February 25, 2009 4:35 PM PST
First Look video: Safari 4 Public Beta
Apple's Safari was already the most used Web browser on the Mac, but other browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Camino have been quickly gaining on (and in some cases surpassing) the browser that comes preloaded on all Macs. The new version comes packed with interface enhancements and new features to once again set the bar a little higher for the competition. But is it enough?
Check out this First Look video to find out more about the new features in Safari 4 Public Beta.
Jason Parker writes software reviews and features for Windows, Mac, and iPhone. If he learned to dance, it would make him a fabled "quadruple threat," but we can't get him to do it. 
This fascination with lots of add-ons and "skinning" is a phenomenon taken straight from the Windows and Linux worlds, and needs to stay there. Apple has already made too many compromises to court those users. Apple needs to get back to basics. Aqua isn't even being adhered to anymore for crying out loud. Inconsistencies are creeping into Mac OS X.
The top of the window should be have just like it does in ever other Mac OS application. It should be one bar, with one close button. Reload isn't even a button anymore! They've put an "add tab" button as a tab itself. And they've put a "handle" on each tab to move it around. There is no "stop" button (unless you count the "X" that shows up while loading, and it isn't a button). And is it my imagination or are the titles of the tabs in much smaller fonts than the old title bar? And yes, I also would like to be able to disable the Top Sites feature. Of course, I'm still waiting for the ability to have the close button on the left and the minimise and maximise buttons on the right of windows, like in Mac OS 9. Oh, and why can I not force a window to automatically go full screen anymore? In Mac OS 9 and before, all I had to do was alt-click any unruly window's maximise button, but not in OS X.
Apple, for the love of God and all that is Mac, please abandon these UI changes before it's too late!
The end is near...
- by pando85 March 5, 2009 11:44 PM PST
- Windows live webmail does not run on it, cnet videos play but if you try to click on a drop down menu the menu goes behind the video (playing or stopped) seems like the video area is "always on top" kinda ridiculous. Oh, other video sites set up like cnet have the same issue with things going behind the video area, also try to view photos for a device review which also has a video, the photos will show up BEHIND the video. beta or not thats dumb. Other than that I love the top sites.
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