Safari 4 Beta available

Apple has presented the new version of the Safari web browser. Safari 4 beta is available for Mac OS X and Windows. Compared to the third-generation, changes in Safari 4 look really impressive, as they affect both the user interface and the browser engine.

When you launch the browser for the first time, an effective intro is displayed and then you get switched to a new Top Sites view. It is displayed using Cover Flow technology. Its appearance resembles the visualization of an album in iTunes - we must admit that it looks very effectively. By default, the application has a number of popular sites that are placed on the favorites list and are presented in a graphical form. Of course, it is possible to adapt the Top Sites layout to your own preferences. Also, both history and bookmarks are displayed in Cover Flow technology. Top Sites view allows you to add 24, 12 or 6 thumbnails.

The browser is equipped with a mechanism of address auto-completion. Tips for the URL are taken from favorite bookmarks and history. Windows users will notice that Safari now looks like other programs in Windows. The fourth-generation of the browser has been enriched in the cards displayed on the upper edge of the application window. This saved a lot of space, and the use of such cards is very practical. Safari 4 Beta uses standard Windows fonts, so the pages looks better in this system.

Apple informs that the application has currently the best compliance with the Acid 3 test. The program is equipped with a new JavaScript engine which processes scripts much faster (four times faster than Firefox 3.1). There is also a new set of development tools for programmers.

Currently, Safari 4 is available as a public beta. You can download the application for Windows and Mac OS X. Keep in mind that this is a test version so it can not function properly.