Originally posted on July 22, 2007 @ 9:31 am
A few weeks ago, I found out from a friend that Apple has finally released a Windows version of its Mac internet browser Safari. Naturally, I was excited about this news. Any migration from Apple to Windows interests me because this could be first steps towards more intriguing developments in the future (just look at iTunes coming to Windows and how mp3 purchases subsequently).
I immediately downloaded and installed Safari expecting nothing short of a revolutionary or at least a more satisfying browsing experience from my usual Firefox surfing. I have to say though that it was an underwhelming experience. Safari never really offered anything new to Windows users. In fact, Safari even came short in terms of offering features that other browsers like Internet Explorer 7, Firefox or Opera already possess.
A more damning piece of information against Safari though is this recent article from extremetech.com. The article enumerated 10 reasons why Windows users should NOT use Safari. It was an eye opener for me. I have always associated Apple with streamlined, no frills software that goes to the market near perfect, not like the glorified beta versions Microsoft constantly releases to the public. The article’s claims that Safari is bloated and yet underfeatured with serious security issues has left me surprised. I guess it’s back to the drawing board for Apple’s engineers as far as Safari for Windows is concerned.