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Safari has been Apple's Web browser for many years, and the company keeps making improvements to it at regular intervals. Originally designed to be a Web browser with the Mac OS look and feel, Safari has been part of the Apple family a long time. Apple support isn't the only reason to use it, though; it has other strengths.
With the latest releases, you can do many tasks that used to require multiple apps or a lot of keystrokes. For example, you can send a tweet or post content to Facebook from within Safari. If you visit a site on your MacBook or iMac and have iCloud integration, the same page can be pushed to your iPhone or iPad so you don't have to look for it twice. There's a private-browsing feature that hides your tracks, too. In the recent versions of Safari there aren't separate search and URL fields; there's one text-entry area and Safari figures out what you want. Autofill and smart-search options suggest Web sites before you've typed the entire URL. There's support for multiple browser windows with thumbnail overviews, with quick zooming in and out.
While the era of radical changes to Web browsers has gone by, small improvements that help navigation and cut down on keystrokes are always welcome. Safari has always been the standard browser of Mac users, and by continuing to develop its product, Apple has kept it that way. The latest version of Safari continues that tradition.
Safari 4 beta for Mac:Publisher's Description
From Apple:
The new advanced features in Safari make it an even better place to explore the web. Safari searches even smarter so you'll find web pages faster. It shows you all your open tabs in a great new way. Right from Safari, you can tweet web pages, post them to Facebook, or share them via Mail or Messages. And with even more features, browsing is just the beginning. Now there's one simple field for both search terms and web addresses. When you enter a web address, Safari takes you right to the web page -- and even fills in the entire URL. Safari finds what you're looking for in a faster and smarter way. As you type in the field, Safari stays one step ahead and suggests a Top Hit -- the closest match to what you're looking for. Safari uses pages from your bookmarks and history to find a Top Hit, so you find the right web page fast. Tab View gives you the big picture of your browsing. Just pinch to see all your open tabs. Swipe left or right to move between them. And tap a tab to go right to the website. Multi-Touch makes Tab View a fun and natural way to browse. iCloud Tabs makes the last websites you had open on your Mac available in Safari on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. So you can go from one device to another without having to search for the web pages you were reading. It happens without syncing. Just click the iCloud Tabs button in the Safari toolbar to see the web pages you last viewed on any device. The URLs are encrypted for privacy. If you don't want the web pages you view on your Mac to be visible on your other devices, you can turn on Private Browsing. Now you can share anything you come across on the web right when you come across it -- without leaving Safari. Just click the Share button, then choose how you want to send it off. Share web pages using Mail or Messages. Post them on Facebook.2 Tweet links. And even add comments and locations. A single sign-on sets up Facebook and Twitter for Safari, so you need to log in only once. If you want to send a web page using Mail, Safari gives you four options. Send it in Reader format so text appears in a clean, clutter-free format. Send the entire web page in your message. Send the web page as a PDF attachment. Or just send the link.
What's new in this version: Allows you to enable the Java web plug-in on a website-by-website basis, with four settings to choose from.
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All versions:
3.9 starsout of 829 votes
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Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
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"Superfast, stable, beautifully designed browser"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Renders pages nicely, easy to use. Like Reader and Reading List features.
Cons
There are some issues to fixed in current version.
Summary
Browser is a personal choice. Its a superfast, stable browser.
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"Significant improvement over previous version."
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Significant improvement over previous version; faster and cleaner, more compatible with Mountain Lion.
Cons
Still does not handle PDF documents properly.
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"THE WORST PERFORMING SAFARI YET"
Version: Apple Safari 3.1.2
Pros
There are really no pros in this version of Safari which collides with Mountain Lion.
Cons
Does not load, freezes, slow, almost useless
Summary
After downloading Safari 6.0 for compatibility with Mountain Lion, it has proven to be the worst. We suggest using google Chrome,Opera,Firefox.
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"My Favorite Browser!"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Mountain Lion:
Very snappy.
Very elegant interface.
Very well integrated into OSX
Very Integrated with iCloud.
Amazing gestures (swipe back and fourth, zoom in, tab view...)Cons
-Can sometimes hang for a few seconds, occasionally.
-No "Save As" function for downloading content, though you can do this by clicking Option-Enter with the URL.
-Not a huge list of extensions (I don't use them, but I know some people do).Summary
Overall, Safari is the best browser for Mac. I have heard that it isn't very good on Lion, but if you are on Mountain Lion, give it an honest chance!!
This browser is certainly very fast, maybe not the absolute fastest, but one of the best. However, the integration is the key to Safari. The smooth swipe gestures to go back and forth between pages is beautiful, and handy if I don't want to load the previous page, but take a quick look at one line (you can swipe complete to reload the page, or just a little to see a part of it, like a book.) The smart zoom and pinch to zoom features are quite handy. I rarely use the Tab View, but it can be useful.
Other browsers, like Chrome, have a few of these gestures, but they are far less appealing. Safari is the only browser with this level of finish, and will remain the only one due to Apple's development. Safari just works for me, and the UI is what keeps me. -
"What a piece of utter crap"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Absolutely none.
Cons
The damn thing won't run on 10.7.5 and freezes my computer.
Summary
*** Apple. Do I have to go use a PC to be functional in the most basic things?
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"Perfectly nice"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Everything I need
Cons
Not yet discovered
Summary
Better than the others
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"irresponsible offerin"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
sounds good on paper
Cons
there is (a) no warning that this update will not work on 10.6 or 10.7, (b) no system check before installation to see if the operating system is compatible, (c) no system for uninstalling after you discover that safari is now locked up and inoperative. thanks for screwing up a couple of days for me!
Summary
To users: read these reviews and make certain that you have 10.8 installed before doing anything with this.
To Apple: either note what operating system is needed, provide a check for compatibility, or all of the above. -
"Apple owes Lion users a fix patch"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
There are none.
Cons
Agree with the above users. We got screwed. Not that theyll listen , but Apple needs to hear about this and a fix demanded. DONT USE WITH 10.7 !
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"Don't put this version on a Mac with Lion - 10.7.5"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Works good on my Mac Pro with 10.8.2 Mountain Lion OS.
Cons
I installed this on my wife's iMac with 10.7.5 Lion, it installed fine, but a dialog box informed me that it wouldn't run on her machine. Again, the installer let me install it on here machine. After I installed it, I tried to run the older version of Safari, and no version of Safari would run on her machine. I then spent hours and tried everything from a complete system reinstall to various fixes I found over at the Apple site, all with no luck. Her machine is too old to run Mountain Lion, so that's not an option. So, I have her running Firefox and she really doesn't know the difference, but I am really upset that the Safari installer allowed the installation, and a no go. I also found the downloadable version of Safari 6.0.2 for Lion, and still a NO-GO!!!!
lowrider -
"Doesn't work with Lion"
Version: Apple Safari 6.0.2
Pros
Pros: Non that I can think of. The installed version 6.0.2 refuses to work on Lion
Cons
The software updater ran smoothly with no problems.
The software allowed me to install version 6.0.2 which DOESNT WORK with OS Lion.
So now my Safari Browser is 100% broken.
I used time machine to restore 6.0.1 but it also doesn't work.
I downloaded 6.0.1 but it also doesn't work.
I downloaded 6.0.0 but it also doesn't work.
I downloaded Google Chrome, nice minimilistic browser but I really resent being forced to give up Safari due to 1 simple mistaken upgrade.Summary
A real disaster for my Lion operating system.
I've been happy with Safari until now.
My 5 year old laptop is stuck on Lion and can't upgrade to Mountain Lion
Now I don't have Safari and I don't know how to get Safari back.
Be warned Lion Users!
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