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Feb
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Apple is ready to upgrade its Safari browser. Version 4 is available in a public Beta release for Windows and MAC format and can be downloaded here.
I love the new organization options–the way top sites looks and the idea of cover flow–but it looks like a Google Chrome knock-off. Clearly Safari is more mainstream than Chrome is yet, and I feel like Safari’s users will respond to version 4 positively. But, Mozilla’s Firefox 3.1 is coming soon as well, and I’m interested to compare the browsers. Both will feature new engines for process Java and boast that user speeds will significantly increase. Currently, Mozilla is my browser of choice, but the idea of standardizing looks across all Apple programs (IE Cover Flow in the new Safari) makes it a worthy competitor.
Key New Features
- Top Sites -Â See you Favourite websites at a glance. Open one with a single click
- Cover Flow -Â Flip through your site history or bookmarks like you flip through albums in iTunes
- Full History Search - Easily retrieve sites you’ve seen before. Spot the one you want in Cover Flow
- Tabs on Tabs -Â Manage your tabs elegantly and open a wide window for exploring the web
- Nitro Engine - Wait less. Browse more. Surf the web with the world’s fastest browser.
- Windows Users Native Look & Feel -Â Vista and XP users: feel right a home in Safari for Windows
- Developer Tools -Â Access the best suite of development tools ever included in a browser
- Available Languages -Â The public beta is available in English only.
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Any testers? What are your thoughts? I’ll post again in a couple days with a review.
MacRumors story.

Safari 4 Beta Screen Shot
12 Responses to “Apple Releases Public Safari 4 Beta”
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February 27th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I’m using it now and it’s wonderful and i’m waiting for Alpha version.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Hey yassomusic im going to install the public beta now, I’m sure it’s amazing too …
btw the Alpha version already passed, Apple doesn’t release alpha versions to public, a typical software release life cycle goes like this alpha>beta>release candidate
February 28th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Thnx for the correction I meant the final release
February 28th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I want to ask a question…why safari downloads corrupted files ?
i mean if the file being downloaded is not compressed (.zip , .7z ,etc..) it will be damaged after download and sometimes (.dmg) files is also damaged ?
Is this problem fixable ? why apple didn’t consider it in this beta ?
February 28th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
try downloading 2.2 firmware for example by using safari and download it uncompressed ( in a .ipsw format) and tell me if i’m correct cuz this issue is so frustrating every time i have to get a file ,i use firefox and i don’t like this
February 28th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I’m now running safari 4 beta, let me just say this it’s faaaaaaaast, beats chrome! Love the top sites feature, ok i gotta go discover more features bye..
February 28th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Yasso: I’m not following? Can you explain the situation a little more in-depth.
March 1st, 2009 at 12:59 am
Ok nstick
In simple words…you’re now opening a safari web page as usual
and assume you wanna dowload .ipsw file or .ipa file …..NOT ( .ipsw.zip )
or ( .ipa.7z ) …try downloading any uncompressed file using safari and save it on your desktop ,for example. and report us here with the results.
Did you get a nice working file ? or a corrupted file which is saved in an awkward figure ( plain text or something like that) ??
that what happened to me and i’m asking if the error from my side only. this was happening in previous version of safari even this new beta.
March 1st, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Safari 4 is really fast,not like 3 , it was fast too , but not that much difference between Safari 3 and FireFox , too bad i can’t use it all the time , i’m a Firefox addict , can’t live without Greasemonkey scripts and addons :d .
but i use Safari when i want to do something quickly , not for surfing , but still , it’s the best out there .
March 1st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
yeaa i go with Rami!
i cant help but love firefox and the manyyyy add-ons it offers, especially themes… i dont get why safari doesn’t do the same, but i guess 4 is much lessss boring and even quicker
March 1st, 2009 at 11:53 pm
@ yassomusic: u can disable the option of opening files when downloading them in any version… try going to Safari>Preferences>General and make sure you UNcheck the option of “opening safe files after downloading”
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Yasso:
I did some Googling and came across this website:
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=750
Basically, Safari automatically unzips compressed files or files it trusts. To prevent this, follow Ghalia’s instructions. Let us know how it works out for you.