Apple posts Safari 4 beta

Apple has released a public beta version of Safari 4, its next web browser. The software introduces a number of new features, most notably the Nitro engine, which is claimed to run JavaScript functions 4.2 times faster Safari 3. The browser additionally incorporates HTML 5 support, which allows offline storage of web application data, and CSS 3 styles, which can incorporate gradients, reflections and precision masks.

Safari's interface has been altered with several new features, such as the Opera-like Top Sites, which displays a visual collection of a user's favorite webpages for rapid selection. Users can now search through the complete text of sites in their browsing history, and view both histories and current bookmarks through the visual medium of Cover Flow.

The software also adopts a new layout scheme called Tabs on Top, which provides more page space by pushing tabs into the title bar, as in Google's Chrome browser. Miscellaneous updates to Safari include an expanded set of debugging tools, smart suggestions in the search and address fields, and automatic detection of phishing or malware sites.

Safari 4 is available in separate versions for Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, and Windows XP or Vista.

by MacNN Staff