- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Mac OS X 10.4 PPC/Intel/10.5 PPC/Intel
- Date added: June 07, 2009
- Total Downloads: 38,203
- Downloads last week: 6,051
- See full specifications
A newer version of Apple Safari is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 26 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Jason Parker on June 08, 2009
Apple's latest iteration of Safari has a lot to offer, putting it among the top browsers in its category, but those who like to customize their surfing experience may need to look elsewhere. Version 4 features the Nitro engine, which runs JavaScript up to 4.5 times faster than Safari 3 (according to Apple) and it was certainly blindingly fast in all of our testing. The browser supports all modern Web standards, like HTML 5 and advanced CSS effects so you don't need to worry about whether Safari will work correctly on your favorite sites. Though Safari 4 doesn't have the extensibility and numerous add-ons and themes found in Mozilla's Firefox, there is something to be said for running lean and mean on the Web.
However, a lack of extra add-ons doesn't mean Safari comes without its fair share of cool features. The Top Sites feature is a welcome addition, displaying your most-used Web sites in an easy-to-read grid format--simply click on a thumbnail view of your favorite page and go. But what makes Top Sites particularly useful is in the way it indicates (with a white-on-blue star icon) that sites have been updated since your last visit. Also, searching through your Web history has never been easier, with a Cover Flow-like interface letting you flip through Web pages so you can quickly find the site you want.
Legacy perks from previous versions of Safari, like the Snapback feature, make it easy to return to your original page when you're surfing through a lot of links. It also lets you collect and browse through RSS feeds right from the bookmarks panel. We like the clean interface and layout of browser controls, but wonder why Apple decided to switch its tab layout in the final version; tabs used to be on top of the browser during the beta period, but have moved back down below the address bar and toolbars in this version.
Overall, Safari is an extremely fast browser with plenty of useful features that users will appreciate, but choosing a browser is also a question of personal taste. If you're used to more add-ons or like to have more customization options, you should probably try another browser.
Watch the CNET video review of Apple Safari:
Publisher's description
From Apple :Safari offers you a superior Web experience with outstanding performance. Even the most complex of pages load at breakneck speed. In fact, Safari loads pages more quickly than any other Mac Web browser. But that's not all. Safari uses the advanced interface technologies underlying Mac OS X to offer you an all-new view of the Web, one that's much easier to use.
What's new in this version:
Safari 4 features the Nitro engine which runs JavaScript up to 4.5 times faster than Safari 3.* Safari 4 makes browsing more intuitive and enjoyable with innovative features, such as Top Sites, Full History Search and Cover Flow, and support for modern web standards like HTML 5 and advanced CSS Effects.
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User reviews of Apple Safari 4.0
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 26 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 6 user reviewsSee all 6 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Apple Safari 4.0
Pros: Fastest browser on earth
Stable
QuickCons: No search engine expandability
Windows version sucksSummary: The fastest browser on earth has only 2 defects: the first, you can't add additional search engines, the second is that the Windows version is slower and unstable than the OS X one. But hey, you can't do much when you're dealing with horribly unstab... read more >>
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Superior to any other browser!"
Pros: EXTREMELY FAST, supports plug-ins, looks cool, Top Sites, Very reliable, tabs now on bottom
Cons: Coverflow cannot be turned on or off
Summary: The best browser I have better used, way better than Safari 3.x.x and Firefox. Safari 4 leaves other browsers in the dust with its blazing speed.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Better speed but less user control"
Pros: Pretty fast. Apple has listened to some reviewers and removed many annoying features in the beta.
Cons: Cover Flow. No way to turn it off. Embarrassing if someone suddenly sees you have been somewhere you would rather they not know about and they see you open this as it opens automatically. Apple taking control and choice away from user step by step.
Summary: This browser goes where no browser really needs to go. Needed compatibility with flash is an improvement. Absence of choice in turning eye candy features on and off is a definite major minus. Somewhat more stable and fast but still needs improvement... read more >>
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Safari 4 + "WebKit"=The fastest thing you've ever seen."
Pros: The addition of coverflow to such areas as History and Bookmarks is an excellent feature.The speed boost (especially when Safari 4 is combined with WebKit) is staggering.The smart address/search fields are great.
Cons: The top sites tool is a bit pointless.It is much easier to create a tab called "daily sites" and drag the address bars of your most visited sites into that tab (Visit Apples' site to find out how)
Summary: Overall a big step up from Safari 3.x.x and I highly recommend it,BUT do yourselves a favor-Use it in conjunction with a "WebKit nightly build".
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0
Pros: Very fast, reliable and compatible with most web standards. javascript performance is second to none.
Cons: Still crashes, but not nearly as much as the beta version. Maybe it will be crash resistant as promised in Snow Leopard.
Summary: Besides occasional crashes I still choose Safari 4 as my primary web browser because of it's amazing speed and compatibility with web standards. Apple has really stepped their game up with Safari 4. I think plugins are overrated and just slows down ... read more >>
- See all 6 user reviews Write review
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