Apple built Safari 4 on advanced browser technologies like the new Nitro JavaScript engine that executes JavaScript nearly eight times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and more than four times faster than Firefox 3, according to the SunSpider JavaScript Performance test. Safari loads HTML Web pages more than three times faster than IE8 and three times faster than Firefox 3, according to VeriTest's iBench Version 5.0.

"Safari 4 is an incredible success on Mac and Windows with more than 11 million downloads in the first three days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. "Safari users love the incredible speed and innovative features like Top Sites, Full History Search, and Cover Flow."

Safari's HTML 5 Future

Safari 4 includes HTML 5 support for offline technologies and support for advanced CSS effects. These features usher in the possibility of Web applications that feature a new class of rich media, graphics and fonts. Safari 4 is also the first browser to pass the Web Standards Project's Acid3 test, which examines how well a browser adheres to CSS, JavaScript, XML and SVG standards designed for dynamic Web applications.

Top Sites in Safari offers a visual preview of frequently visited and favorite pages. Full History Search allows users to search through titles, Web addresses and the complete text of recently viewed pages. Cover Flow flips through Web history or bookmarks.

Safari 4 also offers Smart Address Fields to automatically complete Web addresses from a list of suggestions, Search Fields to fine-tune searches with recommendations from Google Suggest or a list of recent searches, and Full Page Zoom for a closer look at any Web site without degrading the quality of the site's layout and text.

Safari Spreads Its Wings

Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret, said the success of Safari 4 reminds the market that the browser wars are on again -- this time with a different set of players. He's not surprised that Safari 4 saw 11 million downloads in its first few days because, he said, it's an impressive product. (continued...)

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