# Is Safari for Windows any good? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518 "2008-03-24T11:40:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/1 "2008-03-24T11:40:23Z")
Subject says it all, really. I’d like to know your experiences before trying it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/2 "2008-03-24T11:46:36Z")
I downloaded it a couple of days ago. It doesn’t seem to do tabbed browsing the way I like. I want links to open in a tab rather than a new window by default. As far as I can tell I have to use the middle mouse button or CTRL+click to open a link in a new tab. That’s pretty much a deal breaker for me. Back to Opera with Firefox as a backup. Edit: Also, the font looks a bit unusual. As if the screen is set to a non-native resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/3 "2008-03-24T12:57:35Z")
Agree. It renders some pages funny, and the skin has a bleak, insitutional look and feel to it. I haven’t looked into the possibility of customizing or getting alternate skins, if this is possible. I’ll keep using it for a while to see if it grows on me. I like how the address bar doubles as the status bar, showing page load progress as a shaded highlight behind the URL. [Screen shot](http://www.sephiroth.it/weblog/archives/images/safari_windows.png). ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/4 "2008-03-24T16:39:29Z")
I tried it once and it was ok. I suppose if you are a Mac head recently converted to Windows, it would be a nice thing to have to help preserve the look and feel of the Mac Internet experience. It was nothing to write home about. I ended up removing it from my system. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/5 "2008-03-25T00:24:08Z")
Haven’t tried it, but according to [this article](http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905382) that I noticed on Google News today, it’s rather crash-prone. The article seems rather slanted, though: > [@](#): > > Such complaints are echoing across a [Safari support forum thread](http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1453407&tstart=0) on Apple’s Web site that’s drawn more than 1,000 views in the past week – an indication that the problem could be widespread. 1,000 views in a week doesn’t strike me as terribly high for a page on Apple’s site, but maybe it is. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/6 "2008-03-25T14:15:49Z")
Well, I tried it and it failed the 5 minute test - specifically I found that the way it dealt with bookmarks was a real pain. I may have been doing something wrong, but I didn’t spot what. So it’s back to Internet Explorer. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/7 "2008-03-26T05:37:41Z")
[Ars Technica](http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080324-safari-3-1-on-windows-a-true-competitor-arrives.html) review of Safari 3.1. He didn’t like the beta much, but says that this version is pretty decent. Font rendering is still a sticking point as Safari uses the type of sub-pixel anti-aliasing that’s standard on Macs, but there are strong indications that this will change soon, probably with the next update of WebKit which forms the guts of the application. Stability is cited as being better than the beta, on a par with other Windows browsers, and doesn’t have the memory leak problems that Firefox 2 has (those are reputed to be a priority fix in FF3, but that’s not out of beta yet). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/8 "2008-03-26T15:39:07Z")
The fact that Apple is trying to sneak it in with an iTunes update doesn’t make me eager to try it. From the screenshot I see that like iTunes, they’re wasting vast amounts of screen space with grey. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/9 "2008-03-26T17:15:27Z")
I don’t like using Safari in Leopard (I use it when a site doesn’t work in Firefox the same way I use IE on my Windows box) and I really don’t like it in Windows. I installed it just to see if I liked it more than IE and they’re about the same amount of meh for me. I might start using Safari more often when I would be loading IE but I don’t know of a way to get the IE View plugin to load Safari instead. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/10 "2008-03-26T17:26:44Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] I downloaded it a couple of days ago. It doesn’t seem to do tabbed browsing the way I like. I want links to open in a tab rather than a new window by default. As far as I can tell I have to use the middle mouse button or CTRL+click to open a link in a new tab. That’s pretty much a deal breaker for me. Back to Opera with Firefox as a backup. Edit: Also, the font looks a bit unusual. As if the screen is set to a non-native resolution. [/QUOTE] Lookie here: [http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008032109273043](http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008032109273043) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/11 "2008-03-26T17:52:17Z")
Why does this product exist? Was it necessary? I’m surprised to hear about this. Even in my school district, which uses exclusively Apple computers, we run Firefox entirely. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/12 "2008-03-26T17:53:17Z")
1. Make web browser 2. Get everyone to use web browser 3. Profit? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/13 "2008-03-26T18:00:44Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] Why does this product exist? Was it necessary? I’m surprised to hear about this. Even in my school district, which uses exclusively Apple computers, we run Firefox entirely. [/QUOTE] For OS X, I suspect that Apple wanted to be able to bundle a browser with new machines, and not be dependent on any third-party, just like they bundle a mail client. As for releasing it for Windows, my guess is they want to test the quality of their cross-platform development system, and maybe pick up a few fans along the way. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/14 "2008-03-26T19:55:45Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] The fact that Apple is trying to sneak it in with an iTunes update doesn’t make me eager to try it. From the screenshot I see that like iTunes, they’re wasting vast amounts of screen space with grey. [/QUOTE] Interestingly, they are trying to sneak it in one the one hand, while also telling PC owners that they’re not allowed to install it. As [The Register](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/26/apple_safari_eula_paradox/) notes: > [@](#): > > Apple’s Safari license says that users are permitted to install the browser on no more than “a single Apple-labeled computer at a time.” This means that if you install Safari for Windows on a Windows PC, you’re violating the license. > > \ > > Apple Software Update points out that Safari is subject to an Apple licensing agreement. “Use of this software is subject to the original Software License Agreement(s) that accompanied the software being updated,” the “updater” says. And that licensing agreement forbids the use of Safari on Windows machines. Nice one, morons. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/15 "2008-03-27T05:40:24Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] Lookie here: [http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008032109273043](http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008032109273043) [/QUOTE] That doesn’t look like it is applicable to windows. What is “Terminal”? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/16 "2008-03-27T13:12:12Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] That doesn’t look like it is applicable to windows. What is “Terminal”? [/QUOTE] Terminal is the command line in OS X (kinda like using a DOS prompt in Windows.) It gives you access to controlling OS X using Unix commands and, as a general rule, anything you can do in any flavor of Unix or Linux you can do in Terminal. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/17 "2008-03-27T13:29:20Z")
Would there be a Windows equivelant of that tip? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/18 "2008-03-27T13:55:54Z")
Am I misunderstanding the way Safari uses bookmarks? I really like the way IE has them as a sort of menu. In Safari, they appear as a whole web page. And Safari for Windows doesn’t work with Flash etc - hardly surprising since its so new but annoying nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/19 "2008-03-27T14:09:00Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”] Would there be a Windows equivelant of that tip? [/QUOTE] Geeze, sorry about that. I’m so used to answering Mac-related questions, I forgot that this was a Safari for Windows question! You may need to edit the plist file manually (it’s just XML). Here’s a link that talks about where it’s stored: [GDI Text on Windows | WebKit](http://webkit.org/blog/168/gdi-text-on-windows/) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518/20 "2008-03-27T14:10:46Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Am I misunderstanding the way Safari uses bookmarks? I really like the way IE has them as a sort of menu. In Safari, they appear as a whole web page. And Safari for Windows doesn’t work with Flash etc - hardly surprising since its so new but annoying nonetheless. [/QUOTE] I’m on the Mac, but I assume it’s the same. You can add your bookmarks to the Bookmarks menu, the bookmarks bar (under the address bar), or leave them on the hyperlink page. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-safari-for-windows-any-good/442518.md?page=2)