Windows Safari is on the Right Track
November 28th, 2007 by Ade OlonohI started up Safari on Windows yesterday to test a website, and was delighted to see a major change in the 3.0.4 update: increased compatibility with the Windows desktop environment.
This means that Safari windows now behave the same way that other application windows do, and support utilities that enhance or alter that behavior. For example:
- When I re-launch Safari, it remembers the window size and position from the last time I closed it, rather than defaulting to some arbitrary size far smaller than 1024×768.
- I can resize the window from any side (as is typical with MS Windows applications) instead of just with the resize handle on the lower-right corner.
- I can use utilities like UltraMon and Sizer to quickly move or resize windows, like I do on a regular basis with other applications.
Safari is a great browser, and I was glad when the Windows version was released. But I don’t see it ever getting much market share until it looks or behaves more like other Windows applications. It hasn’t yet felt like it was meant to be run on Windows, as it’s so much more foreign than native applications.
The OS X GUI definitely looks great, and I’m not getting into any debates about whether it looks better or worse than XP or Vista. But stick any GUI on an application in an environment where it doesn’t match, and it’s aesthetic is going to be knocked a few points.
Kudos to the development team for working towards making it a more viable Windows browser, and I hope they don’t lose that focus. We need something to pry IE 6 out of the hands of the masses.
