Microsoft has had a good go at giving Vista an Apple-like makeover but, somehow, it still looks gaudy rather than elegant. So a real, genuine, snazzy-looking Apple browser on Windows is good news...
...up to a point.
The point at which it becomes bad news is the point at which I have to start testing all my web pages to find out if they display properly in yet another darn’ browser. Currently I test in IE, Firefox and Opera. Each browser has its quirks. And while some people say that IE is the quirkiest of the lot, it’s also the most widely used so I can’t just ignore any web pages that don’t display properly and pass the blame onto Microsoft. I am quite sure that Safari will have quirks all of its own which means that, if it manages to expand its user base from around the 5% mark which it currently commands, then I’m going to have to test in four separate browsers.... ugh!
It would be so much simpler if everyone just agreed to use the same browser. However, people get very attached to their browsers and are generally very reluctant to make the switch to another. I am an avid Opera user. I used IE for years and decided to switch at time when IE 6 had fallen way behind the competition (it didn’t even have tabbed windows). After trying Firefox and Opera, the former left me underwhelmed while the latter won me over with its speed and elegance. IE has caught up somewhat in version 7, but it has nothing that makes me want to switch back again.
Now that Safari is available on Windows, I’m in a quandary. Do I stick with the browser I know and love (Opera) or admit to my Mac-envy and switch to Safari...?
Ho hum, decisions, decisions...
Safari: http://www.apple.com/safari/
Opera: http://www.opera.com/
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