Apple Safari First Look

10/04/2007

As the browser wars begin to heat up with impending releases of Firefox and Opera, Apple decided to throw their own offering into the mix with a Windows Version of Safari. Even though the browser is still in a beta format, we'll see how it stacks up against the competition. Please note this is not an end all review, but I aim to go over a few of the more important parts of the Browser.

Installing and Launching

When I found out that Safari was coming to Windows, I was very excited. The few times I had used Safari on the Macs were good experiences and the browser worked pretty decently in comparison to IE for Macs. The actual install process was very simple. It was the same as any other install process. Also the file size keeps a nice balance with the other browsers, weighing in at just a bit bigger than its competitors Opera and Firefox. The install was quick, taking less than a minute, which should be expected on small files like this. I was disappointed that it didn't give a Quick Launch icon by default, as that is my most common way for accessing a browser.

I removed the desktop shortcut to keep my desktop clean, located the application in the start menu, and seeing as I was installing this before bed, I decided to shut down the computer and continue my testing the next morning. This brought the first blow to Safari. Upon starting up the computer the next morning, the shortcut to Safari on the start menu was gone. Who knows where it went. Safari was installed, it showed up in the Add/Remove programs list, but the shortcut was gone. So naturally, I did what I figured any average user would do, I reinstalled. With the shortcuts on the start menu again, I was back in business. Safari launched lightning quick. It launched at a speed I rarely see with Firefox, Opera, or IE.

Browsing

Installation was a minor issue. However, it's when I started browsing with it that the real problems set in. I have found that when using this browser, you have about a 50-50 chance of it actually working. When it does work, it trots along at a decent pace, nothing slower or faster than what I am used to with other browsers. However, at least half the time, I get stuck with The Apple Spin, which is basically when the page tries to load, but decides it can't. Instead the spinning icon letting you know the page is loading, just spins...forever. This is a real show stopper for me. I want my browser to actually function all the time, not just when it wants to. To be sure that this wasn't just an Internet issue, I tried browsing out to the same site on Firefox and it loaded without a problem. I find that the browser's inability to actually load the web pages when I try to call them up makes me less inclined to use the browser.

The Interface

Apple tries to make up for its poor browsing capability by making the user interface look very pretty. For those of you who use iTunes, you will note that it uses the same theme as iTunes including the sleek (and in my opinion ugly) chrome look. I found myself disappointed because they did away with the tabbed browsing and status bars by default in an attempt to make the whole browser look nicer. I don't know about most people, but I find the tab browsing capability very important and it makes no sense to not have that option out in an easy to use place by default. Granted it does make the browser look a little less sleek, but I for one would be willing to forego sleekness for functionality.

The lack of a status bar at the bottom was also very disconcerting to me. I never realized how much I used it until it wasn't there. Often I find myself looking down there and seeing how many more objects have to load and the remaining file size. While not having the status bar gives Safari and very clean cut and sharp look, I dislike not having it there and thus this is a feature I found myself adding back in again too.

Safari is also very advertisement based. When I start to type in a URL in the address bar, a ton of sites such as ticketmaster and citysearch pop up as possible options. I find this quite agitating. I only want to see the results of things I have previously typed in the address bar, not whatever companies are endorsing your browser the most. I can see how this might be useful and compared to Firefox's suggestion tool, which tries to guess what you will be searching for when you begin typing it in. However, unlike the suggestion tool, the results that Safari suggests I may be typing in are generally irrelevant to what I actually want to search for.

The bookmarks, which can be placed in either the Bookmark Bar right below the address bar or in the Bookmarks menu, are annoyingly enough, pre-populated. My first look at Safari had 11 folders already populated, mostly with junk and places I would never go. Fortunately, most of these are only visible when using the show all bookmarks feature. If you just add a bookmark, you won't see them, which is nice. The entire bookmarking system I found to be clunky at best. By default if you add a bookmark, it goes directly to the Bookmark Bar. This is really annoying because then it will clutter up the interface and make the whole thing look terrible. Did I mention that the bookmarks bar is enabled by default and has links to people who are endorsing Apple? No? Well it is and the links are annoyingly there. I find myself turning this bookmark bar off, but that doesn't stop me from accidentally populating it. If Apple was smart, they would make that the second choice, but I know that won't happen.

Other Things of Note

Safari includes a Spell Checker, presumably to check your spelling as you type much like in Firefox. Unfortunately, this functionality doesn't work at all. I was very disappointed. Hopefully this is one of the things that they will work out before it's released to a final version. I was highly disappointed in the customizability of this program. Unless you consider changing the font, and adding/removing bars that should be there by default, the customizability of this browser is basically nonexistent. Also, the basic functions are still buggy. When I maximize the window, the browser goes flying off the side of my screen and the only way to get into it again is to close the whole browser and restart it. I did check it against the Acid2 Web Standards test, and it did pass. At this I was impressed as currently neither Firefox or IE pass the test.

Final Thoughts

My time spent on Safari was not a happy one. I know this is a beta browser so I will cut it some slack, but I expected far more from Apple. There is  absolutely no innovation in  here. It doesn't do things well that other browsers have done well for a long time, and there is no customization. I do give them props for passing the Acid2 test, but beyond that, this browser still has a long ways to go before it can be used by the main stream and even further to go before it will do anything to gain mainstream adoption. If they don't improve on it, I don't see anybody but Apple Fanboys using this browser anytime in the near future.

Rating: 1.5/5


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