Very good, but there are still some bugs to fix
Written: May 09 '03 (Updated May 10 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very fast and stable; tabbed browsing; "bookmark bar" is handy
Cons: In beta release, so expect some problems
The Bottom Line: A fantastic browser, but there are some problems Apple needs to clean up before the final release.
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| HawgWyld's Full Review: Apple Safari Web Browser |
As I've mentioned before, I love Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) on my iMac at work. The operating system is the best I've seen, and is typically rock solid.
However, finding a good Internet browser for the operating system has been a bit of a chore. While I loved Netscape 7.0 on the iMac while I was running Mac OS 9.1 at work, the browser tended to crash under OS X. Internet Explorer 5.2 was a bit more stable, but I had the most of the same problems I had with the browser under Mac OS 9.1.
And, then, I read about Safari. While I was put off by the fact the new browser from Apple was in Beta testing, I decided to give it a try. In short, I was pleasantly surprised with the browser, but Apple has to do a lot of work on this piece of software if the company ever hopes to put a dent in the marketshare Microsoft has in the Macintosh world with Internet Explorer.
First of all, I was a little surprised at the download -- it was only around 3.8 megs and, when extracted, took up a slim 10 megs on my hard drive. Perhaps the small size of the program explains why Safari loads pages so quickly. Compared to either Internet Explorer or Netscape, Safari loads Web sites very quickly. I should point out that "quickly" is a relative term as I'm on a T-1 line at work, and have no idea how much faster pages would render on a dial-up account. However, it's fair enough to point out I was surprised at how fast Safari completed loading pages with a lot of graphics and Java on them.
One feature about Safari that's fantastic is "tabbed browsing" -- instead of opening up a new page for sites, one can open a new tab and choose among various pages by simply clicking the tabs at the top of the screen. That's a great feature under Netscape, and an absolute time-saver which will make one curse Internet Explorer's clumsy method of opening new windows for every blasted site.
Another great feature is the pop-up killer, which can be configured to pretty much destroy any annoying ads from sites other than the ones you specify. Snazzy stuff, there.
Apple has made a lot of noise about the "snap back" browsing built into Safari and the way the browser handles bookmarks. As far as "snap back" browsing goes, I can't imagine ever using it. To activate that feature, one must take time to define a page to return to quickly. In theory, that feature is supposed to eliminate the situation where one becomes lost after surfing from site to site, as folks tend to do on the Internet. The problem is, how many people will take the time to define the "snap back" site? In my experience, folks tend to jump around and hit the "go back" button to retrace their steps. That habit's a hard one to break, and I can't help but wonder how many folks will use the "snap back" feature.
Thanks to iBen, I realize my description of "snap back" wasn't completely correct. Indeed, iBen was right in pointing out the "snap back" feature doesn't need to be set up, per se -- it defaults back to the last URL typed in or deliberately selected by the user through a bookmark (obviously, I don't use it much). Also, iBen pointed out there's another feature I overlooked -- Google searches directly from the menu bar. Although I still tend to head over to Yahoo! whenever I run a search (an old, old habit), I find myself using the quick, handy Google search more and more often.
In terms of bookmarks, Apple's method of handling them isn't terribly different -- one can make folders and drag bookmarks over to them. What is unique, however, is that sites can be added as buttons at the top of the screen in the "bookmark bar." That's pretty handy, as I've put the sites I use quite a bit up there at the top of the screen (including Epinions!)
Now, Safari is currently a beta release, meaning you can expect some problems. And, indeed, there are a number of problems. First of all, the implementation of Java seems to need some work. For example, head over to http://www.allmusic.com. Typically, that site relies on small, thumbnail pictures to convey information, and one can simply point at those pictures with the mouse to see a text box pop up telling the user what they link to (a particular album, band or whatever). That information is simply not conveyed in Safari on my system, leaving the user to waste time to click the thumbnail to see the link it represents.
Also, Safari seems to have trouble printing to my network printer at work. Every other application I have prints with ease, so I'm sure that has something to do with the Safari browser and I'm hopeful Apple gets that problem worked out in the final release.
Finally, the help features referenced in the menu bar simply aren't there -- another sign of beta testing.
Still, I use Safari as my default browser at work as I love the speed of it, the tabbed browsing and the absolute stability (I haven't crashed it yet). Although it appears the browser wars are over and Microsoft has won, Safari is a very nice application for OS X users and is well-worth downloading. Oh, and for those wondering about compatibility issues, I really haven't run across a page Safari couldn't render with ease.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
HawgWyld
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Member: Ethan C. Nobles
Location: Benton, Ark.
Reviews written: 1433
Trusted by: 495 members
About Me:
The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.
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