the browser with the ability to mute web site that auto-play music or videos.
4) A shortcut key to put the browser in full screen mode (hide the menu, bookmark bar etc).
5) A more GUI intuitive way to add to the bookmark bar.
6) The option to choose other search providers other than Google or in addition to Google
Like it or not IE8 has all of the above features and Safari can steal (er borrow) those ideas. The volume control doesn't exist in IE8 either.
I wished Safari kept the Chrome-like tabs it had in the beta version.
I don't believe my feature list would constitute a 5.0 version for Safari but maybe a 4.1.
Truth be told this is a common experience for quite a few users, myself included, regardless of safari's otherwise great performance on intel hardware. I've had every single symptom MacCrazy describes with Top Sites too.
Top Sites used to crash my whole system... generating some kind of panic in the graphics driver. I had to turn Top Sites off. I've turned it back on, and am hoping that the fixes to Top Sites will also mean no more kernel panics.