Apple Safari 4 Beta for Windows and Mac Released

Apple has recently released Safari 4 beta, the latest version of its web browser for both Mac and Windows computers. Safari's latest notch-up brings along few major improvements to justify its claim of being the world's fastest browser. It's not an overstatement like many would think, in fact its loading speed surpasses its predecessor and other close competitors.

Even though Safari is still in beta stage, it is able to load HTML pages way much faster (up to 3 times) than Firefox 3 and Internet Explorer 7. It can also execute Javascript several times faster than Firefox 3 and up to 30 times faster than Internet Explorer 7. Speaking of Javascript, I know this thing for real since I usually get headache when loading ebay pages that have Auctiva scrolling gallery. It freezes my Firefox every time Javascript loads. This major breakthrough lies on the revolutionary "Nitro" engine which effectively gives Safari lightning speed in rendering web pages.

Safari 4 Beta introduces almost 150 new features. New features include:

Top Sites - A page that displays your favorite or most visited sites where you can configure it to be either a page you see every time you a new tab is opened or your home page.

Cover Flow - Highly visual navigation interface which allows you to browse full history searches, by keyword, title, web address (like what you see in iTunes).

Full-Page Zoom - Zoom in or out on web content using keyboard shortcuts, Multi-Touch gestures, or the Zoom toolbar button for more comfortable reading.

Safari is the first web browser to pass Acid 3, a test run to measure up a browser’s ability to fully render pages using the web standards. With HTML 5 and CSS 3 come onboard, Safari 4 Beta creates better browsing experience and benefits future web technologies.

Download Link

Safari 4 Beta

Technorati Tags: Apple Safari 4 Beta, web browser, Firefox 3, Internet Explorer 7, nitro engine, Mac, Windows