- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows XP/Vista
- Date added: August 11, 2009
- Total Downloads: 554,497
- Downloads last week: 5,626
- 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 539 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.
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User reviews of Apple Safari 4.0.3
- Average user rating: 3.1 stars out of 539 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 13 user reviewsSee all 13 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Apple Safari 4.0.3
"Fine, but could have been better"
Pros: Top sites view, sleek, speedy and comfortable to use
Cons: Not so customisable, could have been better
Summary: Apple must work hard on the browser!
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0.3
Pros: It is clear and fast, making it so easy to switch from one thing to another.
Cons: Can't think of any.
Summary: Not sufficiently well-versed in browsers to compare, except with Internet Explorer.
The reason I got another one was that an e-book would not download, and the help team eventually suggested I tried a different browser. The result was that ... read more >> -
Version: Apple Safari 4.0.3
"The best Safari yet, but it still lacking some features"
Pros: Safari has the nicest and the most elegant interface. Thanks to Cover Flow you can search through your top sites, searching history or bookmarks.
You can add your fav websites to Top Sites or to Bookmarks Bar to have them always handy.Cons: Safari is still a bit slower than Google Chrome which also have WebKit engine.
It checks spelling just in English.
It doesn't have option to show tab and windows from last time (you need to search them through whole history).
No ad block option.Summary: Safari is better and better. Has more functions than ever. It has all page zoom (which was lacking in previous versions).
I wish to have ad blocking functionality like in Opera.
Safari isn't the fastest browser, at lest on my PC. Chrome is... read more >> -
Version: Apple Safari 4.0.3
"The new interface features add an element of cool."
Pros: I like the new interface and the speed of browsing. I didn't have any issues with plugins or installation that other people complained about. The menu bars a are compact and don't take up as much real-estate on my monitor as Internet Exploder 8.
Cons: It has caught up with IE when it comes to consuming resources.
Summary: Even with the memory issues, it's a much better browsing experience than IE or Firefox. RAM is cheap enough these days to make this a non issue.
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Version: Apple Safari 4.0.3
"Probably the fastest but not the best"
Pros: Lightning fast browsing
Great interface
Amazing graphics and effects
Top sites tab is nice
Bookmarks in cover flow is spectacularCons: Eats more than 70MB
Can get stuck on older computers/laptops
You need a good graphics card to handle the eye candy graphics
Sometimes shows error reports when using facebook chat
Can be a little hard to get used toSummary: It is definitely the fastest browser but it eats up a lot of memory and needs a good graphics card to handle it's over the edge graphics.
- See all 13 user reviews Write review
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