Safari is Apple's default Web browser. Apple developed the browser for OS X and released it in 2003.  

Apple released an updated beta version of Safari 4 in February 2009. In addition to features common to most current browsers, Safari's features include:

• Nitro JavaScript engine, said to execute JS much faster than Internet Explorer or Firefox.
• RSS feed aggregator.
• A private browsing mode that doesn't save browsing history or related information.
• The ability to zoom in on Web page details.
• Custom style sheets.
• Integrated Quicktime multimedia player.
• The ability to archive or email a Web page.
• Support for VoiceOver, an application that describes Web page content and reads text aloud.
• Options for keyboard-only navigation.
• A thumbnail display of the user's most visited sites.
• Apple's Keychain identify management scheme for password management.
• Integration with Apple's iWeb software.

Safari is based upon Apple's Webkit, an application framework based upon two open source frameworks: WebCore and JavascriptCore. The source code for the non-rendering portions of Safari are all available at OpenDarwin.org.

The iPhone  and iPod Touch run an adapted version of Safari. There is also a version of the browser for Windows XP and Vista. As of January 2009, Safari controlled 8.29 percent of the browser market.

Learn More About IT:
> Apple offers more information, images and free downloads of  Safari.
> Wikipedia has more information about the history of Safari.
> Kris Abel reviews Safari 4.

04 Mar 2009