- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows Vista, Windows XP
- Date added: June 07, 2009
- Total Downloads: 457,062
- Downloads last week: 6,716
- 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 521 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on June 09, 2009
Initially met with some skepticism, the Windows version of Apple's Safari browser has developed into a strong Web-surfing candidate. Previous versions felt unfinished, but Safari 4 can stand should to shoulder with the other major Windows Web browsers--depending on what kind of experience you want.
Safari lacks most customization features. Skins and other aesthetic tweaks exist in the Mac version, but not here. Just about the only thing you can alter is the font. However, the new version represents a radical departure in look and feel, and the changes are for the better. Safari now looks much more like Google Chrome, although the tabs are placed below the navigation bar, not above it. The status bar and menu bar do exist, but they're hidden by default. You can make toolbar changes and customizations by clicking on the gear icon--another similarity to Chrome.
Both browsers are built on the open-source Webkit rendering engine, although they use different JavaScript engines. Safari's Nitro is definitely fast, although Apple's claims that it's the fastest browser on the market might depend more on your hardware than anything else. In our testing, it ran a bit slowly after heavy tab and video playback, and still consumed more RAM in general than Firefox. You can also opt out of automatic updates when you install Safari.
Features unique to Safari 4 include Cover Flow, for visually searching your history and bookmarks, and Top Sites. This presents a "speed dial"-style list of favorites on blank tabs, melded with the visual flair of Cover Flow. There's a decent built-in roboform, too. Overall, this Safari is the best one yet, and graduates from mere Windows-based developers' tool to a reasonable choice for average users.
Watch the CNET video review of Apple Safari:
Publisher's description
From Apple :With a simple, elegant interface, the Safari browser gets out of your way and lets you enjoy the Web. Features include: fast performance; an elegant user interface, easy bookmarks, pop-up Blocking, inline find, tabbed browsing, SnapBack, automatic form filling, built-in RSS, resizable text fields, private browsing, and security.
Version 4.0 adds the Cover Flow interface to visually scroll through browsing history, implements a Smart Address Field for jumping to most likely search results when searching in the location bar, introduces Top Sites as a "speed dial" feature for blank tabs, and introduces the fast Nitro JavaScript rendering engine.
What's new in this version:
Version 4.0 adds the Cover Flow interface to visually scroll through browsing history, implements a Smart Address Field for jumping to most likely search results when searching in the location bar, introduces Top Sites as a "speed dial" feature for blank tabs, and introduces the fast Nitro JavaScript rendering engine.
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User reviews of Apple Safari 4.0
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 521 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 33 user reviewsSee all 33 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Very good browser, probably not the best though."
Pros: Great, simple, beautiful, interface (top sites, coverflow, etc). Really fast (for me at least). Secure. Has some great features (full spotlight history search!!!, smart address bar, etc)
Cons: Not really any customization (except for some unsupported plugins). Missing a few nice features.
Summary: Firefox may still be better due to its add-ons and wider range of features. But man, I keep turning to Safari just because it's blazing fast on my computer.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"A fast, organized browser with some minor cons."
Pros: Fast Browser, Nice clean layout, New nice organized "Top Sites" section.
Cons: No add ons, Takes up lots of memory, No tab saving feature, Needs more personalization and customization.
Summary: Safari 4 is a very fast and nice browser, with the nitro javascript added and the neatly organized "Top Sites" section. However, it lacks a tab saving feature which is a disappointment. In all, Safari 4 is one of the best and fastest web browser out... read more >>
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Love the top site and bookmarks features."
Pros: Faster than Firefox, Chrome, and IE. So far seems more stable, faster response time, and easy on the eyes.
Cons: Needs add ons and more personalization features.
Summary: After using Safari 4.0 for a week or so, I made it my default browser. The download box is easier to use than the tabs that Chrome uses and the top site feature makes navigation swifter than the Firefox bookmarks.
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: Apple Safari 4.0
Pros: Nice looking interface
Cons: Too much of a memory hogger as compared to even IE.
Summary: Avoid unless you're on a Mac OS.
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0
"Definitely the fastest browser on my system."
Pros: Speed and simplicity. I've set it as my default because I think speed is the most important attribute for the applications of a default browser. I've also found it to be much more stable than the current FF.
Cons: I think a lot of users have come to depend on the add-ins available on FF and IE. Safari will need to incorporate add-ins if it expects to beat FF and IE for use as an overall start-page browser.
Summary: I have found that Safari is so much faster than Firefox and Internet Explorer on my system that I rely on it for the quick searches and downloads that make-up the majority of my internet use. You can often find my start-page open with IE8 for the cl... read more >>
- See all 33 user reviews Write review
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