Mountain Lion to bring offline mode to Safari Reading List
A feature in Apple's upcoming OS X Mountain Lion will bring extended functionality to the Safari web browser by caching saved pages for perusal when away from an internet connection.
The previously unreported addition to Apple's next-gen operating system was unearthed by Gear Live on Tuesday and adds to the already substantial list of new features that will roll out when Mountain Lion is released this summer.
New to Reading List in in the forthcoming OS X is the ability to read pages offline, a feature presumably facilitated by automatic on-site caching. Although it is not exactly known how Apple's system will work, it may be akin to available third-party software like the popular apps Instapaper and Readability, both of which offer offline reading on iOS devices.
Safari's Reading List, which debuted in 2011 in tandem with the no-frills Reader function, can be thought of as a smart bookmark button that offers users a way to quickly save and sort web pages for later reading. More than a bookmark, however, the Reading List keeps track of what a user has read and displays webpages ad-free.
Message displayed when attempting to access a webpage offline shows new Reading List mode. | Source: Gear Live
The system also leverages iCloud to automatically sync pages across all devices attached to an account, meaning that when a page is saved on a Mac, it is pushed to a user's iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Safari's Reader tool can also be integrated with Reading List to consolidate text into a more digestible format for small screens.
The previously unreported addition to Apple's next-gen operating system was unearthed by Gear Live on Tuesday and adds to the already substantial list of new features that will roll out when Mountain Lion is released this summer.
New to Reading List in in the forthcoming OS X is the ability to read pages offline, a feature presumably facilitated by automatic on-site caching. Although it is not exactly known how Apple's system will work, it may be akin to available third-party software like the popular apps Instapaper and Readability, both of which offer offline reading on iOS devices.
Safari's Reading List, which debuted in 2011 in tandem with the no-frills Reader function, can be thought of as a smart bookmark button that offers users a way to quickly save and sort web pages for later reading. More than a bookmark, however, the Reading List keeps track of what a user has read and displays webpages ad-free.
Message displayed when attempting to access a webpage offline shows new Reading List mode. | Source: Gear Live
The system also leverages iCloud to automatically sync pages across all devices attached to an account, meaning that when a page is saved on a Mac, it is pushed to a user's iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Safari's Reader tool can also be integrated with Reading List to consolidate text into a more digestible format for small screens.
Comments
+1 for this feature although I really wish it would come to iOS. I read a lot on the subway and my connection is a little spotty. I'm using the excellent and recently updated Pocket app but it would be awesome if Safari could do it natively. In fact, I'd be happy if Safari just wouldn't refresh pages automatically.
I feel like a long time ago, the 90s, when you hit the back button browsers would use the CACHED version of the page by default.
I have a spotty connection, too.
I have noticed that for years now it seems that Safari, Firefox, etc all refresh the page when you hit back. And even refresh open tabs sometimes. I really wish there was at least an option to disable this and use the cached page. I guess this is sort of a fix, though?
Quote:
Originally Posted by myapplelove
Mountain lion "features" are like .1.1 updates to run of the mill iOS apps. Wow we can now actually consume read it later, sorry reading list content offline? The work that must have gone into this, is anyone even sleeping in the os x team these days?
Pretty much 100% of your posts are compromised of hating on Apple, its products, features, decisions, marketing, business practices, iOS, iPhone, iPad, and everything else under the Apple sun. So tell me, what is it you actually like about the company, to justify all the time you spend posting on a fansite messageboard? All your anger and hatred seems to stem from the fact that not all their products have a matte-screen option, as well as being butt-hurt about their focus on post-pc products. God, grow the hell up. While you're at it, go outside and get some fresh air, as well as some perspective, and try to stem all your unjustified hatred and anger. Apple will continue to make products that appeal to hundreds of millions of people, and, believe it or not, they don't base their operations on the extremely niche needs of YOU, personally. Try to understand that concept, because you come off as someone who is incredibly whiny, entitled, and utterly childish with your little petty grudge.
True that. I didn't understand why the reading list needed an internet connection to begin with. But okay, offline reading is coming, good.
Reading List makes more sense if it's actually an online cache. It's its original incarnation there wasn't enough to it.
One thing I would like from Mountain Lion is to finally get rid of .DS_Store files. There is no reason Finder couldn't store icon positions in file attributes and window properties in folder attributes. .DS_Store causes grief for sysadmins.
Agreed but good luck with that, it won't happen in mountain lion , thats for sure, not with the lion bugs they need to fix first, not with the amount of people they have working for...iOS 6... They can't even maintain a stable browser that doesn't constantly leak memory, and you are asking for an update in legacy finder practises...