Apple’s Safari web browser has been available for Windows for quite a few days now, and no one is impressed. After several hours of testing, I experienced more than 10 crashes, and then I gave up. Yes, Safari is a beta product, but even Firefox 3 Alpha (which is far from being released) is more stable. Safari feels like a beta product, it is buggy, takes long to start up, and the speed increase is not noticeable on a broadband connection. Before you start to think I am anti-Safari, I must admit that Safari has a sleek design, very polished, but will it’s look get me to switch to Safari, no.
So why did Apple release safari for Windows? There are a couple theories (here and there), and of course it has to do with the upcoming release of the iPhone. But is that it?
Does Steve Jobs really think he can capture a noticeable amount of market share? Just by making a beautiful ‘fast’ browser? Compare Safari to Internet Explorer, and sure, you will convert some users. But Steve’s problem is that right now, Safari is not competing with Internet Explorer, but with Firefox.
Most internet users are unaware that Safari is avaiable for Windows, and those who are, are mostly Firefox users. And to get us to switch from Firefox to Safari, will take a lot more than a sleek design. Firefox has a plethora of features, extensions, and plugins which would take Apple a lot of effort to catch up to.
But then again, there is that one thing which Steve has, which puts us in the palm of his hands, the iPhone. The iPhone is one thing that we all want, and has become Apple’s way to leverage their needs towards them.
The iPhone is going to be the beginning for many new Apple features, new applications, new widgets, etc. Being an iPhone owner will be an exclusive experience, you will have access to more things, you will be able to do more,.. or at least, it will feel that way. This is the direction that Apple is going, and part of this, is Safari on Windows. It may not be obvious now, but Safari will have exclusive features. Soon we will be able to do things on Safari which we won’t be able to do on other browsers. Soon Apple will be creating Safari specific apps, or Safari only widgets. We are going to end up finding ourselves in the position that every time we hook up our iPod or sync our iPhone, we are going to have to be starting up SafariTunes, or whatever Apple will end up calling it.
The release of Safari now, is just mainly for developing purposes for the iPhone, but in the long run, Windows users are going to be facing new Apple applications which will combine our iTunes, Mail application, Agenda, and even web browser.
We must admit, Apple developers are clever. The experience of owning a Mac is great, everything is integrated, everything is works well together, and that is the experience that they are going to be bringing to Windows.
